Bonny Doon Village Airport (CA27) — Santa Cruz County, California

Nestled in the Santa Cruz Mountains at an elevation of approximately 2,400 feet above sea level, Bonny Doon Village Airport (FAA identifier: CA27) is a private-use general aviation airstrip serving the rural community of Bonny Doon in Santa Cruz County, California. The facility sits within the fog-laden redwood highlands northwest of the city of Santa Cruz, offering pilots a unique mountain flying experience and serving as a critical resource for local landowners, agricultural operators, and recreational aviators familiar with the terrain.

The airport occupies a compact footprint typical of private mountain airstrips in California's Central Coast range. Its single turf runway demands a high degree of pilot proficiency — density altitude variations, morning marine layer intrusion from Monterey Bay, and afternoon thermal activity above the ridgelines make CA27 a destination reserved for experienced mountain pilots. The surrounding terrain rises sharply on multiple approach paths, and local knowledge of wind patterns over the Ben Lomond ridge is considered essential before landing here for the first time.

Bonny Doon Village itself is an unincorporated community in the Santa Cruz Mountains, known for its vineyards, apple orchards, and redwood forests. The Bonny Doon Vineyard — one of California's most celebrated biodynamic wine producers — operates in the same highlands, and the agricultural character of the region has historically driven demand for light aircraft access, particularly during harvest and wildfire monitoring seasons. The airport at ID 27722 supports these operational needs while remaining a private facility not open to the general public without prior arrangement.

From the airstrip, pilots have visual reference to the Pacific Ocean on clear days, with Monterey Bay visible to the south and west. The proximity to the ocean — roughly 8 to 10 miles as the crow flies from the Santa Cruz Municipal Airport (KSNS) — means weather transitions can be rapid and localized. Instrument-rated pilots transiting the area often use Santa Cruz Municipal as an alternate, while VFR operations at CA27 are conducted under strict attention to coastal weather windows, particularly during summer months when marine layer fog can close in within minutes.

Santa Cruz County's aviation infrastructure situates Bonny Doon Village Airport within a broader regional network. Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI), located approximately 20 miles to the south, serves as the nearest full-service public use airport in Santa Cruz County, offering a 4,500-foot paved runway, instrument approaches, fueling, and maintenance services. Pilots based at CA27 frequently stage fuel stops and avionics work at Watsonville. Further afield, Livermore Municipal Airport (KLVK) — located roughly 50 nautical miles northeast across the Diablo Range — serves as a regional hub for the East Bay, with a 5,255-foot primary runway and extensive FBO services. Oakland International Airport (KOAK), approximately 60 nautical miles north via the San Francisco Bay corridor, provides commercial air service and serves as the nearest Class C airspace anchor for Santa Cruz County pilots planning IFR departures into the system.

The airport's registration under FAA ID 27722 places it in the National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) database as a private-use facility. It is not charted on VFR sectional charts as a public airport, and its coordinates are used primarily by local pilots, county emergency planners, and wildfire aerial suppression coordinators who maintain awareness of all landing zones in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Cal Fire and Santa Cruz County emergency services have historically documented mountain airstrips like CA27 as potential water-drop turnaround zones during major fire events such as the 2020 CZU Lightning Complex, which burned extensively through the Bonny Doon area.

For pilots approaching from the north via the Half Moon Bay corridor, CA27 lies approximately 25 nautical miles south-southeast of Half Moon Bay Airport (KHAF). Those transiting from the South Bay will clear the Santa Cruz Mountains crossing over Highway 17, with the Bonny Doon plateau becoming visible once past the summit at an altitude of approximately 3,500 feet MSL. Standard practice for visiting pilots includes contacting property owners in advance, conducting a high reconnaissance pass before landing, and carrying sufficient fuel for an alternate diversion given the absence of on-site fueling infrastructure.

Bonny Doon Village Airport Contact Information

Address, Phone Number, and Hours for an Airports in Santa Cruz, New York.

Name Bonny Doon Village Airport
Address 8647 Empire Grade, Santa Cruz CA 95060 Map
Phone (831) 459-8577
Website
Hours

Map of Bonny Doon Village Airport


Frequently Asked Questions — Bonny Doon Village Airport (CA27)

No. Bonny Doon Village Airport (CA27, FAA ID 27722) is a private-use facility. It is not open to the general public and does not appear as a public airport on VFR sectional charts. Pilots wishing to land must obtain prior permission from the property owner. The nearest public-use airport in Santa Cruz County is Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI), located approximately 20 miles to the south with full services including fueling and instrument approaches.

The primary hazards at Bonny Doon Village Airport involve coastal marine layer fog rolling in from Monterey Bay, which can reduce visibility to near-zero in minutes during summer mornings. Afternoon thermal activity above the ridgeline creates turbulence on approach from the east. Density altitude is a concern at the airport's approximate 2,400-foot elevation during warm afternoon hours. Pilots unfamiliar with Santa Cruz Mountain flying conditions are strongly advised to consult with experienced local aviators before their first approach to CA27.

During the August 2020 CZU Lightning Complex fire, which burned over 86,000 acres across Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties, private and emergency aviation assets throughout the Santa Cruz Mountains were incorporated into regional firefighting coordination efforts. Mountain airstrips including those in the Bonny Doon area were documented by Cal Fire as potential aerial resource waypoints. The CZU fire caused widespread evacuation of Bonny Doon Village and destroyed numerous structures in the community, underscoring the importance of aerial access for monitoring and suppression in this rugged terrain.

The closest full-service public airports to CA27 are Watsonville Municipal Airport (KWVI) roughly 20 miles south, and Santa Cruz Municipal Airport (KSNS) approximately 10 miles to the southeast. For larger commercial and FBO services, Livermore Municipal Airport (KLVK) is approximately 50 nautical miles northeast, while Oakland International Airport (KOAK) — served by Southwest, Alaska, and other carriers — is about 60 nautical miles north. Half Moon Bay Airport (KHAF) on the San Mateo coast is approximately 25 nautical miles to the north-northwest.

External Links: