Saratoga

Although the incorporated City of Saratoga dates back only to 1956, the town had its beginning more than a century earlier when William Campbell built a sawmill in 1848, about 2 1/2 miles above the present village, along what is now Highway 9. The area's earliest inhabitants had been Indians, building homes near the mouth of the canyon at what an early map noted as Campbell's Gap.

Saratoga is located in Santa Clara County just west of San Jose between Palo Alto and Santa Cruz along Highway 9, which leads to Santa Cruz and the Pacific Ocean.

Interstate 280 is the nearest freeway. Highway 9, also known as Big Basin Way, (Leads to Big Basin Redwoods State Park), is "The Scenic Route" to Santa Cruz. This two-lane road climbs, winds and twists through the canyons of the Santa Cruz Mountains, intersecting with State Highway 35, (Skyline Blvd.) at Alice's Restaurant, then continues down the western slope through Boulder Creek, Ben Lomand and Felton to Santa Cruz.

There is also a Saratoga, Wyoming.

Saratoga is part of the San Jose, California metro area.

CAUTIONARY NOTE: Fast motorcycles frequent these narrow, winding mountain roads. Practice defensive driving.