What are the best driving roads near Los Angeles?
The best driving near Los Angeles is in the San Gabriel Mountains directly north and east of the city: Angeles Crest Highway (CA 2) from La Cañada Flintridge, Glendora Mountain and Glendora Ridge Roads toward Mount Baldy, and the road up Mount Wilson. To the west, the Santa Monica Mountains have Mulholland Highway and the canyon roads down to the coast.
Updated
The San Gabriels
Angeles Crest Highway climbs from the edge of the city into the mountains within minutes, with long, fast sections and big elevation change. Mount Wilson Road branches off it to the observatory. Further east, Glendora Mountain Road and Glendora Ridge Road link up toward Mount Baldy Village.
These roads close for snow, rockslides and fire damage. Check Caltrans and the Angeles National Forest before you go.
The Santa Monica Mountains
Mulholland Highway and the canyon roads that cross the Santa Monica Mountains to the Pacific Coast Highway are tighter and shorter, and they are popular — expect cyclists, motorcycles and enforcement, especially on weekends.
Driving them well
Go early on a weekday. These roads are patrolled and have drop-offs with little run-off, so keep it in your lane and well inside your limits.
Mapped routes within an hour of Los Angeles
Curated drives first, then by how much they bend.
- Angeles Crest HighwayNear La Cañada Flintridge61 mi484 corners7.9 / mi
- Mount Wilson RoadNear Palmdale4.8 mi89 corners18.6 / mi
- Angeles Forest HighwayNear Palmdale19 mi167 corners8.6 / mi
- Sam Gabriel Canyon RoadNear Azusa23 mi234 corners10.4 / mi
- Glendora Mountain RoadNear Glendora20 mi304 corners15.3 / mi
- Glendora Ridge RoadNear La Verne12 mi200 corners16.8 / mi
- B P and L RoadNear Palmdale4.9 mi129 corners26.3 / mi
- Mount Baldy RoadNear Upland15 mi190 corners12.4 / mi
- King Ranch Road + ExtrasNear Rancho Cucamonga8.4 mi198 corners23.6 / mi
- Devils Canyon RoadNear San Bernardino4.4 mi56 corners12.8 / mi
- Crest Forest DriveNear Crestline13 mi219 corners16.8 / mi
- Rim of The World HighwayNear San Bernardino24 mi240 corners10 / mi
Questions
- Is Angeles Crest Highway open?
- Sections close for snow in winter and for rockslide or fire repairs at other times. Check Caltrans road conditions for CA 2 before you go.
- What is the twistiest road near Los Angeles?
- Every route listed here shows its graded corners per mile, measured from the road's geometry, so you can compare them directly.
Keep reading
- What is a touge?Touge (tōge) is the Japanese word for a mountain pass, and in car culture it means a twisty mountain road and the driving done on it. Where the term comes from, what makes a good touge road, and how to drive one well.
- How do I find twisty roads near me?How to find the best curvy driving roads near you: what makes a road good to drive, how to measure it, and how Road Finder scores every road in an area on curvature and flow.
- What is the best app for driving enthusiasts?What a driving enthusiast app should do — find great roads, navigate them with pace notes, record drives and run group drives — and how Road & Rally covers each.