Overall Route Rating
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3.95 out of 5 Rider Rating 3.95
23 Reviews

Ortega Highway (AKA "The Awesome 74 to Lake Elsinor")

Motorcycle Route Author

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By Guest (0 McR Points) on Jun 30, 2005

Rider Reviews

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mooseariss
July 26, 2011
This is a hell of a ride to do during the summer…
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Guest
June 22, 2010
Beautiful ride in Southern California. Great…
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Written Directions

The directions to this route are incredibly simple. Just get your self to San Juan Capistrano, CA and head east on route 74 or get your self to Lake Elsinore, CA and head west on 74.

Scenery

This road takes you through the Cleveland National Forest between San Juan Capistrano, CA and to Lake Elsinore, CA. You'll pass through some great mountain/valley scenery as you descend and climb through the national forest. In addition to mountains you'll see some lush plant nurseries and pass through some alpine forest areas. When you finally reach the end (near Lake Elsinore) you will truly be amazed at the breathtaking view of Mt. Elsinore as route 74 sits thousands of feet above the lake and its valley. 74 then quickly descends down to the lake and town.

Drive Enjoyment

The roads have a great combination of sweeping turns and twisties. It has a nice section that puts together a series of 180 degree turns as you quickly climb up a mountain. The part of the road near the end and dumps you down into the Lake Elsinoreis full of great turns as well. When I was out there, there were more bikes than cars as this truly is a favorite ride in southern California for bikes.

Tourism Opportunities

There is not too much to do in the way off "Roadside Amenities" however there are two bar/diner places along the route that cater specifically to the bike crowd. One of them is called Hell's kitchen and it caters to the cruiser/Harley crowd and the other is the "Lookout Roadhouse" which seems to attract more of the sport bike guys/girls. Other than that the town of Lake Elsinore has plenty of places to grab a bite and get your tank filled up.

Motorcycle Road Additional info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .
 

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Guest
March 7, 2011
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
Nice twisties. Agreed, route is pretty short. Make sure you keep going after "The Lookout" and have lunch at "Hells Kitchen". Afterwards, you can keep going in to Orange County and do some beach crusing if you want to make it an all day ride.
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3 riders found this road review useful
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Guest
March 6, 2010
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Cruiser
Ridden this road a couple times and it's a very nice jaunt between the 15 and the 5 on your way to San Diego. A lot of fun to ride, good curves, and if you catch it in the middle of the week, car traffic will be light. A little on the Short side though. Don't get me wrong, the road is a lot of fun and the Lookout cafe overlooking Lake Elsinore is not be missed. It just seems that once you really get into it, it ends. Good for an afternoon but not a day trip.
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3 riders found this road review useful
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Guest
January 13, 2010
0 McR Points
Motorcycle Type : Sport - Touring
I have ridden this section of road about 5 times. It seems as though every time I try, there is a lot of 4-wheel traffic. So, it's a little difficult to open up and let loose. But.... If I could ever get a clean run, it would be a blast. The pavement from the county line (Riverside to Orange Counties) into O.C. was redone in 2007.
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2 riders found this road review useful