Mulholland Highway is named for William Mulholland, the engineer who brought water to Los Angeles from the Owens Valley in 1913, and it is in its own way a piece of infrastructure that serves a thirst. It runs along the spine of the Santa Monica Mountains from the Hollywood hills out toward the Pacific, and the western section, near Agoura and Calabasas, is the part that riders love. The road narrows, the houses thin out, and the hills turn into a tangle of chaparral, sandstone outcrops and oak-filled canyons that look like a film set, partly because they have been one many times.
The canyon core is the stretch where the road twists through folds in the hills, with blind bends, tight switchbacks and sudden changes in camber. The surface varies, and in places it is patched, cracked or sprinkled with gravel from the verge. This is a road that rewards a smooth hand and a cool head, not a heavy throttle. It also has a reputation for crashes and enforcement, and the sheriff's patrols are active, particularly on weekends, so the posted speed limits mean something. Early morning on a weekday gives you the road at its best, with cool air, low sun and few vehicles.
Nature here is the Mediterranean kind. The hills are covered in sage, laurel sumac, manzanita and live oak, and in spring they bloom with lupine and poppies after a wet winter. The air smells of sage and dust, and the light has a harshness that makes shadows sharp. Wildfire is a constant presence, and the landscape bears the marks of past burns, with blackened stumps and fresh regrowth. Rattlesnakes sun themselves on warm tarmac in spring, and coyotes cross at dusk.
Riders gather at a roadside stop near the junction with Cornell Road, a long-established rendezvous for bikes and cars, and on a Sunday morning it is crowded with machines and talk. It is a fun place to watch and meet people, though you should keep an eye on your belongings and park with care.
Fuel is available in Agoura Hills and Calabasas, about six kilometres away, and in Malibu on the coast, so fill up before entering the canyon. Services in the hills are limited, and mobile coverage can be patchy. Carry water, because the sun is strong and the air is dry, and keep to your side of the line on the blind corners. The reward is a ride that feels far from the city, though you are never more than half an hour from it.