Road Ride Review - Sunrise Highway Loop

What an awesome ride. Good climb, good downhills, spectacular views throughout. This ride takes you from desert to mountains on good roads with not too much traffic.

Sunrise Highway Loop

I started at the Paso Picacho Campground in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and did a counter-clockwise loop. I think the route would be just as fun in either direction.

The route ended up being 45.4 miles with just under 4000' of climbing so be prepared for some hills. The longest was the climb from Pine Valley up to Mount Laguna, a Category 1 climb that gains 2200' over 11 miles. The rest of the climbs are easy compared to that one.

The views along the way are fantastic and I would say this is as scenic as anything you'll find in Southern California. At one point as you descend the ridge coming down from Mount Laguna, you can look to your right and see far out into the Anza-Borrego Desert. You can also see the Pacific Crest Trail below you as it parallels the highway for a few miles.

Directions: Take the I-8 east out of San Diego to Pine Valley, start here or go west on Old Hwy 80 to the 79, take the 79 to Paso Picacho CG. 

High up on Sunrise Highway in the Laguna Mountains Recreation Area.