Featured Content

Get Outta Town: Los Angeles

Cross creeks, traverse semi-arid desert, and delve through thick forest, all on the doorstep of metropolitan Los Angeles.

Order the Get Outta Town Los Angeles driving guide here
(map © MAD MAPS^®)

ORDER THE MAP

There's plenty of concrete (and plastic) in L.A., but Get Outta Town Los Angeles is your insider's guide to the back roads that reveal the genuine entertainment around Californias largest city. Go to www.madmaps.com to order this and many other titles!

California Photo Gallery

EDITOR'S NOTE: Dress in layers to be prepared for any climate changes. Angeles Crest is not a winter option; during the other seasons, weekend traffic can be heavy. At last notice, State Route 2 is still closed between Islip Saddle to five miles west of Big Pines; please check for current road closures.

ROUTE DESCRIPTION: Little Tujunga Road takes you through the semi-arid desert as you climb over Bear Divide. You’ll follow alongside a creek on Bouquet Canyon Road, ascending from the valley floor into the mountains. Past Palmdale, you’ll head into the San Gabriel Mountains, lined with beautiful pine forests. From Big Pines, you’ll turn onto Angeles Crest Byway, a favorite of the motorcycle community. Continue your climb over Kratka Ridge and down into La Cañada-Flintridge, then take the freeway back to Little Tujunga.

POINTS OF INTEREST:

Roadhouses
2. Big Oaks Lodge, 33101 Bouquet Canyon Rd., Saugus, California, tel: (661) 296-5656, "Stop for an excellent burger in the canyon"
6. Newcomb's Ranch Inn, 27 miles north of La Cañada-Flintridge on the Angeles Crest Hwy. (SR-2), near La Cañada-Flintridge, California, tel: (626) 440-1001, "Only spot (literally) for victuals and libations"

Great Outdoors
2. Angeles National Forest, Chilao Visitor Center, Chilao Visitor Center: Angeles Crest Hwy.Hwy. 2 (27 miles north of the city of La Cañada-Flintridge), near La Canada-Flintridge, California, tel: (626) 796-5541, "Stop at one of the many visitor centers for info"
3. Devil's Punchbowl Nature Center, 28000 Devil's Punchbowl Rd., Pearblossom, California, tel: (661) 944-2743, "Spectacular rock formations will blow your mind"

SUGGESTED STOP: Check out Devil’s Punchbowl Nature Center in Pearblossom, CA. This 1,310-acre natural park, one mile away from the famous San Andreas fault, has some of the most unusual rock formations in California. You can hike with a ranger or ride a horse on one of the picturesque trails. There are geology walks, reptile programs, and a natural history museum. The park also provides such seasonal events as "Full Moon Hikes" and "Meteor Shower Viewing."

DETAILED DRIVING DIRECTIONS:
Total mileage: 153 miles

Start | Foothill Blvd. @ SR-2, La Cañada-Flintridge, CA
Northwest | Foothill Blvd. (cross under I-210) (through Sunland) (11.0 miles)
Right | Osborne St. Little Tujunga Canyon Rd. Sand Canyon Rd. (through Santa Clarita) (19.5 miles)
Right | Sierra Hwy. (0.4 miles)
Left | Vasquez Canyon Rd. (3.6 miles)
Right | Boquet Canyon Rd. (18.0 miles)
Right | CR-N2

Elizabeth Lake Rd. W. Palmdale Blvd. SR-138 (through Palmdale) (8.3 miles)

Straight | SR-138 / E. Palmdale Blvd. (5.2 miles)

Bear Right | SR-138 / 47 St. E. Fort Tejon Rd. Pear Blossom Hwy. (8.8 miles)

Right | 106th St. E. (south)(east of Littlerock) (2.0 miles)

Left | Fort Tejon Rd. (4.9 miles)

Left | Pallett Creek Rd. (< 0.1 miles)

Right | Valyermo Rd. (2.9 miles)

Left | Big Pines Hwy. CR-N4 / Pig Pines Hwy. (11.5 miles)

Hard Right | SR-2 / Angeles Crest Hwy. (west) (55.5 miles)

Right | Foothill Blvd. (1.0 miles)

Finish | Foothill Blvd. @ SR-2, La Cañada-Flintridge, CA

Published: 11 Sep 2008 | Last Updated: 15 Sep 2010
Details mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication