Glendora Mountain Road is a celebrated mountain drive located in the San Gabriel Mountains near Los Angeles, California, known for its challenging twists and turns.
This road draws in automotive and motorcycle enthusiasts, who come to experience its breathtaking mountain views and scenery
This road is particularly liked by cyclists.
Where is the Glendora Mountain Road ?
Glendora Mountain Road is situated in California, in the northeast of Los Angeles.
Rising above the Los Angeles basin, Mount San Antonio is 3,060 meters above sea level (10,046 feet), the tallest mount in Southern California. The summit, known as Mount Baldy, is located in the Angeles National Forest.
Another cool road in California is the June Lake Loop Route.
You can easily situate the road with this map :
Enlarge the map
General facts about the road:
Glendora Mountain Road is located in the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California. It is very popular with motorcyclists, and especially cyclists because of the scenic views, and hairpin turns. The road is also known to have often been used for illegal car races, resulting in serious accidents.
This amazing itinerary stretches for 23 kilometers (14.6 miles) beginning in the town of Glendora and into the granite peaks and canyons of the San Gabriel Mountains.
Drivers are rewarded with panoramic views of the Los Angeles basin, Mount San Antonio (1,064 feet or 3,068 meters above sea level), and the Angeles National Forest. This area is perfect for backpacking, hiking, or any type of outdoor activity.
Every May, this itinerary attracts the world’s top professional cyclists for the epic Tour of California race.
How to get to Glendora Mountain Road ?
If you are coming from the west or east (from Los Angeles or San Bernardino) you have to drive to Glendora then drive the Siera Madre Avenue until you reach the road.
You can situate the itinerary on this map:
A video of the journey:
You can have a preview of that drive. You just have to watch this YouTube video as it shows a part of the road:
Is Glendora Mountain Road open?
The road, situated at a low enough elevation to avoid snow, is open year-round (although it may be temporarily closed for other reasons).
It can be closed from time to time for roadworks or because of accidents. Indeed, as we have already written, this road is very dangerous, especially for motorbikes. Some people don’t respect the speed limits and lose control of their vehicles, ending in terrible crashes. So, please check the road closure updates.
Also, the local authorities can sometimes close the road for bicycle races.
If you want to limit the risk of driving this dope road, we suggest you avoid the weekends and holidays and drive the road in the morning to avoid the traffic.
You can always check the official Californian roads’ information website to see the road conditions.
The Glendora Mountain Road is definitely a route you should drive if you are near Los Angeles. The mountain views and scenery will take your breath away. But you should remember that this is a dangerous road and be very watchful on your driving and the other drivers’ driving too.
Picture credit: Nan Fry on Flickr.
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