Standard Winter Closure along Angeles Crest Highway from Islip Saddle to Vincent Gulch Divide or Blue Ridge Summit.
Route 2 is one of the more varied routes in the Los Angeles area. It starts its journey in Santa Monica at the junction of Lincoln Boulevard and the Santa Monica Freeway, follows Santa Monica Boulevard (old US 66) east to the Hollywood Freeway (US 101), joins the freeway for a couple of exits, then leaves it at Alvarado St. Route 2 changes to a more northerly course for the next 35 or so miles at this point.
Proceeding along Alvarado Street from US 101, then Glendale Boulevard, it gets onto the stub end of the Glendale Freeway. This freeway was planned to join with US 101 near Vermont Avenue but was never built. The Glendale Freeway is signed north/south, even though State 2 is overall considered an east/west route. At the north end of the Glendale Freeway, where it meets the Foothill Freeway (I-210), State 2 joins the freeway for about 1/2 mile until the Angeles Crest Highway exit. State 2 then follows the Angeles Crest Highway in an easterly direction for the next 66 miles through the San Gabriel Mountains until its end at State Route 138 at Mountain Top Junction.
Former Pacific Electric siding near Las Palmas Ave
Alvarado St
Northbound near Glendale Blvd.
Glendale Freeway
View of the missing railing on the closed southbound side of the Glendale Blvd UC.
View from the southbound inside shoulder.
Northbound lanes of the freeway. This section of freeway is used in many movies. One such movie was “Bowfinger” with Steve Martin and Eddie Murphy (the running across a freeway scene).
Southbound traffic continues over Glendale Blvd then merges onto it. Northbound traffic takes the NB-2 onramp from Glendale Blvd. Courtesy – Caltrans
Glendale Freeway just north of Mountain Avenue. Photo Courtesy – Ralph Ricketson
Northern end of the Glendale Freeway.
End of the long ramps to Foothill Blvd.
Angeles Crest Highway
Angeles Crest Highway, a very scenic route through the Angeles National Forest, was constructed over a period of about 30 years. Construction began in the mid 1920’s on the segment near the Arroyo Seco leaving La Canada. The last segment to be completed, in 1956, is near the area known as Big Pines, where State 2 meets the Big Pines Highway.
La Canada Arch Bridge. Built in 1929 and widened in 1966.
Looking up the Arroyo Seco from Valley View Point
Slide Canyon Bridge – Built 1929
New railing installed at the Slide Canyon bridge (53-63) replacing the 1929 railing.
Clearing snow on Thanksgiving in 2019. Courtesy – Caltrans
Clear Creek Junction
Toward Red Box Gap from Clear Creek Junction
Looking east toward Red Box Gap
Angeles Crest Highway east of Red Box Gap. View is towards Shortcut Saddle.
At Upper Big Tujunga Canyon Road.
Near Chilao Flat
Chain Control sign from 1958. Sign has been since covered but is still there, just west of Cloudburst Summit.
Cloudburst Summit – This is a new sign in black/white. It replaced a green/white sign. This sign was again replaced and is now a proper green/white sign.
West portal of Tunnel #1 (53-184). Construction began in 1941 and was completed in 1950.
Inside the west tunnel
Second tunnel.
Coming out of the last tunnel (#2)
Looking west toward Tunnel #2 (53-978)
Islip Saddle – Junction with Hwy 39
Older sign, since replaced, at the junction with State 39. Sign may have pointed to Azusa and San Gabriel Canyon.
Cortelyou Springs, just east of Islip Saddle. Named after S.V. Cortelyou, who was the District Engineer for Division VII (now Caltrans District 7) and was responsible for a lot of the early construction of Angeles Crest Highway.
Looking toward Islip Saddle from below Dawson Saddle.
At Dawson Saddle (7901′), the highest point on Angeles Crest Highway
Looking west toward Dawson Saddle (lowest point on the ridge)
1950’s wooden and metal beam railing, a mile or so west of Vincent Gulch Divide
At Vincent Gulch Divide (6565′)
Looking toward Mt Baden Powell (9399′) from Blue Ridge Saddle (7381′)
Old elevation sign, just east of Blue Ridge Saddle, since replaced.
Signage at the junction with Big Pines Highway (County N4) and a rare Alternate sign.
