LA, Ventura & Orange County
Motorcycle rides near Los Angeles
3 mapped rides and 11 riding roads in LA, Ventura & Orange County, each with what it's like to ride, what to watch for, this week's weather and the motorcycle crashes reported along it.
Rides
Mt Baldy, Glendora Ridge Road and SR-39From Claremont Village · 85 mi · 11,940 ft of climbingA half-day loop from Claremont through the eastern San Gabriel Mountains: a climb to over 6,000 ft at the top of Mount Baldy Road, a narrow ridge road with views over the valley, and the long canyon road up to Crystal Lake.
Angeles Crest, Angeles Forest Highway and Big TujungaFrom La Cañada Flintridge · 44 mi · 6,220 ft of climbingA loop through the western San Gabriel Mountains: the climb up Angeles Crest Highway, the quieter Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road, a stretch of the faster Angeles Forest Highway, and the canyon road down to Sunland.
Malibu Canyon, Mulholland Highway and Decker CanyonFrom Pacific Coast Highway at Malibu Canyon Road · 36.7 mi · 4,080 ft of climbingA loop through the Santa Monica Mountains from the coast: up Malibu Canyon, west along Mulholland Highway, the steep descent of Decker Canyon, and back along the coast on PCH.
Riding roads near Los Angeles
- Angeles Crest Highway (SR-2)High mountain sweepers and tight corners through the San Gabriel Mountains.73.3 mi · 161 crashes
- Angeles Forest HighwayFaster, more open curves connecting La Cañada to Palmdale.31.3 mi · 96 crashes
- Mulholland Highway (incl. "The Snake")Famous Santa Monica Mountains canyon road, busiest on weekend mornings.35.5 mi · 67 crashes
- Latigo Canyon RoadNarrow, technical canyon road from PCH up to Kanan.11.6 mi · 3 crashes
- Decker Canyon RoadSteep, twisty link between PCH and Mulholland.10.5 mi · 0 crashes
- Glendora Mountain & Glendora Ridge RoadsNarrow ridge roads above Glendora with big views.34.4 mi · 23 crashes
- Ortega Highway (SR-74)Mountain highway from San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinore.51 mi · 143 crashes
- San Gabriel Canyon Road (SR-39)Canyon road from Azusa up the San Gabriel River toward Crystal Lake.28.9 mi · 140 crashes
- Yerba Buena RoadNarrow, very tight road from PCH up through the western Santa Monica Mountains.12.5 mi · 13 crashes
- Highway 243, Banning to IdyllwildThe Panoramic Highway from Banning up into the San Jacinto Mountains and Idyllwild.33.9 mi · 24 crashes
- Pines to Palms Highway (SR-74)Switchbacks from Palm Desert up into the San Jacinto Mountains toward Hemet.57.6 mi · 90 crashes
Common questions
- What are good motorcycle rides near Los Angeles?
- The rides we've mapped near Los Angeles: Mt Baldy, Glendora Ridge Road and SR-39 (85 mi from Claremont Village); Angeles Crest, Angeles Forest Highway and Big Tujunga (44 mi from La Cañada Flintridge); Malibu Canyon, Mulholland Highway and Decker Canyon (36.7 mi from Pacific Coast Highway at Malibu Canyon Road). Riding roads near Los Angeles: Angeles Crest Highway (SR-2), Angeles Forest Highway, Mulholland Highway (incl. "The Snake"), Latigo Canyon Road, Decker Canyon Road, Glendora Mountain & Glendora Ridge Roads, Ortega Highway (SR-74), San Gabriel Canyon Road (SR-39), Yerba Buena Road, Highway 243, Banning to Idyllwild, Pines to Palms Highway (SR-74). We don't rank them; each page has the route, what the road is like, what to watch for and the crashes reported along it.
- Are the mountain roads near Los Angeles open?
- Mountain roads close for snow, rockslides, fire and roadwork. Our riding-roads conditions page lists this week’s Caltrans and LA County closures and chain controls for every riding road, and each road page lists the closures for today. Those lists don’t include every closure, so check Caltrans QuickMap (quickmap.dot.ca.gov) before you go.
- How many motorcycle crashes happen on these roads?
- 760 motorcycle crashes were reported along the 11 riding roads near Los Angeles from 2021–2025. Busier roads have more crashes partly because more people ride them, so the counts don't say which road is riskier.
Other regions
Routes and roads: © OpenStreetMap contributors; maps © Mapbox. Crashes: motorcycle crashes reported along each road or ride, 2021–2025, from the California Crash Reporting System (CCRS). How the data works.