The Historic Highway 99 Association of California, in conjunction with the RRPO, has produced a video on the basics of the Ridge Route and some of the features that make the road unique. Learn about the curbs, rails, footprints of all types, tire tracks, and more that can be found on the road. They also talk about the different pavement types on the road as well as how you can get up there and see the road yourself.
The Historic Highway 99 Association of California has also produced other videos talking about other sections of the highway, including the bridges over the Santa Clara River and Castaic Creek in their “History along US 99” series.
On May 4th 2025, the rain broke just in time for a magical journey back in time along the Old Ridge Route. Eight Model A Fords traveled to Gorman to take a tour of the road, coming from San Diego and Orange County.
Photo by Zachary Svelling
The group of over 20 met in Gorman, starting off with a talk about road and it’s construction. RRPO President, Michael Ballard and Public Relations Director, Sydney Croasmun spoke and answered questions from the group, before lining up and heading down Gorman Post Road towards the Old Ridge Route.
Photo by: Scott Leland
Model A’s lined the road as we pulled into the first stop – the legendary Sandberg’s Summit Hotel. The tour talked about the 3 story log cabin, the people that lived there and the conspiracy theories that haunted it.
Photo: Austin Gebhardt
Next up is Liebre Summit – the highest point on the road. Visitors took in the stunning view and learned about the weather in the region and the importance of the Sandberg Weather Station. Even to this day, it’s a vital weather station for both land and air travel.
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Photo: Austin Gebhardt
At the Liebre Maintenance Camp, we discussed the people who built the road and the road building methods. Learning about the shift from railroad contractors to road building contractors and how this space is utilized in the modern day.
Photo by: Sydney Croasmun
Always a tradition – lining up all the cars up at the Tumble Inn for a photo! Visitors got to explore the ruins and listen to Michael Ballard speak about the road.
Photo by: Ryan Babroff
Now this is where things get fun – as our first tour to go past the gates, we continued down the road when we usually would end at the Tumble Inn
Photo by: Scott Leland
For the first time in 20 years, the tour made it’s way to Reservoir Summit! Here they are checking out the now empty reservoir, learning about the old restaurant, garage and fire lookout tower.
Photo by: Scott Leland
The tour concluded with a picnic at Swede’s Cut, overlooking Serpentine Drive. This was the largest cut on the road at 110ft deep!
We are so thankful to the San Diego Model A Club for setting this all up! It was great to meet so many wonderful people and see some beautiful cars
Photo by: Ryan Babroff
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In early and mid-February 2024, we went on a field survey trip over the Ridge Route to assess damage. We took a lot of videos and put together an overview of what we saw.
Swede’s Cut in January 2022. Courtesy – Michael F Ballard
In mid-January, I took a trip over the Ridge Route to survey the damage from the recent storms. The results were very mixed. Like in December, there were many small rockslides over most of the road from Serpentine Drive to Sandberg. None of the rocks were all that large but did create problems for traversing the roadway. The CUTRR work that was done in October was also compromised, with additional material deposited on the roadway making travel nearly impossible for standard automobiles. The good news was there was no section that was heavily damaged by the storms. We seem to have gotten lucky with that, so far. This winter has certainly been a wild one, ranging from extended dry periods to heavy rain and snow.
We are working with the USFS to get these slides cleared and to get permission to use heavier equipment to do some of the work ourselves. We are also working with the County of Los Angeles to help ensure that road closures on I-5 due to storms or fires don’t impact the Ridge Route, as they have in the past. Dates will be announced soon for the next CUTRR event, though due to personal obligations, I may be unavailable to lead the events in April or May.
The gates still remain closed and will for some time. We are working to get them opened on a seasonal basis once we reach an agreement with the USFS regarding some issues with the roadway. They, of course, have the control over the road and the decision is still up to them. We just want to make sure the roadway is available to the public and kept in good order. Without that, we lose a piece of history, something we cannot allow.
Monthly Meetings via Zoom
We have been hosting monthly meetings, open to the public, to talk about the Ridge Route, what is happening, future CUTRR events, and its history. There is a lot going on and things are looking positive for the Ridge Route, more than they have in the past. These meetings will be online via Zoom. We want to get more people engaged in our continuing efforts to reopen the roadway and help keep it preserved. The schedule is still being worked out, so make sure you’re subscribed to our website to stay informed. A meeting in March will be announced soon.
We invite all to join our discussion forums, which are now available using the link below. The appearance and registration are still being adjusted, so bear with us. Check it out and let us know what you think! Share your Ridge Route stories and chat with other Ridge Route enthusiasts!
We are working on sending notices for our members to renew their memberships. We need your support to keep this momentum going and to reopen the roadway. Memberships such as yours help us with this effort. You can join for the first time, renew, or just submit a donation online using our secure website using the link below.
Make sure to subscribe to our site to get updates on upcoming CUTRR events and Ridge Route news.
Reporting Problems on the Ridge Route
With all the recent fire activity as well as other events such as January 26 when big rigs tried to travel the Ridge Route, we thought it was a good idea to have a place to report things. If you see something wrong on the Ridge Route, be it a developing washout, large vehicles traversing the roadway, or things out-of-the-ordinary, we have have set up a web page to help you report things on the road. We will pass the information along to the appropriate agencies as needed.
To Report Problems or other issues on the Ridge Route, please use the website below. The web page is also located under our “Current Roadway Conditions” page in the menu.
Early in the morning on March 13, 1928, the floodwaters from the collapse of the St Francis Dam reached US 99 at the Santa Clara River. The bridge, a steel through-truss span built by Los Angeles County in 1916, was quickly destroyed and sent downstream. Later, the structure was used to support a gas or oil line, which itself was later abandoned. This structure can be accessed via Feedmill Rd near Six Flags Magic Mountain.
With the arrival of Spring, we can declare the Ridge Route at least made it through another winter season with minimal damage. Between the threat of fires last year, such as the Lake Fire in August 2020, and the heavy “atmospheric river” storm in January 2020, the area has been through a lot. We know it can’t last without at least a basic amount of maintenance. Each winter brings rocks, mud, and the potential landslide. Each summer still brings the possibility of fires which can not only damage the roadway and burn what little wooden artifacts are left, but makes winters all the more troublesome.
On a somewhat regular basis, we travel the roadway and survey it for damage and potential problems, such as failing culverts and landslides. Some of the damage to the roadway isn’t from any of these, but from failure of the concrete itself. There are at least six instances of reinforcing bar sticking out of the roadway. All of them were marked over the weekend of April 24th during a recent survey. Some of them were large enough to potentially puncture a tire. These need to be repaired before larger amounts of traffic traverse the roadway. Some larger potholes also need to be tended to before they cause damage to the surrounding roadway. We intend to repair or have these repaired in the near future. With your support, we can make a difference and at least mitigate the damage from all these problems.
Spring on the Ridge Route by Debbie Mallon
California Sunflower (Helianthus californicus)
Spring rains bring lushness back to the Ridge Route vegetation as well as blooms from flowering native plants. One cheerful example is the California Sunflower (Helianthus californicus) seen on the sunny slopes of the route. A common myth is that sunflowers always follow the sun. In reality, only the young flowers orient towards the sun throughout the day. However, upon maturity the flowers stop tracking the sun and blooms orient eastward. The phenomena of flowers following the sun is called heliotropism.
Cobweb Thistle (Cirsium occidentale)
Another vigorous plant found along the route is the Cobweb Thistle (Cirsium occidentale), which is a true native thistle and a member of the sunflower family. The plant has a two year lifespan producing blooms in the second year. You can expect to see them in bloom from March to July. Cobweb Thistle is an important source of pollen and nectar for bees and butterflies.
Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)
Last, Miner’s Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata), nature’s verdant ground cover, prefers cool and moist conditions. On the Ridge Route it is most often found on shady slopes or under tree canopies. Miner’s Lettuce is edible and so named because miners ate the plant as salad greens. Leaf, flowers and stems can be eaten raw or cooked and are a source of vitamins C and A as well as iron. The tiny flowers bloom from February through May.
Roadway Status
The Ridge Route is still closed between the Tumble Inn and Templin Highway. While we are working to get it open, always use caution if the gates are open. You can be locked in as the default position is for the gates to be closed. On the last trip over the roadway on the 24th, we saw that people had written on the gates notes regarding either being locked in or that the roadway wasn’t a “through road”. The road is marked at both ends as not going through. We are working with the USFS to increase signage but there is only so much that can be done.
The roadway, when open, is traversable by a standard clearance automobile, as we have found. Even with this in mind, don’t expect your car to clear that “small” rock in the middle of the roadway. The roadway is quite remote and the nearest service station is many miles away. Bring plenty of water and food for any trip over the Ridge Route as you never know what may happen up there.
Are you a member yet? If you aren’t, you should be. Our CUTRR events, for example, are a members-only event and we plan to get those going in the near future. Your membership dues help us get the road open and keep it maintained. Dues are also tax-deductible as we are a 501(c)3 organization. Join us and help keep the Ridge Route alive!
It looks like events are finally coming back. Starting May 3, 2021, Volunteers will be allowed to start working again in the Angeles National Forest. We are working on a date for our “first” new CUTRR event this year. Depending on how the season goes, as well as other factors, there may be one in June. It is more likely there will be one in September, to allow for more people to be vaccinated and for the summer heat to subside. If you are interested in joining us or wish to contribute to an event, let us know. You must be a member of the Ridge Route Preservation Organization to go to a CUTRR event. If you aren’t a regular member, we do have daily memberships available.
We are also considering hosting another Zoom meeting in the near future. Once we establish a date and topic, it will be posted on our website. Let us know if you’d be interested and what topics would be good to cover. Please subscribe to this website, if you haven’t already, as you will be e-mailed updates.
As it is finally getting closer for us to hold events and cleanups on the Ridge Route, we will need your support. We plan to obtain some asphalt patching material to stabilize some of the 1920’s asphalt between the Liebre Maintenance Station and Sandberg where the pavement is rapidly degrading. We also may be repairing the Tumble Inn gate, which will potentially involve labor costs and materials. Your donations may be tax-deductible, so keep that in mind.
![[PHOTOS] The Old Ridge Route Comes to Life – San Diego & Orange County Model A Ford Club Tour](https://ridgeroute.org/wp-content/uploads/RidgeRoute-ModelA-3271-1200x474.jpg)
