California · Palomar Mountain and East Grade

A 204 km loop from Escondido

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Why this ride

Short, sharp, technical: a proper southern California hill road. A 204 km loop that starts and ends near Escondido, about 3 h 55 of riding. It goes by way of Lake Henshaw view and Julian pie and. Palomar East Grade is the high point. It tops out at about 1,200 m. The passes are the reason to go.

Roadbook

1. Escondido fuel gate fuel

   Escondido is the biggest city in San Diego County's north inland area, a sprawling place of about 150,000 people in a wide valley of avocado and citrus groves, and its job in a ride is to supply everything a rider might need before heading into the hills. The name means hidden in Spanish, which reflects the way the valley sits tucked behind a ridge. The town grew after the railway came in the 1880s, with citrus and grapes as its early industries, and today it is a mixture of breweries, farmland, strip malls and a historic downtown with a good arts centre and a few lively restaurants.

   There are fuel stations everywhere, so this is the place to fill up, and to buy water. From here, the road winds east and north into the hills of the Palomar Mountain area, and the real riding begins. State Route 76 follows the San Luis Rey River east toward Pauma Valley, among orchards and rocks, with soft bends and rolling hills. From there, the road to the top of Palomar Mountain climbs through dozens of tight corners, shaded by oak and then by pine, rising to about five thousand feet. It is narrow and twisty, with some rough tar and occasional gravel, so take it slowly, but the views south and west out over the valley are well worth it.

   Palomar Mountain is home to the Palomar Observatory, which opened in 1948 with the 200-inch Hale telescope, the largest in the world for decades. You can visit the dome and the small museum, and peer in at one of the great pieces of twentieth-century science. The ridge is also green and wooded, a noticeable contrast with the dry chaparral below, and in winter, snow can fall on top. Check the weather before climbing in colder months. The East Grade Road on the other side of the mountain is steeper and narrower still, a famous test for riders who like their corners tight.

   Wildlife includes deer, wild turkeys and coyotes, with the odd mountain lion in the back country. Spring wildflowers and the smell of orange blossom in the valleys are real delights, and the best riding is in the spring or autumn, when the heat of summer has eased. Summer can be extremely hot at the bottom, with temperatures above thirty-five degrees Celsius.

   For food, Escondido has everything, from taquerias to craft beer to pizzerias, and the old downtown is the best place to stroll afterward.

2. Palomar East Grade pass

   Palomar Mountain stands apart from the ranges around it, an isolated forested massif that rises above the dry hills of northern San Diego County, and the East Grade Road is the best way to reach it on two wheels. It leaves the valley near Lake Henshaw and climbs through a series of tight hairpins, gaining about a thousand metres in a short distance. The road is narrow, with steep drops, blind corners and patchy surfaces, and it asks for concentration and a low speed. Large vehicles are discouraged, which suits riders.

   At the top, the air changes. The mountain is covered in pines, firs and oaks, with meadows and campgrounds, and the temperature can be ten degrees cooler than in the valley. The summit is home to the Palomar Observatory, built in the 1930s and completed in 1948, with the 200-inch Hale telescope, which was the largest in the world for decades. It is operated by the California Institute of Technology, and visitors can walk into the gallery of the dome during opening hours, which are limited, so check ahead. The big white dome among the trees is a surprising sight, and the quiet inside is almost reverent.

   Riding the East Grade is a highlight of the region. The curves are tight and rhythmic, the views open suddenly over the valley and the lake far below, and the climb through different vegetation zones is a lesson in how quickly the climate changes. The surface can be rough, with potholes, loose gravel and sometimes oil, and the road gets damp and cold in shade. Winter brings snow and ice, and the road may be closed or require chains, so check conditions between November and March. In summer, the heat in the valley is fierce, and the mountain is a relief.

   A small store and a few campgrounds operate in season, but do not count on them. Valley Center, about nineteen kilometres away, and Ramona have fuel and food, so fill up before you go. Bring water, because you will want it on the climb.

   Wildlife includes deer, wild turkeys and squirrels, and on the descent you may meet cyclists climbing the grade, so give them space. Go on a weekday if you can, and take your time on every corner.

3. Lake Henshaw view photo

   Lake Henshaw is a big shallow reservoir in the dry hills of north San Diego County, and it appears suddenly on State Route 76, a flat sheet of water in a landscape of golden grass, oak and granite. It was created in the 1920s by damming the San Luis Rey River, and its main job is to store water for the coastal communities far to the west. The level rises and falls with the rain, and in dry years it shrinks to a muddy pool, while after wet winters it spreads wide and blue, with birds gathering along the edge.

   The surrounding country is the Warner Valley, a high basin among the mountains, and it has a deeper history than the reservoir suggests. The valley was long home to the Cupeño and Luiseño peoples, who gathered around its hot springs and lived on acorns, game and the plants of the chaparral. Later it became ranchland, and the old stage route from the east to San Diego passed through, a hard road for settlers arriving across the desert. Today cattle still graze on the grass, and the roads are quiet.

   For a rider, the view from the road is an invitation to slow down. State Route 76 here is a well-surfaced highway with long curves, gentle gradients and open vistas, and it is a pleasure in the cool of the morning or the warmth of the evening. The mountain of Palomar rises to the west, dark with trees against the pale sky, and the lake in front gives it a mirror. Traffic is moderate, with weekend cyclists and day-trippers, and passing places are frequent. In winter, early morning frost and fog can appear on the low ground, and in summer the heat shimmers over the water.

   Birds are the highlight for those who look. Herons, egrets and pelicans use the lake, and in winter ducks and geese arrive in numbers. The wide sky and the open space give a sense of calm, and the sound of the wind in the grass is the main noise.

   Services are sparse near the reservoir. Ramona, about twenty-four kilometres to the west, and Julian, a similar distance to the east, are the places to find fuel and food, and a small resort on the lakeshore sometimes has a café, though hours vary. Fill up in a bigger town before you come this way.

   Pull off at a safe spot, take off your helmet and listen. The valley is wide and quiet, and for a moment the whole region seems to be holding its breath.

4. Julian pie and food food

   Julian is an old gold-mining town turned apple town, sitting at about 1,300 metres in the Cuyamaca mountains, and it has built its whole identity on pie. Gold was found here in 1869, and for a few years the town boomed, then the veins ran out, and the settlers who stayed turned to farming. The cool climate and rich soil suited apples, and by the early twentieth century orchards covered the hills. Today the main street is lined with bakeries that sell apple pies, cider and cinnamon rolls, and the smell of baking pastry drifts down the pavement.

   In autumn, the town celebrates the harvest with a festival of apples, and the surrounding hills turn gold and red as the oaks and maples change colour, a rare sight in southern California. In winter, snow sometimes dusts the streets, and people from San Diego drive up for the novelty. The old buildings, with their wooden facades and porches, give the town a nostalgic look, and a small mining museum and tours of the old Eagle mine explain the history. It is a place where the past is kept alive partly for the tourists, but it is a gentle sort of show.

   For riders, Julian is a legendary destination from San Diego and the surrounding desert, and the roads to it are a draw. The climb from the west or the south winds through oak woodland and open grassland, with moderate bends and good views, and the descent to the desert on the east side is a spectacular drop of long switchbacks into the Anza-Borrego region. Weekends are crowded, and the town is packed with bikes, cars and cyclists, so patience is needed. On weekdays and early mornings, the roads are far calmer.

   Fuel in Julian is limited, with a small station or two, and prices are high, so it is wise to fill up elsewhere. San Diego Country Estates and Ramona, about twenty kilometres away, have larger stations, and Santa Ysabel nearby has a small one. Pie shops open early and often close by late afternoon, and lines can be long, so go early or accept the wait.

   Try the apple pie with a slice of cheddar or a scoop of ice cream, the way locals do. A hot cider in cold weather is welcome, and you can sit outside on the porch and watch the bikes come and go.

5. Back to Escondido finish

   Back at Escondido. That is the ride.

Where this sits

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