Big Tujunga Canyon Rd

Big Tujunga Canyon Rd

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Viable Alternative to Angeles Crest: Rates 3 on our 5 scale

The most poorly maintained canyon road in the Central Northern Transverse ranges, Big Tujunga serves as a pressure relief value, allowing foothill Glendale and adjacent conurbations egress axiom, to points north. So effective is Big Tujunga, in tandem with Angeles Forest Hwy and Upper Big Tujunga that, in a tube frame racing machine, it's faster from Glendale to Wrightwood than it is, La Canada to Wrightwood.

We don't have occasion to drive Big Tujunga all that often... Goes through a rough stream bed. We leave Big Tujunga to the sport bike contingent. Last time we drove Big Tujunga, it was quite abrasive. However, it is an excellent alternative to the hill climb segment leaving La Canada, via Angeles Crest. Big Tujunga is less traveled. Consider using Big Tujunga in tandem with Upper Big Tujunga to avoid bottling up your caravan behind commuter traffic going up on Angeles Crest from La Canada, or sparing your suspensions the torture of the rough segment of Angeles Crest, between Angeles Forest and Upper Big Tujunga. There are some pretty nice esses on Big Tujunga.

It's rough. You'll want your shock setting dialed back, full soft... releave your tyres; let your suspension do the work.

We've found, Big Tujunga comes in real handy, from time to time. Driving Angeles Forest Hwy, southbound, cresting a rise, CHP unit heading northbound, catching you way up your speedo, on RADAR, if you're fast, by the time Ponch & John get the police cruiser turned around, to run you down, They'll never know if you've peeled off, east, Upper Big Tujunga, or west on Big Tujunga.

Big Tujunga is accessed at its easternmost terminous from Mt. Gelson Road, in La Crescenta, off Foothill Blvd, and constitutes the fastest route possible, from L.A. Metro, to Angeles Forest Hwy. Where the ascent up Angeles Crest Scenic Biway, from La Canada, is well maintained but traffic laden, with few passing opportunities, Big Tujunga is very fast, ample passing opportunity, yet blighted with a coarse, abrasive blacktop.

ADVISORY: For anyone with a dance-floor suspension, that Big Tujunga Canyon Road is punctuated by a stream channel, we do not recommend driving this road, when (or immediately after) it rains.

ADVISORY: Be on the lookout out for hikers, and search and rescue teams. Falling rock attributes to many mountain climbing accidents in Big Tujunga Creek. There are more search and rescues in the Big Tujunga Narrows than anywhere in the Angeles National Forest. And, if it's not the hikers killing themselves, then it's the sport bike contingent. Last time we ran reconnaissance on Big Tujunga Canyon Rd, a road closure forced us to back track all the way to Angeles Forest Hwy for (you guessed it...) a motorcycle down.

From Slideways John, 06 Apr. '04 (Guestbook): "...Just giving out a heads-up; stepped up sheriff presence on Angeles Crest, Little and Big Tujunga (...yes Little; that page needs to be updated, folks) on weekdays and especially at weekends, the sheriff have increased their patrols to cover late nites and early mornings. I got pulled over driving... excessively. But, was let go, with a warning. Spotted two more patrol cars idling in deep turnouts, and other hides. Let's be careful out there..." Thank you, John!

~ Geology of Big Tujunga
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