Santa Cruz's West Cliff Drive From Richard Katz's
Skating Unrinked book, published in paperback by HarperCollinsWest in 1994. Or was it '95? If you are not reading this on a screen, stop reading and head to www.Amazon.com. Thanx. Richard Katz = katz@frogojt.com. email
If you didn't really want to read a rollerskating trails book: Back to Richard Katz's Homepage
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Chapter santcruz
Santa Cruz's West Cliff Drive: Steamers Lane
Santa Cruz's skating path attracts skaters, no doubt about that. Maybe not as many as Venice Beach in Los Angeles, but a fair number of skaters nonetheless. The trail is out on the south side of town, next to West Cliff Drive. It starts at Natural Bridges State Park and runs about two and a half miles along the bluffs above the beach and headlands before ending abruptly at Beach Street. It's easy enough for beginners, and curvy enough for experts.
Before the Quake of '89, the resort town of Santa Cruz was jam packed any time there was good weather. This engendered expensive parking meters and a somewhat hardline attitude toward tourists, as if we were something they would always have plenty of. They used to have so many people coming into town and skating around down by the amusement park, for example, that they passed a law that says you can't skate on the rollercoaster side of Beach Street -- or in any public park, or on the Mall, either! Since the Quake, though, it's been kind of quiet.
But, unfortunately, nobody's ever gotten around to repealing the restrictive ordinances passed during boom times. The police can still levy Draconian $90 fines for skating on the wrong side of the street. Out on West Cliff Drive, though, there's no problem. And the Pacific panorama, from the skating path on these cliffs, is incomparable.
How to Get There by Car from Interstate 880:
Take Interstate 880 south through San Jose and follow the signs for "Santa Cruz -- Highway 17 South". Highway 17 will take you all the way to Santa Cruz.
On the outskirts of Santa Cruz, Highway 17 will intersect Highway One. Take a moment to look at a map, so that when you get to this crossing it won't be confusing. Highway 17 turns into Ocean Avenue -- this is not where you need to go, even if it is heading in the correct direction. You want to take Highway One north, which at this point is going almost directly west. After about a half mile on Highway One north, you will come to a big (for Santa Cruz) intersection, where you need to bear right onto Mission Street. Follow Mission Street several miles (it is the incarnation of Highway One) and turn left onto Swift Street. Make a right onto Delaware Avenue, then a left onto Swanton Boulevard. Natural Bridges State Beach is on your right. Park anywhere near the end of Swanton. The trail is between you and Monterey Bay.
What It's Like:
Natural Bridges State Park marks the western end of the trail. There are no signs that say you can't skate in to this park, and it doesn't cost any money to skate in (as opposed to going in with your car and parking there.) The entrance is a bit steep; the park is a natural wonder.
The trail proper is to your left, along West Cliff Drive. The beach below is part of Natural Bridges State Beach. Take a moment for the view of Monterey Bay and the Pacific. This part of the trail has hardly any traffic noise.
For the next 2.5 miles, all you have to do is keep on the path an try not to be dangerously distracted by the beauty of the ocean. Around every twist and turn (and there are quite a few, as the Drive follows the coastline) there is a new vista of rocks and crashing surf. Note also the numerous dedicated overlooks and abstract sculptures. The asphalt surface is getting a bit old and bumpy.
About a mile and a half along the path, there is another state beach called Lighthouse Field. It's okay to skate off the path and skate around the lighthouse. In fact, you can skate into the lighthouse, because the lighthouse is now the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse, which houses the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum. If surfing is a religion, then this is the temple. Skate on in and have a look around.
Outside the Surfing Museum, the staff of Ski Shop Santa Cruz sometimes holds skating instruction.
As you round the bend from the Museum, and get back on the trail, you can usually see some surfers and kayakers down below in Steamer Lane, "an internationally renowned surfing site" according to the Santa Cruz Longboard Union.
From the Lighthouse to the Santa Cruz Beach, the trail might get crowded with pedestrians. That large hotel-like structure on the right marks the end.
Places to Eat:
If you are looking for an interesting place to get a bite to eat and maybe a beer, try the Catalyst on Pacific Avenue. You can skate there from the eastern end of the trail, with just a bit of street skating. You will be skating on the sidewalk outside of the first motel you have come to on the beach side. Ahead of you looms the tallest structure in town, the Dream Inn. Continue on West Cliff Drive, which heads toward the small motels across the street, and continues on an unsafe-for-autos bridge across the tracks of the Felton and Big Trees Railroad, a wonderful tourist attraction in itself. (The bigger street going off steeply downhill to the right, which appears to be a continuation of West Cliff Drive, is Beach Street.) On the other side of the bridge, there will be a short downhill section (not too steep), another cheap motel, and then West Cliff Drive ends at the intersection with Pacific Avenue. Pacific Avenue heads off to the right. Skate up Pacific a few blocks (note that Pacific hooks left a bit), and you will see the Catalyst Cafe on your left. The management says it's okay to skate on in and be served. Don't skate on Pacific Garden Mall, which is right around the corner from the Catalyst.
If you had taken Beach Street steeply downhill to the right before that railroad overpass, you could go to Marianne's, a pizza joint at 125 Beach Street. You can skate in; just be careful not to skate on the other side of the street.
Places to rent skates:
Go Skate at 601 Beach Street has everything you need; it's just a little hard to get to, or to skate away from. It's right across the street from the Boardwalk.
Ski Shop Santa Cruz at 124 River Street. 408 426 6760. Easier to skate to; it's just a few blocks from the Catalyst. And get this: 100% of your rental can be applied to the purchase of skates! Lessons available at the Lighthouse.
Places to Stay in Santa Cruz:
The Dream Inn is a fine place to stay, and it is almost right on the trail. They have a pool and a hot tub, but they won't let your kids in the tub.
A little more down home, but you can skate right out of your room, is the Sun and Surf next door. 408 ??? ????.
Public Transportation:
There is a bus station in downtown Santa Cruz for Greyhound and for Peerless Stages. It's about two blocks from the Catalyst Cafe.
Ratings:
Path Surface = **
Public Transit Access = ***
Surroundings = ***
Level of Difficulty = EASY
Overall Rating = ****
Length = Two and a half miles one way.
Other trails to check out in the neighborhood:
For a lot of folks, the Los Gatos Creek Trail will be on the way to Santa Cruz; you will pass right by it as you cruise along Highway 17 through Campbell.
10/10/96
Note from the Author: Haven't put in links to the other chapters yet.
From Richard Katz's Skating Unrinked book, published in paperback by HarperCollinsWest in 1994. Or was it '95? If you are not reading this on a screen, stop reading and head to www.Amazon.com. Thanx. Richard Katz = katz@frogojt.com. email
Back to Richard Katz's Homepage
If you want to go back to the Table of Contents of Skating Unrinked, Back to TOC