State Scenic Highway 236 236
State Scenic Highway 236 is a scenic drive in California. Within California it covers roughly 17 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along State Scenic Highway 236 with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
State Scenic Highway 236 is an 18-mile loop through Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California's oldest state park. Running off Route 9 in the Santa Cruz Mountains from the town of Boulder Creek to Governor's Camp near Waterman Gap, much of the road narrows to less than two lanes as it winds beneath old-growth redwoods, a deliberate design choice to avoid disturbing the trees the park was created to protect, which also means large vehicles and RVs are discouraged from attempting the drive. The corridor has been placed on the state's eligible list for scenic-highway status given its setting inside one of the most storied redwood parks in California, though it has not received the official designation, which would require a local corridor protection program. The 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire burned through much of Big Basin, and the park and this access road have been rebuilding and reopening in phases since.
- ~18-mile loop off Route 9, Boulder Creek to Big Basin
- Big Basin Redwoods State Park, California's oldest state park
- narrow road preserves old-growth redwoods
- affected by 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire
- eligible for state scenic highway status
Plan a drive on State Scenic Highway 236 →
About this drive
This is a scenic drive — a road worth taking for the views and the journey itself rather than the quickest line between two points.
Where to Stay along State Scenic Highway 236
1 campground or RV park sits within about 5 miles of State Scenic Highway 236.
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