Hecker Pass facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hecker Pass |
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 Location in California
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| Elevation | 1,339 feet (408 m) |
| Traversed by |  SR 152 |
| Location | Between Santa Cruz County and Santa Clara County. |
| Range | Santa Cruz Mountains |
| Coordinates | 36°59′40″N 121°43′02″W / 36.99444°N 121.71722°W |
Hecker Pass is a low mountain pass located in the Santa Cruz Mountains of central California. It connects the city of Watsonville on the Pacific coast to Gilroy and the Santa Clara Valley.
The main road that goes through this pass is Hecker Pass Road. This road is the western part of California State Route 152. This same highway continues east from Gilroy, crossing Pacheco Pass and heading into the Central Valley. Just north of Hecker Pass, you can find Mt. Madonna County Park. The pass is about 408 meters (1,339 feet) high.
How Hecker Pass Got Its Name
Hecker Pass was named after Henry Hecker on May 27, 1928. Henry Hecker was a supervisor for Santa Clara County. A supervisor is a local government official who helps manage the county. He was also the nephew of a famous person named Friedrich Hecker. The naming happened during the opening of a new road over the pass, which was called the "Yosemite-to-the-Sea Highway."
Challenges and Closures
Over the years, Hecker Pass has faced some challenges that caused it to close. In the 1930s, heavy floods damaged nearby creeks. This caused a bridge to collapse and the pass to close for a while.
Later, in 1941, a landslide blocked the pass, making it impassable. Landslides are when a large amount of earth or rocks slide down a mountain. The pass was also closed again in 1947 and 1959. These later closures were also due to landslides, but these were caused by earthquakes.
The Hecker Strawberry
Hecker Pass is also famous for something sweet! A type of strawberry called the Hecker Strawberry was named after the pass. This special strawberry was first introduced in 1979 in Davis, California.
