The defiant road to Eagle Rock in CA

Eagle Rock is a mountain peak at an elevation of 760m (2,493ft) above the sea level located in Santa Cruz County, on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California.

Eagle Rock

Set high in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the road to the summit, also known as Eagle Peak, Eagle Rock Peak, or Campbell Peak, is totally unpaved. 4wd vehicles required. The area can bake in the summer and freeze in the winter, so be aware. The summit hosted a fire lookout built in 1934 by the CCC. It was badly vandalized and finally burned to the ground on August 4, 2018.

The road to the summit is very steep, hitting an 11% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Starting at the paved Empire Grade Road, the ascent is 1km (0.62 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 70 meters. The average gradient is 7%. The summit offers great views of Mt. Umunhum, Loma Prieta loom, Santa Lucia Range and Santa Cruz Mountains.
Pic: Brett Sutton

 

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