Bay Area driving guide · Remote crossing
Mines Road and Del Puerto Canyon
The other way off Mines Road. Instead of turning west for Mount Hamilton, carry on east and drop through Del Puerto Canyon to the Central Valley floor.
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Road overview, not turn-by-turn navigation. Follow the junctions below; some catalog traces extend beyond the written drive. Use two fingers to move the map.
- Mines Road south
- Del Puerto Canyon Road east
- Start
- Livermore
- Finish
- Patterson, on Interstate 5
- Return
- Return options below ↓
Why this drive
Emptiness. Del Puerto runs twenty-four miles through a canyon with almost no development, and once you commit at The Junction there is no shortcut back. Read the surface note before you go — this is not a road for a low, stiff car.
The route
Mines Road south from Livermore
Follow Mines Road south to The Junction, where Del Puerto Canyon Road heads east.
Mines Road & map →Del Puerto Canyon east
Drop through the canyon toward Patterson. Drivers have reported broken pavement and slide damage in the section nearest Mines Road.
Del Puerto Canyon Road & map →
Good places to stop
The Junction
The meeting point of Mines, San Antonio Valley and Del Puerto Canyon roads. Bring fuel and water from town; confirm any cafe opening before relying on a stop here.
Frank Raines Regional Park
Partway down the canyon, and the only facilities on that side.
The way back
From Patterson, Interstate 5 north and Highway 580 west return you to Livermore in about an hour — or drive the canyon back up, which is the better road in that direction.
Road conditions
Expect drivers, motorcycles and cyclists, especially at popular junctions and stops. Give people space, follow posted limits and check current access before setting off.
Route references
Guide updated September 10, 2026. Route descriptions cover the named sections; check current access before travelling.
Keep exploring
- Mines Road to Lick ObservatoryLong backcountry run · Livermore → Lick Observatory, Mount Hamilton
- Skaggs Springs Road: Lake Sonoma to the coastRemote mountain crossing · Lake Sonoma, north of Healdsburg → Stewarts Point on Highway 1
- Mount Tamalpais: Panoramic Highway and RidgecrestCoastal mountain · Stinson Beach → East Peak, Mount Tamalpais