Empire Grade to Bonny Doon

Empire Grade, Ice Cream Grade, Bonny Doon Road · Santa Cruz → Highway 1 south of Davenport

Twisty17 mi40 min2,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 1,800 ftOne way

Scan to drive it in CarvePoint a phone's camera here. It opens ready to drive.

Drive it in Carve, free

Opens this route in the app, or where to get it.

The drive

Empire Grade climbs out of Santa Cruz from the foot of the hill by High Street, passes above the UC Santa Cruz campus and carries on into the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It tops out near 1,800 feet.

Near the top Ice Cream Grade, a short paved link, takes you across to Bonny Doon Road. That road is the twistiest part of the drive: it winds down through the small community of Bonny Doon and ends on the coast at Highway 1 south of Davenport.

The drive is 17 miles and takes about 40 minutes. It climbs Empire Grade and descends Bonny Doon Road, so the tight bends come on the way down.

Along the way

Santa Cruz (High Street)
Empire Grade above UC Santa Cruz
Bonny Doon
Highway 1 south of Davenport

Elevation

2,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 1,800 ft

Santa CruzHighway 1 south of Davenport

Curves

Mostly moderate, with three twisty stretches

mi 4–7mi 7–10mi 15–17

Santa CruzHighway 1 south of Davenport

GentleHairpins

Good to know

Ice Cream Grade is hilly and narrow with no bike lanes, and the other roads are narrow in places too; expect cyclists.
There are no services on Ice Cream Grade, so fuel up in Santa Cruz.
Storms, downed trees and slides have closed Empire Grade and Bonny Doon Road before; check the county's closure site after heavy rain.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Santa Cruz County road closures.

Questions about this drive

How long does Empire Grade to Bonny Doon take?

Empire Grade to Bonny Doon Road, from Santa Cruz to Highway 1 south of Davenport, is 17 miles and takes about 40 minutes.

How twisty is Bonny Doon Road?

Bonny Doon Road is the twistiest part of the drive, a winding descent through Bonny Doon to the coast. Empire Grade above Santa Cruz is mostly moderate.

Is Empire Grade open in winter?

Empire Grade is a county road with no seasonal closure, but winter storms have closed it for fallen trees and slides. Check Santa Cruz County's road closures site.

Where does the Empire Grade to Bonny Doon drive end?

It ends on Bonny Doon Road just above Highway 1, south of Davenport on the coast.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.

Preview it in 3DFly the whole drive over satellite and terrain before you go.

Drive it with no signalAPEXDownload the map and every turn before you go.

Live Group TrackingAPEXEveryone on the route, on the map, by name.

Road conditionsAPEXWet or dry, ice, fog and wind along the road before you go.

Record your drivesAPEXRecord a drive and turn it into a route to drive again or share.

Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.

Download on theApp Store Early access onGoogle Play

More drives near here

All 126 drives in California ›

Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

+ Plan a new route