Tejon is the largest and oldest privately owned ranch land in California. It spans from the northern slopes of the great central valley to the tops of the oak sided mountains. The Tejon Pass 4144′ elevation, is Interstate 5. The golden state freeway zooms by connecting north Los Angeles to the Central Valley…. at 80mph. Watch for CHP near here. It’s easy to go down hill at 90 and not even realize it.

The artist Christo erected 1760 yellow umbrellas along these hillsides in back in 1991.

Awesome wildflowers bloom throughout Tejon, Lebec to Gorman each spring from late March thru May.

The fort site was established by the U.S. Army in 1854 and was designed to protect Native Americans. Restored adobes and museum feature exhibits on military life and local history. They also hold living history events performed by volunteers in costume. The park has a number of 400 year-old valley oak trees. Mister Peter Lebeck was killed by a grizzly here and there is even a tree to prove it.

Fort Tejon Uniforms
Originally uploaded by danamight

• Fort Tejon Campground
• Fort Tejon State Historical Park
• Fort Tejon Historical Association
• Historic Earthquake 1857
• Save Tejon Ranch
• Tejon Preserve
• Tejon Ranch
• Tejon Resort Complex Controversial

Tejon Industrial Complex: This is the first large scale development in a master planned laid out by the privately owned Tejon Ranch Corporation. Another trucker stop on the opposite side of the freeway is already underway. In-N-Out Burger, Starbucks, McDonalds, IKEA distribution center, gasoline @ the bottom of the Grapevine. 30 miles south of Bakersfield & just down the hill from Lebec

Headed to Kern River ?

LAVAL ROAD: Wheeler Ridge. This is your freeway exit northbound if you wanna bypass Bako on the way to Lake Isabella & Kernville. Gas up in Lamont, it’s cheaper on the north end of town. Great little taco shops abound.

Many old west towns are still in existence in California, but few are as unique as Randsburg Mining Camp in the Northern Mojave desert, where Hwy 395 meets the 14. The sleepy town is a hub of activity – on weekends – for car clubs, dirt bikers, of-roaders & travelers passing through. This street fair event is the biggest day of the year for local residents & tourists. Historic sights, donkeys, horses, cowboys, live music, food & all the fun you can imagine in the middle of nowhere. One day only!

Sponsored by the Rand Desert Museum

Annual event: September
Contact: Judy Dietrichson
760-374-2359

El Dorado National Forest

Robbs Peak Lookout
Robb’s Hut / Robbs Cabin
Gold Country California
Eldorado National Forest, Placerville District
100 Forni Road
Placerville, CA 95667
530-644-2324

Loon Lake Chalet

Van Vleck Bunkhouse

Gold Country California
Georgetown, CA

Sequoia National Forest

Big Meadows Cabin
Big Meadows Guard Station
btwn Sequoia NP & Kings Cyn NP

Mtn Home Guard Station Cabin
near Springville, CA

Oak Flat Lookout

Sequoia National Forest, Greenhorn Ranger District
900 West Grand
Porterville, CA 93257
559-784-1500 or 661-391-6000

Poso Guard Station Cabin Rental
near Kernville, CA

Quaking Aspen Cabin Rental
Giant Sequoia National Monument
near Ponderosa, CA

Wishon Cabin Rental
near Camp Nelson, CA

Shasta/Trinity National Forests

Forest Glen Guard Station
near Trinity River & Forest Glen, CA

Little Mt Hoffman
2400 Washington
Redding CA 96001
530-226-2500

Girard Ridge Lookout
Historic Fire Lookout Tower
near Dunsmuir, CA
530-226-2500

Hirz Mountain Lookout Tower
Hirz Mtn. Fire Watch Tower Rental
overlooking Shasta Lake, CA

Harris Springs Guard Station
near McCloud, CA

Little Mount Hoffman Lookout
Mt. Hoffman Rental
near McCloud, CA

Post Creek Guard Station Rental
near Platina, CA

San Bernardino National Forest

Morton Peak Fire Lookout
near Big Bear Lake, CA

Coon Creek Cabin
near Angeles Oaks, CA

Sierra National Forest

Camp Four And Half Cabin
near Kings River & Pine Flat Reservoir

Six Rivers National Forest

Bear Basin Butte
Cabin & Fire Lookout

Tahoe National Forest

Lassen National Forest

This portion of the highway cuts into a deep bend along the coast & has no markings to the paradise that lies within. A steep dirt fire road (down to the cove) with metal gate is your only clue. Dirt parking area on both sides of the road indicate that people have parked here before.

This un-signed secluded hide-away has a variety of landscape & sites to see. You could easily kill 6-8 hours just in this canyon alone!! Definitely not a hurry through kind of place. Take your time, enjoy the view, tide pools, bring your swim suits & refresh in the creek. Carry a picnic eastbound into a shady creek-bed canyon & watch the sun dance through the towering pines above.

Driving northbound on Highway 1, look for large hair-pin turn out in canyon area – approx. 3-5 mi. North of Julia Pfeiffer State Park in wide dirt areas along roadside. Located in between Julia State Park & Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park.

Hike down the dusty wide gated fire road in dry brush chaparral. The view of Redwood trees, the royal blue ocean in front of you, the sounds of a water falling creek. The trail forks off in 3 directions:

Right / Rock Beach – this a boulder lined cove where the clear fresh water stream meets the ocean. Small pools & waterfalls can be found just upstream .

Bridge Crossing / Point - through a wooden tunnel to a cliff area with tide pools & wooden structure (an old boat launch?)

Left / Up Stream – a forested canyon w/ a vareity of trees; dead ends a few hundred yards up into the canyon

Another option to this canyon is the East side:

Hike up inland (away from ocean) into a densely forested creek area. Redwoods, waterfalls & boulders. Deer sightings are quite common in this area. Shady & dark this trail climbs gradually in elevation. One fork of the trail leads to an old Redwood Grove. A portion of the trail is closed 2.5 mi. up due to a landslide. But overall the is a perfect option for backpackers wanting a short hike.

Carrizo Gorge Goat Trestle – via Mortero Wash. Near the south end of Anza Borrego State Park is the infamous ‘goat trestle’, the is one of the largest wooden rail road trestles in the US. This hike can be reached by driving N on County Road S2 (from I-8) into Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Near park boundary keep your eyes peeled for Mortero Canyon Rd (signed) on the left side. This is a sandy dirt road, accessible by passenger car, that leads out to the train tracks & then past to the Mortero Big Boulder campsites. Park at rail road tracks near water tank & start hike from here.

San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railroad ­ SD&A/SD&AE

Ground was broken on September 7, 1907 by San Diego’s Mayor, John Forward and the construction of the 140 mile route was completed on November 15, 1919. The first through train was the called the “Golden Spike Limited”, named after the $286 golden spike, which John D Speckels drove into the ground near tunnel #8.

* The Goat Canyon Trestle was built in 1932 to re-route tracks due to a landslide.
* Passenger Cars Ran until 1951.
* The route through Carriso Gorge was closed temporarily by tropical Storm Kathleen in September of 1976.
* And was reopened 1981, and then closed again by recurring storms after a few years.
* Kyle Railways ran freight cars ran until mid 1984.

The Carriso Gorge section has fallen into disrepair with two trestles being burned and the collapse of two tunnels as the result of fires. The trestles have been rebuilt and one of the tunnels has been repaired but as of 2002 this scenic section of track is used mostly by hikers and mountain bikers. The sounds of the trains exist only in out imagination.

Other Facts: Derailed cars are from 1984 and were filled with bags of cement. Laborers were brought in to unload the cement but the cars were left. The Goat Canyon Trestle is 185″ tall and 600″ long. During its use it was the tallest wooden structure in daily use. This trestle was designated a Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1986. Carrizo means “reed grass” in Spanish. Total cost of construction was $18 million.

In 1979 the SD & AE west of Plaster City was sold to the Metropolitan Transit Development Board for $18.1 million. SD&A was said to stand for “Slow, Dirty and Aggravating” because of the high temperatures, smoke and open windowed trains cars.