Your Stories
Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve Ride:
What you can expect: Great canyon riding, highway and off highway road options, famous California racetrack experience, historic biker hangout, plenty of food options and spectacular flower fields when in season.
The Ride:
I’ve had this trip on my “Places to Go” list for quite a few years but routinely allowed the peak viewing time to elapse until this year. My ride plan included riding part of Angeles Crest Hwy. and dropping down into the Antelope Valley via Angeles Forest Hwy. Unfortunately, Angeles Crest was closed due to last year’s heavy rainfall in the area.
I’ll start the trip where “Plan B” directed us. Upon exiting the 210 Fwy. At Osborne St. we looked in vain for Little Tujunga Canyon Rd. Fortunately, a resting motorcyclist provided the instructions needed. For those of you who might want to use this route, Osborne St. simply turns into Little Tujunga Canyon Rd.
Little Tujunga Canyon Rd. turns into Sand Canyon Rd. and provides approximately 16 miles of two lane motorcycle riding bliss if if you love turns and lots of them. I won’t presume your riding skill, but be honest
What you can expect: Great canyon riding, highway and off highway road options, famous California racetrack experience, historic biker hangout, plenty of food options and spectacular flower fields when in season.
The Ride:
I’ve had this trip on my “Places to Go” list for quite a few years but routinely allowed the peak viewing time to elapse until this year. My ride plan included riding part of Angeles Crest Hwy. and dropping down into the Antelope Valley via Angeles Forest Hwy. Unfortunately, Angeles Crest was closed due to last year’s heavy rainfall in the area.
I’ll start the trip where “Plan B” directed us. Upon exiting the 210 Fwy. At Osborne St. we looked in vain for Little Tujunga Canyon Rd. Fortunately, a resting motorcyclist provided the instructions needed. For those of you who might want to use this route, Osborne St. simply turns into Little Tujunga Canyon Rd.
Little Tujunga Canyon Rd. turns into Sand Canyon Rd. and provides approximately 16 miles of two lane motorcycle riding bliss if if you love turns and lots of them. I won’t presume your riding skill, but be honest
with yourself and stay alert. Very little traffic the day we went, bikes or cars. The final 2 miles to Hwy. 14 is a tree lined road flanked by gated communities. A good place to stop is the IN-N-OUT Burger.
We took Hwy. 14 approximately 54 miles to our next stop, Willow Springs Raceway. If you have the time, a 17 mile off-highway route can be added by exiting 2 miles east at Soledad Canyon Rd. and riding through the towns of Alpine and Acton before reentering Hwy. 14.
Willow Springs Raceway is a great stop for anyone interested in motorcycle racing. Check their website before you go but with 6 tracks on site there is usually always something happening on the weekend. We paid $10 entry fee per person on the day of this trip. The Willow Springs Motorcycle Club was holding their monthly races along with a TrackDaz track day and Kart racing. Excellent track to ride or observe at.
Our next stop was the California Poppy Reserve. I knew we were in for some good viewing as we could see a blanket of orange in the distance (21 miles riding) from our vantage point at the track. When we arrived, the roadside was loaded with parked cars and the hills were covered in blooms. We had arrived during this years peak of the season (04/17/10) and it was spectacular. Well worth the trip if you have never been there. Check the website for up to date reports on the progress of the season by selecting “Find Parks” then selecting “Los Angeles County”.
Willow Springs Raceway is a great stop for anyone interested in motorcycle racing. Check their website before you go but with 6 tracks on site there is usually always something happening on the weekend. We paid $10 entry fee per person on the day of this trip. The Willow Springs Motorcycle Club was holding their monthly races along with a TrackDaz track day and Kart racing. Excellent track to ride or observe at.
Our next stop was the California Poppy Reserve. I knew we were in for some good viewing as we could see a blanket of orange in the distance (21 miles riding) from our vantage point at the track. When we arrived, the roadside was loaded with parked cars and the hills were covered in blooms. We had arrived during this years peak of the season (04/17/10) and it was spectacular. Well worth the trip if you have never been there. Check the website for up to date reports on the progress of the season by selecting “Find Parks” then selecting “Los Angeles County”.