Overall Route Rating
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4 out of 5 Rider Rating 4
9 Reviews

Ben Lomond to Alice's

Motorcycle Route Author

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By asp125 (22 McR Points) on Nov 20, 2012

Rider Reviews

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Guest
January 25, 2014
I agree with the first post that this is a great…
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ImpromptuAdventures
47 McR Points
March 2, 2020
This is a nice cruise with a few twisties and…
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Written Directions

This is a twistier option to running the whole SR35 Skyline Blvd in the Bay Area. Pick up SR9 in Ben Lomond and head north. Stay on SR9 until it tees at an intersection with SR236 (Big Basin Hwy). Turn right, follow SR9 till it meets SR35 (Skyline Blvd). Turn left (north) and ride SR35 to Alice's Restaurant.

Scenery

The route leaves the small town of Ben Lomond and heads into the redwood forest of the Bay Area Penninsula. The twisty two lane road winds in and out of tall trees, with vineyards and wilderness on both sides. In spots the view opens up to the west and you can see the Pacific Ocean, or east towards San Jose. Stop at the tee at Big Basin Hwy and look up; you're in a stand of California redwoods hundreds of feet tall. More tree lined curves await as you continue onto Alice's.

Drive Enjoyment

Tight technical switchbacks combined with medium speed sweepers greet the rider. The pavement is not new, there may be some mid corner bumps. But generally the road is well paved, and riders with adequate skills will enjoy this road. To spice things up the Bay Area fog sometimes creeps in, requiring reduced speeds and care on damp pavement. The best time to ride it is in summer, when the trees provide cooling shade.

Tourism Opportunities

Gas is available in Ben Lomond and Alice's. The song "You can find anything you want, at Alice's Restaurant" is true if that anything includes good food, bike/car watching, and great roads. Combine this segment with several other side roads and you can make it a great loop of the Santa Cruz area. From Alice's you can continue north to San Francisco, or west to the beach and back south to Santa Cruz.
 

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Boots And Jeans Riders
June 14, 2021
47 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Touring
We Boots And Jeans Riders stumbled on Hwy 9 while heading to Felton. We were in heavy traffic and decided to exit the freeway in Los Gatos to take the back road to Felton. We were pleasantly pleased with the shape of the road with it's twists and turns. However the traffic was heavy than we were expecting. With slow moving vehicles that refused to use the pull outs in order to let us pass. Granted, we had a late start,( around 12pm.). If you decide to ride this road on a weekend, go early to avoid the vehicle traffic and it can be a fantastic road. Especially if you are not great with twisted roads, this can be a good road to hone your cornering skills, not an easy ride but definitely not a hard technical ride.
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beercan640
October 16, 2021
49 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
A nice cruise that I've done more than a few times. A lot of cool vintage motorcycles and autos out cruising these roads. Not sure how they do it, but the coffee at Alice's is excellent.
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macr88
November 15, 2021
74 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport
Highway 35 has a few cool sections but for me it's just there to get to the good stuff which is highway 9. My preferred direction is to go up the backside vs going down but both are fantastic.
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