Photo contributed in Feb 10: "The view of Lake Elsinore from the Lookout Cafe neer the end of Ortega Hwy."
Motorcycle
Road Scenery:
This
road takes you through the Cleveland National Forest between
San Juan Capistrano, CA and to Lake Elsinore, CA. You'll
pass through some great mountain/valley scenery as you descend
and climb through the national forest. In addition to mountains
you'll see some lush plant nurseries and pass through some
alpine forest areas. When you finally reach the end (near
Lake Elsinore) you will truly be amazed at the breathtaking
view of Mt. Elsinore as route 74 sits thousands of feet
above the lake and its valley. 74 then quickly descends
down to the lake and town.
Motorcycle
Road Quality:
The
roads have a great combination of sweeping turns and twisties.
It has a nice section that puts together a series of 180
degree turns as you quickly climb up a mountain. The part
of the road near the end and dumps you down into the Lake
Elsinore is full of great turns as well. When I was out
there, there were more bikes than cars as this truly is
a favorite ride in southern California for bikes.
Motorcycle
Roadside Amenities:
There
is not too much to do in the way off "Roadside Amenities"
however there are two bar/diner places along the route that
cater specifically to the bike crowd. One of them is called
Hell's kitchen and it caters to the cruiser/Harley crowd
and the other is the "Lookout Roadhouse" which
seems to attract more of the sport bike guys/girls. Other
than that the town of Lake Elsinore has plenty of places
to grab a bite and get your tank filled up.
The
directions to this route are incredibly simple. Just get
your self to San
Juan Capistrano, CA and head east on route 74 or get
your self to Lake
Elsinore, CA and head west on 74.
Additional
Information:
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weather.
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Comments page 1 of 0
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Scott - 2002 Honda
Posted 608 days ago
Although I didn't read it from stem to stern and didn't see the alternate name, it's also known to locals and more as, the "Ortega Highway". Just thought I'd throw it out there. Nice road though.
This user rated the route: 8 out of 10
Posted 180 days ago
Ridden this road a couple times and it’s a very nice jaunt between the 15 and the 5 on your way to San Diego. A lot of fun to ride, good curves, and if you catch it in the middle of the week, car traffic will be light. A little on the Short side though. Don’t get me wrong, the road is a lot of fun and the Lookout café overlooking Lake Elsinore is not be missed. It just seems that once you really get into it, it ends. Good for an afternoon but not a day trip.
This user rated the route: 9 out of 10
Posted 232 days ago
I have ridden this section of road about 5 times. It seems as though every time I try, there is a lot of 4-wheel traffic. So, it's a little difficult to open up and let loose. But.... If I could ever get a clean run, it would be a blast. The pavement from the county line (Riverside to Orange Counties) into O.C. was redone in 2007.
This user rated the route: 8 out of 10
Posted 73 days ago
Beautiful ride in Southern California. Great scenery and tight turns. One huge problem is the amount of traffic. It is known as a very dangerous road as a result. Just too many cars.
