California · United States
Angeles Crest Highway
CA 2SR 2La Cañada Flintridge to Wrightwood
CA 2 climbs out of La Cañada Flintridge and spends 57 miles riding the ridgelines of the Angeles National Forest to Wrightwood, high above the LA basin. Near-empty, uninterrupted curves have made it the favourite of the city’s drivers and riders.
CA 2 climbs out of La Cañada Flintridge into the San Gabriel Mountains, winding for miles along the ridgelines of the Angeles National Forest toward Wrightwood, a driver’s and rider’s favourite high above the LA basin. Mind the cyclists and motorbikes, the rockfall, and sections that close for snow in winter.
Los Angeles’s mountain escape, the CA-2 climbing high into the San Gabriels. Miles of near-empty, uninterrupted curves make it the city’s favourite driver’s road.
Why we picked it
On the road
The road runs from La Cañada Flintridge to Wrightwood. Work began in 1929, stalled during the Second World War and was finished in 1956. Its highest point is Dawson Saddle at 2,409 metres, among the highest road summits in Southern California. Trucks with three or more axles, or over 4.5 tons, are banned between La Cañada Flintridge and Big Pines.
Clear Creek Vista comes early in the climb. A side road leads about 4.5 miles (7 km) to Mount Wilson Observatory. Further east, the Jarvi Memorial and Inspiration Point viewpoints break up the run towards Wrightwood. Islip Saddle has trailheads onto the Pacific Crest Trail. Newcomb’s Ranch, the roadhouse where drivers and riders gathered at weekends, has been shut since 2020, so bring food and water.
The stretch from Islip Saddle to Vincent Gap usually closes from mid-December to mid-May for snow and rockfall, behind a gate at Islip Saddle. Storms at the end of 2025 washed out parts of the road. Caltrans has closed the road from just east of Newcomb’s Ranch to Vincent Gap, with no date to reopen. Check Caltrans before you go. Fuel is scarce up top, so fill up in La Cañada Flintridge. Parking at developed forest sites needs a National Forest Adventure Pass from the US Forest Service, though brief stops for photos do not.
Scenery
Best seasons
In these collections
In these guides
Angeles Crest Highway on the map56.7 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners
busiest around mile 10Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%583 to 2,413 mFrom the road
Points of interest3 stops
- Clear Creek VistaViewpoint6.4 mi in
- Jarvi Memorial Observation SiteViewpoint37 mi in
- Inspiration Point VistaViewpoint51 mi in
Hazards
- Closed east of Newcomb’s Ranch to Vincent Gap since the December 2025 storms
- Cyclists and motorbikes on blind bends
- Rockfall on the carriageway
- Winter snow closures
See the typical season and live conditions for the high passes ›
Sources
“came away convinced that it’s one of the best driving roads in the country”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries Angeles Crest Highway offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Angeles Crest Highway.
