ANGELES CREST HIGHWAY

The Angeles Crest Highway (California State Route 2) is the road that ten million people drive past every day without ever taking. Running 66 miles from La Cañada Flintridge at the edge of the San Gabriel Valley to Big Pines near Wrightwood, the ACH climbs from 1,600 feet to over 7,900 feet through the Angeles National Forest — one of the most heavily visited national forests in the country, primarily because it sits directly above the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

For the car and motorcycle community, the ACH is the great equalizer of SoCal driving culture. It doesn't matter whether you're running a purpose-built track car or a stock commuter — above a certain altitude, the road becomes the point. The corners through the San Gabriel Mountains demand technique, not horsepower. The sight lines on the upper sections are long enough to carry real speed, and the surface — while variable — rewards committed entry on sections that have been properly maintained.

The cultural landmark of the road is Newcomb's Ranch, the motorcycle and sports car gathering point at approximately Mile 55. When it's open, it's where the weekend ACH community converges. When it's closed (which happens due to fire damage and renovation cycles), the pull-out in front still serves as the informal summit stop, with riders and drivers comparing conditions below.

The ACH also provides access to the Mount Wilson Observatory at 5,715 feet, where the 100-inch Hooker Telescope was used to discover the expansion of the universe in 1929. Edwin Hubble drove this road to work. The observatory offers weekend tours and is arguably the most significant scientific institution accessible by any driving road in the country.