High above Los Angeles: Forgotten Highway

It's smoggy because Los Angeles is a basin.

May gray has given way to June gloom in the City of Lost Angels. It's been a stint of Seattle/London weather, misty, foggy, drizzly, and a bit on the cool side. The mushrooms must love it, the tourists not so much. SoCal is famous for its sun, sand, and suffering. But the sun has become undependable. Recently, the massive snows have left the hills with more moisture than usual. Most of that has melted away. But there's a giant forest behind the smoggy County of LA, as most maps show. All that green space is mostly chaparral covered mountains with rocky soil only the dwindling population of bighorn sheep and rugged hikers love. When one gets to the top of the highway, there's a gate that never opens. What's behind it? Let's find out.

Exploring California's Highway 39, closed for over 40 years

(Sidetrack Adventures) May 31, 2023. California State Route 39 heads into the mountains of the Angeles National Forest above the megalopolis of Los Angeles, north of the little City of Azusa. It has been called California's "Forbidden Highway" or "Forgotten Highway."

The last four and a half miles of it have been closed since 1978, preventing it from connecting with State Route 2. Because of the closure and dead end, the road sees very little traffic, despite being only miles from the second largest city in the United States.

This video shows a drive up the forest highway through the Angeles National Forest, which is the same road used in the Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Let's check out what there is to see along the way.

Then let's explore the section of road that has been closed for over 40 years, a road that was once considered one of the most scenic in California.

For another look at Highway 39, check out this video on the road by Roaming Benji: • California's Forg... ○ Gear used: amazon.com/shop/sidetrack... ► Subscribe for weekly updates showcasing some  adventures: @sidetrackadventures