South Bay - Mt. Hamilton
East Bay Livermore to San Jose route
This route takes about 2-3hrs to complete on average. As with nearly every road on our list, it is advisable to get an early start before it becomes cluttered with spandex warriors, and clueless tourists/locals.
The road starts off in Livermore, and ends up in San Jose. At the beginning, you will be starting off on Mines Road. This road is mostly a tight, 2-way road without a center divide line. Be careful of on-coming traffic and blind corners. It is a good idea to stay conservative at this point.
Eventually, the road will widen, and the center line will re-appear. At this point, the pace can be pushed a bit more. About halfway through the route, you will come upon a diner called The Junction Bar & Grill. If you are in the mood for a burger, or bar food, stop and grab a bite. Otherwise, stay on the main road and keep going towards San Jose.
Once you are past the midway point, the road begins a steady climb up towards the summit. The corners around here are fairly tame and wide until you get closer to the base of the mountain. Then the roads tighten up, with lots of switchbacks, and sharp corners.
Slow down when you get towards the summit, and the Observatory as there is usually a lot of tourist traffic coming and going from there. The road down towards San Jose is very tight, and very technical so if your car is prone to understeer, I would take it easy. The route ends at the corner of Mt. Hamilton Rd and Alum Rock Rd.
Food Tip: Take a left, and go towards 680 south. Navigate your way to the Grand Century Shopping Mall food court Off Story Rd for a late lunch.
Address: 1111 Story Rd, San Jose, CA 95122