Jeremy Simmons' Ojai Route: The Mountains North of Los Angeles

Jeremy Simmons went from motocross to pro road racing, and he's now the man behind the Cannonball Bike Run routes, known to everyone as Route Boy. Back when he ran a big weekly bike meet in California, he also led weekend group rides, and this is the all-day route he put together for them. Read Jeremy's full interview for his story.

"It includes nearly every aspect of my perfect route. It was designed for sport bike riders, but any bike could handle the task." – Jeremy Simmons

The Ride, Point by Point

Moorpark, Ojai and Highway 33

Start in Moorpark and fill up in Santa Paula, because fuel gets scarce from here on. Ride through the orange groves on CA-150 into Ojai. From there, CA-33 climbs through Wheeler Gorge and over Pine Mountain Summit, one of the great mountain roads in California, before you turn onto Lockwood Valley Road.

Highway 33 through the Los Padres National ForestPhoto: Antandrus, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lockwood Valley and Frazier Park

Lockwood Valley Road is Jeremy's favourite section of the route. It's tight and technical, takes an unusual line through the valley, and the weather can change fast up here, from heavy thunderstorms to snow. Expect dirt and water crossings after rain. After Frazier Park you cross the I-5 at Gorman and head east along Pine Canyon Road.

Lake Hughes, Castaic and the canyons

At Lake Hughes, the Rock Inn is a popular stop. Lake Hughes Road then drops south past Castaic Lake to Castaic, with some great views. San Francisquito Canyon Road takes you back north into the hills to Green Valley, and Bouquet Canyon Road follows the creek south past Bouquet Reservoir.

Angeles Forest Highway and the Angeles Crest

From Acton, the Angeles Forest Highway climbs over Mill Creek Summit. The route then finishes on the Angeles Crest Highway, dropping down to La Cañada Flintridge above Pasadena.

The Angeles Crest Highway in the San Gabriel MountainsPhoto: Antony-22, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ride It in Reverse

You can also ride the route from La Cañada Flintridge back to Moorpark, starting on the Angeles Crest. Most navigation apps can reverse a GPX file with one tap.

Waypoints

One GPX track for the whole route, made in Kurviger. It works with Garmin, TomTom, Calimoto, OsmAnd and most other navigation apps. Check the route in your app before you ride.

Point	Place	What's there
A	Moorpark	Start in Ventura County
B	Santa Paula	Fill up here: fuel gets scarce from now on
C	Ojai	Through the orange groves on CA-150
D	Wheeler Gorge	CA-33 starts climbing into the Los Padres
E	Camp Scheideck turn	Lockwood Valley Road, Jeremy's old lunch stop
F	Lockwood Valley	Jeremy's favourite section of road
G	Frazier Park	Over the I-5 towards Gorman
H	Lake Hughes	Pine Canyon Road and the Rock Inn
I	Castaic	Lake Hughes Road down past Castaic Lake
J	Green Valley	Back north on San Francisquito Canyon Road
K	Bouquet Reservoir	Bouquet Canyon Road along the creek
L	Acton	Onto the Angeles Forest Highway
M	Mill Creek Summit	Up through the Angeles National Forest
N	Clear Creek	The Angeles Crest Highway
O	La Cañada Flintridge	Finish above Pasadena

Before You Go

• This route isn't for new riders. Much of it is a long way from help, so make sure you and your bike are in good shape.
• Fuel up wherever you can. Petrol stations are few and far between on the mountain sections.
• Check road conditions before you go. At the time of writing, Lockwood Valley Road was listed as closed to residents only, and CA-33, the Angeles Forest Highway and the Angeles Crest can close for rockslides or snow. Check Caltrans QuickMap on the day.
• Expect gravel and water on Lockwood Valley Road after rain.