How long is the ride, and how much does it climb?

About 56.6 miles from Julian to Julian, with about 5,290 ft of climbing. The highest point is about 6,040 ft.

Mountain roads here close for snow, rockslides, fire and roadwork. Check the riding-roads conditions page and Caltrans QuickMap (quickmap.dot.ca.gov) before you go.

San Diego County

Julian, Cuyamaca and Sunrise Highway

A loop through the Cuyamaca and Laguna Mountains from Julian: the rolling road through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park, a stretch of Old Highway 80, and Sunrise Highway along the ridge with views east over the desert.

Julian to Julian: 56.6 mi; Julian to Julian
of climbing: 5,290 ft; of climbing
highest point: 6,040 ft; highest point
motorcycle crashes along it, 2021–2025: 118; motorcycle crashes along it, 2021–2025

This week's road conditions Caltrans closures

The route

S: start and finish, A: Julian, B: Mount Laguna. Map © Mapbox © OpenStreetMap.

SR-79 south from Julian through Cuyamaca Rancho State Park to Descanso
Old Highway 80 east to Pine Valley
Sunrise Highway (S1) north through Mount Laguna
SR-79 north back to Julian

Is this ride safe on a motorcycle?

We don't rate rides as safe or unsafe: crash counts can't say how risky a road is, and popular roads have more crashes partly because more people ride them. What the records show: 118 motorcycle crashes were reported along the route from 2021–2025, 24 of them serious or fatal. What to watch for: Deer and cattle on the road, cyclists, strong winds on exposed ridges, and snow and ice in winter. Weekend traffic around Julian.

This week's weather

Weather

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Roads and stops on the way

Highway 79 (Descanso to Julian)Riding road Sunrise Highway (S1)Riding road

JulianTown or lake Mount LagunaTown or lake

Common questions

How long is the ride, and how much does it climb?: About 56.6 miles from Julian to Julian, with about 5,290 ft of climbing. The highest point is about 6,040 ft.
Are the roads open?: Mountain roads here close for snow, rockslides, fire and roadwork. Check the riding-roads conditions page and Caltrans QuickMap (quickmap.dot.ca.gov) before you go.

All rides

Route: drawn along © OpenStreetMap roads; length and climbing from USGS 3DEP elevation, so they are estimates. Crashes: motorcycle crashes reported within 25 m of the route, 2021–2025, from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS); 24 were serious or fatal. Weather: National Weather Service. How the data works.