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| Crowder Canyon Bridge, then and now. |
Victor Valley Daily Press
There is a forgotten road in the Cajon Pass that was originally a wagon toll road built in 1861 and, later, was used by many early Route 66 travelers. There are no signs to point out this historic road or to tell you about its connection to the Mother Road but there is still evidence of where it once existed.
Early automobile travelers used this steep, narrow and hazardous road as a short cut when traveling Route 66 (although it was never used as an alignment for Route 66). Unlike old segments of 66 in the upper Cajon Pass, sections of this road can still be traveled on today.
Our trip begins at the Summit Inn located at the Cajon Summit and ends next to the truck scales located halfway through the Cajon Pass. Half of the trip is on dirt road with the other half on pavement and it can be traveled in either direction.
Even though most of the dirt road is maintained by the Forestry Service, it is still subject to deep ruts and bumps that make it difficult for normal vehicles. We have seen plenty of standard cars on this road but we don’t recommend it. A high-clearance vehicle, such as a truck or SUV, is best.
The historical Summit Inn (off the Oak Hills Road exit), is a favorite spot of tourists for breakfast or lunch. One of its most famous patrons was Elvis Presley. The story goes that Elvis wasn’t fond of flying to his frequent shows in Las Vegas so he and his entourage traveled by car. They would usually take up the one large booth in this roadside cafe.
As you leave Summit Inn, turn right onto the frontage road and head south. The pavement ends in half a mile but this short distance of pavement was the alignment of Route 66. The alignment then turned right, crossed the northbound lanes of I-15 and continued down the middle of I-15.
For our trip, continue on the dirt road (when the pavement ends) as it makes a quick left and then heads south. You will quickly see how rough the road is. At a 90-degree left turn there’s a great viewpoint of the Cajon Pass on the right.
Past the viewpoint, the road twists and turns and a road intersection is reached. Turn right here to pass through the obvious road cut. This road cut was originally dug for the Brown Toll Road and probably hand excavated in 1861, which is when the American Civil War started.
One of the first cross-country roads built in the USA was the National Old Trails Road. For the road’s alignment through the Cajon Pass, the toll road was still usable and it was logical to use the same alignment. However, because this section was steep and treacherous, the new road was realigned in 1918 to where I-15 is today. Thrill-seeking Route 66 travelers still used it, though.
Continue steeply down the old road south as it crosses four railroad tracks. Beyond the tracks, you might spot faint patches of pavement from the original road build in 1914.
Turn right onto Highway 138. Here, the new highway was built on top of the old road. Just before 138 turns into four lanes, the old road veered off to the left. We will see the other side of that road in a moment.
To walk on the old road, drive past the McDonalds on the frontage road next to I-15. At the end of the road, you’ll see a monument. Park here and walk to the end of the road to find a hiking trail. This is part of the Pacific Crest Trail. Walk up into what is called Crowder Canyon. Soon, you’ll be walking past an old bridge foundation and on old pavement from 1914, which was the first auto route through the Cajon.
Read an expanded version of this article at www.BackRoadsWest.com/blog/forgotten-path-route-66. Along with driving directions, you’ll find a YouTube video and an interactive map.
