California State Route 74

California State Route 74, a part of the Pines to Palms Scenic Byway, is a mostly scenic highway that runs from Palm Desert in Riverside County westward to San Juan Capistrano in Orange County.

As the highway leaves Palm Desert near the Bighorn Country Club, the site of golf's "Battle at Bighorn," it begins a winding, twenty-mile journey to Garner Valley near the top of the Santa Rosa Mountains. This picturesque stretch is also referred to as the "Palms to Pines Highway." Even for those who have never been to California, the route is a familiar one. It is one of the most popular locations in the country for automotive periodical photo shoots and road tests.

The road straightens out considerably where it meets with Route 371 near Anza, where the late Red Skelton had his home and art studio. Through Garner Valley, the scenery is among the finest in California. Sharp-eyed movie fans will recognize it as the road on which Elvis Presley drove his Model T on his way to the nearby village of Idyllwild in the movie, Kid Galahad.

Past Lake Hemet, Route 74 climbs back into the mountains for another thirty miles of spectacular scenery on its way to Hemet where it becomes a surface street called Florida Avenue. It continues westward through the communities of Perris and Lake Elsinore.

Soon, the highway begins a final scenic climb on its run to the coast. It also takes on a new name – the Ortega Highway – which it retains all the way to its terminus in San Juan Capistrano, just west of Interstate 5 and a short distance from the famous mission that the city takes its name from.

Major Intersections / Junctions

Route 74 has a few major intersections with other state highways and Interstate freeways along its route. This is a in-progress list.

• Interstate 5 Terminus
• Interstate 15
• Interstate 215
• California State Route 243
• California State Route 371
• California State Route 111 Terminus

At its Palm Desert terminus, Highway 74 becomes Monterey Avenue which continues north to its termination point in Thousand Palms north of Interstate 10. Currently, the portion of Route 74 from Route 111 to Interstate 10 is unconstructed.

Additional Landmarks

Route 74 passes through many parks and National Forests along its route. Some points of interest are:

• Cleveland National Forest
• Lake Elsinore State Recreation Park
• Soboba Indian Reservation
• Lake Hemet
• Santa Rosa Indian Reservation

See Also

• List of California State Highways