The Wild West

A Few Things About One Of The Most Popular Roads On The West Coast

Angeles Crest Highway has always stood for a mix of things for me. It’s a place with many viewpoints. You can hike, bike, drive, or even ski throughout the area. It’s a place that attracts chaos, enthusiasts, nature lovers. It’s a place that brings a massive amount of freedom to those who love to drive their high performance vehicles. When visiting “the crest” it becomes clear that this place has been, and will remain a motoring icon for years to come. This road scares the hell out of me, but ironically, makes me feel so very alive at the same time. This is a collective, ongoing story, and the journey is sure to take just as many twists and turns as the road itself. 

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To be frank, traveling on this road is not for the faint of heart. Large treacherous cliffs seem to multiply as you climb higher and higher into the mountains. Because of its mix of beauty, and challenging, yet entertaining twisty nature, Angeles Crest Highway has become an international playground for car enthusiasts/journalists. Some of the best drivers, and most incredible vehicles can be found hustling through the canyons of the Angeles National Forest, where the highway is located. There are also those who can sometimes cause overly dangerous driving situations, so don’t be that person.

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Certain sections at the crest are epic, and offers a fair amount of vertical elevation change throughout. You can experience many different weather situations all in one drive up this phenomenal stretch of road, but these things are best discovered in person.

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Everyone deserves to drive the crest at least once. Although some sections are often closed, most of the area usually remains open, so you should feel free to explore. Most importantly, set limits. Achieve a deeper level of understanding your relationship with driving spiritedly, be mature enough to make the conscious decision to take things back a notch or five when appropriate. In short, be responsible and don’t ruin the experience for yourself and others. 

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The crest can be transformative. A beautiful place just to visit. It has become a mecca for drivers, and wonderland for hikers. Technical, daunting, but rewarding, Angeles Crest Highway can be a powerful tool in learning how to control a vehicle dynamically whilst also visiting one of the region’s gems. Roaming these canyons with groups of all sizes works well as there is definitely enough space on road and in large turnouts to accommodate for many vehicles.

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I want to explain more, but like I said, this is an ongoing journey so anything else you need to know about Angeles Crest Highway will have to be experienced through your own eyes, ears, and grip of the steering wheel (Your opportunity to continue the conversation starts here). Feel free to share your own ACH photos if you’d like them to be seen here as this post will be continually updated with photos and individual stories.