Mulholland
Drive
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Current Advisories |
Unpaved from Hwy 405 to
Topanga: Rates 4 on our 5 scale
Advisory: This segment of Mulholland Drive was never paved. It's dirt, of the soft, powder variety. But, if you own a WRX Subaru, or a Mitsubitshi Lancer, the dirt segment of Mulholland is right up your alley. We haven't done the unpaved segment of Mulholland in two decades. If anyone out there has data on this particular segment, please chime in with an update!
From Cahuenga to Hwy 405: Rates 0 on our 5 scale
Heavily Populated, the drive west from Cahuenga Blvd to Hwy 405 is processional. A scenic drive though a well encroached upon exclusive, affluent residential enclave that once constituted Mulholland Raceway, proper. Increasing elevation with a wet (as a function of runoff from residential sprinklers) assortment second gear apexes that consist of switch backs and kinks, it was once the ideal place to cut your teeth behind the wheel some thirty years ago (the segment between Coldwater and Laurel is the Mulholland Raceway of yore). Not that it was ever that demanding; it's proximity to all surrounding conurbations in Los Angeles Metro is what ultimately made it mutually ideal for southland cafe racers. That it was minutes from Van Nuys Boulevard, coincidental to the heyday of boulevard cruise culture certainly didn't hurt, either.
Canyon Roads west of Topanga were always more demanding.
Since Mulholland Drive was never paved between Hwy 405 and Topanga Canyon Blvd, we detour, dropping down to Sunset Boulevard before going west to Pacific Coast Hwy. After topping off the fuel at PCH and Sunset, we cruise up PCH, and use any one of the inland canyons to link up to Mulholland Highway, west of Topanga. You'll find Mulholland Drive in fair to poor condition, metered, mini van and SUV laden, so this drive is merely processional. Enjoying the view is about the best you can do on Mulholland Drive. Once a 3.5 on our 5-scale, 30 years have now passed, and much has changed; we enjoy Mulholland Drive for posterity sake. It's far too populated for serious driving.
We'd otherwise rate it a perfect 5 out of 5 if we could have it, all to ourselves.
General Note: If you plan to take a caravan of cars across Mulholland Drive, then you'd be wise to depart between 11:00pm and 7:00am, or your caravan will be trisected several times over as a function of traffic meters and population. Do not take a caravan across Mulholland Drive from late morning to early evening hours, as it is now a heavily patrolled, densely populated, exclusive residential enclave that houses California's power elite.