We live within 2 miles of one of California’s most dangerous but convenient highway routes, the 28 mile stretch of State Route 74 through the Santa Ana Mountains that connects Lake Elsinore in Riverside County to San Juan Capistrano in Orange County. Continue west for 3 more miles to reach the Pacific Ocean.

This highway started as footpaths by the original Native American settlers and fire trails. According to historian Evaline Morrison, valley ranchers from Lake Elsinore began the process of widening the fire trails using only horse teams, slip scrapers, wheel barrows, and shovels in 1917. After the State of California granted permission for 2 counties to work together to build a road through the mountains, the official construction of the Ortega Highway began in June 1929 in San Juan Capistrano. In August 1933 the overpass was completed and dedication ceremonies were held in Lake Elsinore. (theortegahighway.com)

The namesake of the highway is Spanish explorer Don Jose Francisco Ortega who was a part of the 1769 Portola Expedition. This journey was the first attempt to enter the interior of California. Up until now only the coastline had been scouted. (en.m.wikipedia.org) Jose Francisco Ortega also helped found the San Juan Mission. (theortegahighway.com)

So, let’s turn right off of Grand Avenue and experience the Ortega Highway!

Up we go…

After crossing several switchbacks the Lookout Roadhouse appears on top of the ridge overlooking the mountains and lake. Open from 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, this friendly place serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. No, we haven’t stopped here yet, but it is on our Lake Elsinore “bucket list” before we leave this area and travel back to Ohio for my grandson Oliver’s first birthday.

The northernmost area of the Cleveland National Forest consists of the Santa Ana Mountains and is bisected by the Ortega Highway. President Theodore Roosevelt created the forest and named it after former president Grover Cleveland. Besides an incredible vista of boulders, the CNF consists of schrubland and plant communities along the banks of streams. The climate here is characterized by hot dry summers and mild to wet winters.  (en.m.wikipedia.org) All of my hiking posts so far, San Juan Loop, Morgan Trail, Chiquito Loop, and Bear Canyon are about trails in the CNF. Jeff and I also hiked the Bluejay Trail.

Does anyone else remember Smoky the Bear from their youth? He is still alive and well in California!

Coming up is El Cariso Village, a very small community that is not governed by its own  local body. I’m not sure who is responsible for this unincorporated village within the CNF.

I think it’s cool that today’s population is only 250!

El Cariso is believed to be the hideout of Juan Flores of the Flores Daniel Gang. The area of mountain meadows provided the perfect shelter for stolen horses from Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. In 1857 this site may also have been the location of a shootout between this gang and a posse from Temecula and Los Angeles. Most of the gang was either killed or captured. (en.m.wikipedia.org)

Just beyond El Cariso is Hell’s Kitchen, a motor sports restaurant located among the hills and trees of the Ortega Highway, according to its web site.

Owned by a Willow Springs racer, the restaurant opened and tapped its first kegs on January 31, 2004. The name came from the rough and tumble borough in New York City known for its melting pot of various cultures and now known as the area where the most firemen lost their lives in the 9/11 tragedy. Come hungry for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Open at 9:00 am on the weekend and 10:00 am during the week, the restaurant closes at 6ish everyday, and is another item on our Lake Elsinore “bucket list.” (hellskitchen-ca.com)

The sign outside of the restaurant:

Across from Hell’s Kitchen is the Country Store known for its beef, venison, and buffalo jerky… Yet another Lake Elsinore “bucket list” item.

Just beyond  El Cariso Village is the turn off for Hot Shots. One day we took the road expecting to find a scenic overlook or an interesting venue. Not finding anything but construction equipment, I did a little research and discovered that hot shots pertain to fire fighting.

A hotshot crew consists of 20 career and temporary firefighters specifically trained to suppress wildfires by constructing fire lines, working with aerial firefighting aircraft, and extinguishing flames and high heat areas in order to protect natural resources and populations living on wild land borders. These crews are trained and equipped to work in remote areas for extended periods of time. The history of hotshots goes back to the 1940s in Southern California’s Cleveland and Angeles National Forests. The term comes from the firefighters being assigned to the hottest parts of a wildfire. (en.m.wikipedia.org) According to wildfiretoday.com, the El Cariso Hotshots disbanded in September of 2013.

The Ortega Highway is peppered with spectacular views of rocky mountainsides. Hiking affords a close up and personal encounter with these large, round, white granodiorite boulders. (academics.ivc.edu) Granodiorite rock is similar to granite but contains more plagioclase feldspar than orthoclase feldspar. (en.m.wikipedia.org) I don’t understand what any of this means but you will have to trust that this is the briefest explanation I could find to attempt to identify these plentiful species of rock matter.

After crossing a narrow bridge, the San Juan Loop Trail parking lot appears on the right. The loop trail is about a 2 mile hike, enough to wear out our dogs. Midway the Chiquito Trail intersects and continues on for another 8 miles or so to the Bluejay Trail. Jeff and I hiked from the Bluejay Campground until we came to a fork in the road with an ambiguous sign pointing to the Chiquito Trail leading in 2 different directions. Where can you buy trail maps around here?

Across the street from the parking lot is the Ortega Oaks Mobile Home and RV Park which had no vacancies when we arrived in the area on October 31, 2015. In hindsight we are happier at Lake Elsinore Marina than having to navigate an RV and car on a tow dolly over the Ortega Highway.

Next to Ortega Oaks is their famous Candy Store.

The Candy Store features nostalgic candies that baby boomers grew up with along with new twists on the old, such as chocolate-covered gummy bears. Delicious homemade goods include pumpkin roll, brittles, chocolates, and over a dozen flavored of fudge. Made-to-order sandwiches, fresh baked pies, cheesecake, specialty cakes, and soups on rainy and cold days round out the menu. (the74candystore.com) Open 7 days a week, snacks, sodas, bottled water, coffee, cookies, unique gifts, and some general store items are available to purchase. (ortegaoaks.com)

Just beyond the candy store is the Bear Canyon Trailhead, a 6+ mile hike we hiked twice, once together and again with my son, John, and his father-in-law, Tim O’Connell. This trail connects with the Morgan Trail and upon reaching 4 Corners, intersects with several other hiking trails.

Hold on now as we twist and curve through the mountains with the wind whistling and echoing along every turn.

Unfortunately deadly accidents are also a part of the Ortega Highway experience.

We parked in traffic for an hour while a crash was cleaned up. Just last Sunday the highway was closed off of Grand Avenue because a car crossed over the center line and killed the driver of an SUV. The speed limit is 55mph except where posted and most of the route is separated by double yellow lines. There are turn offs every mile or so for slower moving vehicles. But these do not deter motorcyclists and impatient drivers to push the limits.

The scenery starts flattening out to eye level after leaving the Cleveland National Forest and passing the fire station in Orange County.

Today we are turning around at the traffic light for the Nichols Institute which is part of Quest Diagnostics.

What lies beyond is Casper State Park and the Rancho Mission Viejo area. The Ortega Highway ends at its intersection with I-5 in San Juan Capistrano.

And now we head back to Lake Elsinore.

Not far from the road on the left, you can see part of the trail of the San Juan Loop. You guessed it, we are approaching the Ortega Oaks Candy Store!

As we continue on our return trip, we pull into a turn out and take pictures of some of the original fire trails that are now popular off roads for bikes and SUVs.

Just beyond El Cariso Village on the left and the fire station on the right in Riverside County, the road intersects with the north and south main divide. We turn to the right to pick up the Morgan Trailhead off of the south main divide. This road is also known as Killen Road, or so we discover after hiking 2.3 miles in and coming across a sign marking the route to Tenaja Falls.

Hang-gliders and para-gliders take off from the cliffs of the south main divide hoping to catch the thermal pockets to sail down to the open field near the intersection of Grand Avenue and the Ortega Highway.

And so, we too head back down to Lake Elsinore as we pass our icon boulder we nicknamed Big Ass Rock.