California - Old US 99 - Ridge Rte.

Ridge Route, former US 99


Photos follow my travel southward.


Sandberg's Summit Hotel opened with the Ridge Route in 1915, predating US 99 by almost a dozen years. It burned to its foundation in 1961. The Ridge Route Preservation Organization has established historical markers at this and other sites along the road, begging the question who can read them if the road is closed to general traffic. (To be fair, it's open outside of the two gates restricting travel.)


Tumble Inn is also north of the northern gate and so also gets a plaque. Fortunately the stone wall remains from the grand entrance to this hotel and gas station; in the early days of travel, everything was a gas and service station (if not also a hotel) because of how unreliable and slow cars were.


Past the northern gate now, looking west toward Los Padres National Forest and east toward Redrock and other mountains.


Southwestern photos on the way past Kelly's Half Way Inn, now just bare foundations 2.5 miles north of Reservoir Summit. The 2nd and 3rd photos are a left/right pair.


A few to the east. Warm Springs Mountain is to the right in the first photo, Liebre Mountain to the left in the last (northeasterly), and the middle one looks down Trough Canyon.


I didn't capture Kelly's Half Way Inn but these are the foundations at Reservoir Summit, where a restaurant overhung the cliff and there was also a gas station/garage. It was named for a small reservoir near here that was built to provide water for the crews constructing the Ridge Route, then left for motorists who needed water for their cars back when that was a thing.


The Reservoir Summit view south, from left to right.


Looking south through Cherry Canyon, Whitaker Peak is behind I-5 and the road it replaced, Golden State Highway (newer former US 99).


Slide Mountain is to the west, Black Mountain distantly behind it to the right, in the first and last photos. The middle photos pan from south toward west.


Eastern scenery as the sun starts burning through the clouds.


A de facto pan from west to east, ending at what is likely Redrock Mountain based on the color.


A second west-east pan takes us past the north end of Castaic Lake to the southeast. Warm Springs Mountain is to the east and the southern Ridge Route gate is next.


Foundations of one more ruined structure that the public can get to. Not sure what this was.


The view west from there before I descend into Castaic.

See more of old US 99 in Los Angeles Co.
Over to I-5 in the Transverse Ranges

Road photos from the Ridge Route
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