China Grade Road (Big Basin State Park)

[Max Rockatansky]

I recently drove China Grade Road through the eastern extent of Big Basin State Park.  One-lane Redwood canyon roads with 13% downhill grades aren't common, so I figured posting about it now would be worthwhile:

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCYYwX

This was the intro summary which I just finished writing for Gribblenation:

"China Grade Road is an approximately 6-mile rural corridor in the Santa Cruz Mountains which skirts the eastern extent of Big Basin State Park.  China Grade Road begins at the top of Butano Ridge and crosses over the one-lane segment of California State Route 236 (Big Basin Way).  The corridor of China Grade Road begins a rapid descent topping out at a 13% downhill grade through a grove of Coastal Redwoods located along Boulder Creek in Big Basin State Park.  Upon departing Big Basin State Park, the corridor of China Grade Road continues a short distance to the two-lane segment of California State Route 236.

China Grade Road was constructed in the mid-1880s as a competing toll road to the Rodgers Grade.  As the corridor name suggests, it was constructed by Chinese workers who once lived in the Boulder Creek area.  In 1887 China Grade Road was surveyed by Santa Cruz County as part of the conceptual Boulder Creek-Pescadero Road. 

In 1902 California Redwood Park (now Big Basin State Park) at Big Basin was designated as the first State Park in California.  During the early State Park years China Grade Road would serve as one of the main access roads for visitors coming to Big Basin.  China Grade Road would largely be replaced following the adoption of Legislative Route Number 42 in 1913 which connected Saratoga Gap to the State Park headquarters via Waterman Gap. 

China Grade Road was heavily impacted along with the rest of Big Basin State Park by the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex Fire.  Said fire would burn approximately 97% of the acreage of Big Basin State Park.  Along China Grade Road most of the older growth Coastal Redwoods survived with burn scars on their trunks."

These were the highlight photos that I liked out of above album link:

0 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

1 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

2 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

3 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr