Best driving roads near San Francisco Bay Area

Wedged between the Pacific and the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Bay Area serves up redwood-shaded ridge roads, twisty backcountry climbs, and a coastline that turns every Sunday morning into a driver's playground.

1. Skyline Boulevard (SR-35)

Skyline Boulevard passing through the trees at Sky Londa in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Photo: Thomson200, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Running the spine of the Santa Cruz Mountains, it runs the ridge with views of both the Pacific and the Bay.

Length
about 54 mi
Drive time
about 1 h 30 min
High point
about 3,000 ft
Map of Skyline Boulevard (SR-35) from SR-92 junction to SR-17 at Summit Road (Patchen Pass)
Route: SR-92 junction to SR-17 at Summit Road (Patchen Pass), about 43.5 mi. Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

Sources: Length · High point. Drive time is the route time for the mapped route without stops, from Mapbox.

2. Highway 1 (San Francisco to Santa Cruz)

Highway 1 running along the San Mateo coast near Pescadero
Photo: Fietsbel, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

About 70 coastal miles through Pacifica, the Tom Lantos Tunnels at Devil's Slide, and Half Moon Bay, dotted with beaches and pull-offs.

Length
about 70 mi
Drive time
about 1 h 45 min
Map of Highway 1 San Francisco to Santa Cruz from Daly City (south edge of San Francisco) to Mission Street, Santa Cruz
Route: Daly City (south edge of San Francisco) to Mission Street, Santa Cruz, about 69.4 mi. Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

Sources: Length. Drive time is the route time for the mapped route without stops, from Mapbox.

3. Mines Road

A remote East Bay road of about 28 miles from Livermore toward Mount Hamilton, twisting through rolling hills, with long single-lane stretches.

Length
about 28 mi
Drive time
about 50 min
Map of Mines Road from Tesla Road, Livermore to San Antonio Valley (The Junction, at San Antonio Valley Road and Del Puerto Canyon Road)
Route: Tesla Road, Livermore to San Antonio Valley (The Junction, at San Antonio Valley Road and Del Puerto Canyon Road), about 25.5 mi. Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

Sources: Length. Drive time is the route time for the mapped route without stops, from Mapbox.

4. Mount Hamilton Road (SR-130)

A cyclist climbing the narrow Mount Hamilton Road toward Lick Observatory
Photo: Original uploader was Sweetnsourbkr at en.wikipedia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

A narrow, endlessly winding climb to the Lick Observatory summit, rewarding patient drivers with views over San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley.

Length
about 19 mi
Drive time
about 55 min
High point
about 4,200 ft at Lick Observatory

Best time to go: Spring through fall. It closes when snow and black ice hit the upper road in winter.

Map of Mount Hamilton Road (SR-130) from Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose to Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton
Route: Alum Rock Avenue, San Jose to Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton, about 17.5 mi. Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

Sources: Length · High point · Best time. Drive time is the route time for the mapped route without stops, from Mapbox.

5. Old La Honda Road

Narrow Old La Honda Road climbing through the woods above Portola Valley
Photo: Robert Ashworth from Bellingham, WA., USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

About 3.3 miles of narrow, snaking road climbing from Portola Road up to Skyline. It is tight and busy with cyclists, so take it slow.

Length
about 3.3 mi
Drive time
about 10 min
High point
about 1,690 ft at Skyline
Map of Old La Honda Road from Portola Road, Woodside/Portola Valley to Skyline Boulevard (SR-35)
Route: Portola Road, Woodside/Portola Valley to Skyline Boulevard (SR-35), about 2.5 mi. Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

Sources: Length · High point. Drive time is the route time for the mapped route without stops, from Mapbox.

6. Page Mill Road

A twisty climb of about 8.5 miles from I-280 up to Skyline Boulevard, also one of the Bay Area's best-known cycling climbs.

Length
about 8.5 mi
Drive time
about 25 min
Map of Page Mill Road from I-280, Palo Alto to Skyline Boulevard (SR-35)
Route: I-280, Palo Alto to Skyline Boulevard (SR-35), about 10.8 mi. Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap Improve this map

Sources: Length. Drive time is the route time for the mapped route without stops, from Mapbox.

Track your next drive near San Francisco Bay Area

Open Road keeps every drive: the route on a map, the time and the distance. On iPhone and Android.

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Questions, answered

What are the best driving roads near San Francisco Bay Area?
Top picks near San Francisco Bay Area: Skyline Boulevard, Highway 1, Mines Road, Mount Hamilton Road, Old La Honda Road, Page Mill Road. Each one is here for the drive and the scenery.
How long are the best driving roads near San Francisco Bay Area?
Skyline Boulevard: about 54 mi. Highway 1: about 70 mi. Mines Road: about 28 mi. Mount Hamilton Road: about 19 mi. Old La Honda Road: about 3.3 mi. Page Mill Road: about 8.5 mi.
Which driving road near San Francisco Bay Area climbs the highest?
Mount Hamilton Road, with a high point of about 4,200 ft at Lick Observatory.
When is the best time to drive these roads?
Mount Hamilton Road: Spring through fall. It closes when snow and black ice hit the upper road in winter.
What's the best app to track a drive near San Francisco Bay Area?
Open Road records your drive and saves it to your drive log with the route on a map, the distance and the time. It is on iPhone and Android.

Famous driving roads