Tag Archives: scenic drives

California Motorcycle Roads

October 20, 2022 DanaMite

CA motorcycle roads

These are the roads that drivers love. More room to roam, more space, more pavement, more scenery to love and less people, less drivers and less distractions. California has endless roadways that wind through every part of the entire state. If you enjoy real driving in California, you like the curvy roads & scenery. Total Escape has dedicated numerous hours to the collection of back roads in California. Some paved, some not.

Roads to Ride — 4000 RPMs or higher / Cerro Noroeste Road to Hwy 166

CALIFORNIA driving WAYS & ROADS

Mil Potrero Highway (Pine Mountain CA)
Cerro Noroeste Road (Pine Mountain CA)
Sunrise Highway (S-1 @ Mount Laguna)
Great Overland Stagecoach Route (S-2, upper Anza Borrego Desert)
Topanga Canyon (Malibu CA)
Big Tujunga Canyon Road (Sunland CA)
Angeles Forest Highway (Palmdale CA)
Bouquet Canyon Road (Palmdale CA)
Sherman’s Pass Road (Kernville, closed in winter)
Western Divide Highway (Ponderosa, closed in winter)
La Porte Road, Northern Sierra
Oro-Quincy Highway (closed until 2019)

CALIFORNIA SCENIC HIGHWAYS & MAIN ROADS

Highway 108 – Sonora Pass (closed in winter)
Highway 120 – Yosemite Tioga Pass (closed in winter)
Highway 166 – Central Coast to Central Valley
Highway 172 – South of Lassen NP (closed in winter)
Highway 178 – Kern Canyon Lake Isabella
Highway 190 – Death Valley National Park
Highway 198 – Sequoia to Three Rivers
Highway 2 – Angeles Crest Highway
Highway 3 – Trinity River
Highway 33 – Ojai & Los Padres
Highway 4 – Ebbetts Pass (closed in winter)
Highway 49 – Gold Country
Highway 50 – Sierra Nevada Tahoe
Highway 6 – Benton Hot Springs to Bishop
Highway 78 – Oceanside to Anza Borrego
Highway 88 – Carson Pass
Highway 89 – Tahoe to Lassen
Highway 9 – Santa Cruz Redwoods

singlelanerd

MAPS, PARKS & LINKS

see also

Motorcycle California
California Back Roads (mostly dirt)

scenic drives — Some random road east of Trinity River

Creeks, Fishing, Groves, Hiking, Picnic Areas, Sightseeing

California Aspens

September 21, 2022 DanaMite

Aspen Groves are easy to recognize with their thick stands. White trunks with dark knots, slender, with oval shaped leaves. Growing in a network of roots, which are found lining creeks, alpine lakes, or spilling out from higher elevations, along scenic canyons.

The unique round leaves which can turn spectacular colors in the fall season. The fluttering and flapping of the oval-shaped, thick, green leaf is a sure sign of summer. When breezes get cooler, Autumn is only a few weeks away and as quick as the cold comes in, what a short and special show they put on.

autumncabin — Green Creek historic cabin, on the Eastern Sierra

California Fall Colors

Aspen trees can be found at higher mountain elevations in California, usually above 4000′ – all the way up to about 10,000′ or higher, depending on the mountain range and local water flows. Groves have an extensive root systems underground, so they often withstand wildfires and can come back after the rest of the forest is gone.

Beavers build dams in creeks around aspen trees, fishermen and campers love to camp next to aspens, and lovers carve their initials into their white bark. These trees do indeed take a beating, from all angles, winter weather included… so stop from cutting them!

carvings

BIKE
CAMP
FISH
HIKE
KAYAK
PICNIC

summer and autumn

These deciduous trees are naked half the year, typically from November to April, as winter buries them in snow and ice. Time is of the essence, limited to Summer and Autumn – to enjoy their shade and the beauty of the groves. Scenic meadows and fishing creeks are just an added bonus for searching out the aspen.

Aspens can be found in hidden canyons, primarily along the Eastern Sierra US Hwy 395 and surrounding mountain lakes. Some Sierra Passes have decent displays of color as well – like Carson Pass Hwy 88 and Yosemite’s Tioga Pass Hwy 120.

Below is a list of Total Escape’s favorite aspen areas of California

ASPENDELL
BAKER CREEK (4×4)
BIG PINE CANYON – NORTH FORK TRAIL

BISHOP CREEK
BLUE LAKES, CARSON PASS
BLUE LAKE, MODOC

CONVICT LAKE, US 395
COTTONWOOD CREEK @ ANCIENT BRISTLECONES
COYOTE FLAT (4×4)

CROCKER @ LAKE DAVIS
CROWLEY LAKE, US 395

DUNDERBERG MEADOW

EAGLE LAKE @
ASPEN GROVE CAMPGROUND

GREEN CREEK ROAD, US 395
HASKINS VALLEY @ BUCKS LAKE
HILTON CREEK, US 395
HOPE VALLEY
JUNE LAKE LOOP

LAKE SABRINA
LAKE TAHOE
LAUREL LAKES ROAD, US 395
LEE VINING CANYON
LUNDY LAKE, US 395

MAMMOTH LAKES, US 395

MCCLOUD CREEK @ ALGOMA
MCGEE CREEK, US 395

MILL CREEK to MINERAL, CA
HWY 172 LOOP

MODOC NF @ BLUE LAKE
NORTH LAKE, ASPENDELL @ BISHOP

ONION VALLEY @ INDEPENDENCE
PARKER LAKE RD @ JUNE LAKE LOOP
PINE CREEK ROAD, BISHOP

PLUMAS-EUREKA STATE PARK
@ UPPER JAMISON CREEK CAMPGROUND

PLUMAS EUREKA

QUAKING ASPEN CAMP, GIANT SEQUOIA

RED’S MEADOW, MAMMOTH
ROCK CREEK ROAD @ US HWY 395

ROSS CAMPGROUND, PLUMAS NF

SPALDING, CA @ EAGLE LAKE

TOM’S PLACE, US 395
TWIN LAKES @ BRIDGEPORT
VIRGINIA LAKES, US 395

WISHON RESERVOIR

aspentips — Aspen Tips @ Eagle Lake California

Autumn Camping in California

amigoaspens — Laurel Lake Road @ 9000′ – Eastern Sierra, California

aspensplit

4x4 Camps OHV, 4x4 Routes, Back Roads, Off Road

Cuyama Valley

February 28, 2018 DanaMite

Cuyama River Valley, California

Ventucopa Wineries North of Ojai, Highway 33 meets Highway 166: Ozena, Ventucopa, & New Cuyama make up the 3 small communities inside the Cuyama River Valley, located in south of the San Joaquin (California’s Central) Valley.

On the outter edge of Santa Barbara County, where Kern, San Luis Obispo & Ventura counties all meet, you can find great solitude, a large red dirt, high desert wash & plenty rural trails. Off-roading, backcountry camping, hiking, mountain biking all over this region.

Ozena Ranger Station sits at the south end of Cuyama, at the intersection of Lockwood Valley Rd & Hwy 33. Ozena Campground with 10 spots @ 3660′ elevation, is to the east off Lockwood.

Nettle Springs Campground (8 spots @ 4400′ elevation) can be accessed via Apache Canyon, a 10 mile long dirt road# 8N06, off Hwy 33

2 smaller campgrounds – Tinta and Ranch Nuevo are on the west side of Hwy 33 & may require a high clearance vehicle to reach. Trails out of these campgrounds lead to the Dick Smith Wilderness.

Chumash Wilderness is just east of Ventucopa, as Los Padres National Forest surround this agricultural valley. Quatal Canyon and Quatal Wash reach from the upper elevations of pinyon pines near Mount Able to Cuyama river bed below, as Cerro Noroeste Road skirts the northern rim of the impressive red rock canyon. Toad Spring Campground is at the top. Apache Saddle and Pine Mountain Club are just east of Quatal Cyn.

Cuyama riverbed follows Highway 33 and then turns west, following Highway 166, past the ranch lands, the volcano hills and notorious Rock Front Ranch.

All the pavement around Cuyama is very popular amongst motorcyclists. Scenic touring kinda roads. A very nice 100 mile loop trip is from Pine Mountain Club – W on Mil Potrero Hwy, W on Cerro Noroeste Rd, W on Hwy 166, S on Hwy 33, East on Lockwood Valley Road – back to Frazier Park & I-5 Lebec.

Mahutasan, the indian sweat lodge and the extremely rustic Sage Brush Annies Restaurant w/ winery are the highlights of this rural agriculture valley called Ventucopa CA. Cuyama Peak and fire lookout tower overlooks the whole Cuayama Valley & can be accessed via Santa Barbara Canyon Rd. 4×4 may be required in certain spots. This lovely oak and manzanita lined canyon was scorched by the Zaca Wildfire in mid 2007.

Cuyama Wineries
Pistacio Orchards
Quatal Canyon
Ballinger OHV Park

helpful maps of the region –

towns in the valley –

towns close by –

View Larger Map

Hwy 166 Wildflowers, School House Canyon

Total Escape Outside