The 5 Best Canyon Drives in Southern California for an Exotic Car

The 5 best canyon roads within reach of Orange County are Ortega Highway, Santiago Canyon, Angeles Crest, Mulholland, and Palomar Mountain. Ortega is the best one close to home. Angeles Crest is the best one, period. Go on a weekday morning, take a car that handles, and watch for cyclists and gravel.

If you're renting one of these cars to actually drive it rather than park it in front of a restaurant, these are the roads.

1. Ortega Highway, Route 74

San Juan Capistrano to Lake Elsinore through the Santa Ana mountains, about 45 minutes one way from most of Orange County. It climbs from sea level through tight switchbacks and opens up into faster sweepers near the top. The scenery goes from coastal brush to pine. Weekday mornings the traffic is light. The surface is good with some gravel on the shoulders, so stay off the edges. The McLaren 720S and the Porsche 911 are at their best here.

2. Santiago Canyon Road

The closest real driving road to most of the county. It starts in Orange and winds past Irvine Lake with smooth pavement, moderate climbs, and a mix of tight and open corners. Not as long or dramatic as Ortega, but it's a great morning drive before a return. It connects to Modjeska and Silverado canyons if you want a longer loop. Weekends get busy, so go early or midweek.

3. Angeles Crest Highway, Route 2

The big one. It climbs from La Canada Flintridge into the San Gabriel mountains above 7,000 feet with the whole LA basin below you. Some sections are tight and technical, others flow like a European mountain pass. Plan 2 to 3 hours round trip from Orange County and treat it as the day. It's popular with car people, motorcycles, and cyclists, so stay alert, and the surface varies, so pick a car with some suspension compliance for the long stretches.

4. Mulholland Highway

Valley to coast through the Santa Monica mountains, and the most famous driving road in America for a reason. Tight sections, open views, and overlooks made for photos. The best part runs from Malibu Canyon Road down to PCH, so you finish the canyon and roll straight onto the coast. The Lamborghini Huracan and the Ferrari F8 were made for this road.

5. Palomar Mountain, S6 and S7

Northern San Diego County, about 90 minutes from Orange County. South Grade Road stacks 21 hairpins one after another from the valley floor to the summit. Excellent surface, big views, and technical enough to keep any supercar busy. Eat at the top, come down East Grade for a loop that covers every kind of corner.

Which car

The Porsche 911 GT3 RS if you want the sharpest tool we have. The McLaren 720S for pace. The Lamborghini Huracan Evo for all-wheel drive confidence and the sound. The BMW M3 Competition if it's your first canyon drive, because it's forgiving and the deposit is $1,000.

Mileage

Ortega and Santiago fit inside the 100 mile daily allowance with room to spare. Angeles Crest and Palomar can run over on a 1 day rental. Tell us which road when you book and we'll price the miles in.

One more thing. Every one of these is a public road with oncoming traffic and blind corners. Stay in your lane, drive at the speed you'd want the guy coming the other way to be driving, and the car will still give you the best day you've had in a while.