Ridge Route – Quail Lake / Junction State 138

Virtual Tour of the Ridge Route

 Ridge Route – Quail Lake / Neenach – Jct State 138

quail-lake

Quail Lake was much smaller before the California Aqueduct augmented it. Originally, it was a small sag pond along the San Andreas Fault zone. From here to Tejon Pass, US 99 and the Ridge Route follow the San Andreas Fault. The lake used to be known as Crane Lake back in the 1920’s. Another, smaller, sag area was known as Quail Lake. That lake existed west of here near the junction of Gorman Post Road and the State Highway 138 expressway.

Looking toward Neenach and Quail Lake from the Ridge Route
Toward the Mojave Desert and the Tehachapi Mountains from the Ridge Route

Just east of the State 138 junction, AT&T (Bell System) had a telephone repeating station at Neenach. This station was along one of the original long distance lines that took a parallel path to the east of the Ridge Route. Some of the structures also served as a pumping station for the oil pipelines which ran long the Ridge Route.

Approaching the Ridge Route on Hwy 138.
Junction with State 138 (left) and the Ridge Route (right). Neenach is in the background to the left.

Go North on the Ridge Route to Gorman

Go South on the Ridge Route to Castaic

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