We all know the Grapevine. But before 5 Freeway, there was a windy, mountainous road known as the Old Ridge Route, that served as the main source of transportation for Angelenos to reach the central and northern parts of the state.
How it was built: The Old Ridge Route was built in 1915 as the automobile began to surpass stagecoaches as the main mode of transportation. The road was designed to be easier for cars to travel than old stagecoach roads and consisted of 697 curves.
A treacherous drive: Due to blind corners and the steep elevation, trucks would often ride off cliffs and vehicles stalled from overheating.
A new road: In 1970, the interstate we know today as the Grapevine opened as a straighter, more direct route for the increasing number of cars traveling through. Although no longer operational, people can still visit parts of the Old Ridge Route.
If you’ve ever driven up to Central or Northern California, you’ve most likely taken the Grapevine, the 40-mile stretch of the 5 Freeway between Castaic and Kern County.
But before it was the Grapevine that we know today, there was another road known as the Old Ridge Route.
The Ridge Route was built in 1915 as automobiles became the dominant mode of transportation. It was a treacherous road that hugged the mountains, and although certain sections of the pass have been closed over safety concerns, curious drivers can still travel parts of the Old Ridge Route today.
Building the Old Ridge Route
Prior to the Ridge Route, there was the Stockton Los Angeles Route, built for stagecoaches to pass through, but it wasn’t as long of a stretch. So, rather than using this existing road for cars, the Old Ridge Route was carved out of the mountains to create a more direct route.
Aerial view of Sky Ranch situated along Ridge Route and California State Route 99 (also known as Highway 99, or U.S. 99) at the Tejon Pass
(
Howard D. Kelly, Kelly-Holiday Mid-Century Aerial Collection
/
Los Angeles Public Library
)
It was built for Model T's to drive at the time, with a 6% grade that made it easier to drive than the old stagecoach roads, said Sydney Croasmun, the public relations director at The Ridge Route Preservation Organization.
The route has 697 curves, making the road windy and treacherous.
Serpentine Drive part of the Ridge Route
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Courtesy Ridge Route Gallery
)
“The reason for that was they passed a highway bond, and they didn't want to use all the money just on the Ridge Route. They had other highways to build,” said Harrison Scott, author of Ridge Route: The Road That United California. “Consequently, instead of making the road straight, they went around every pinnacle and mountaintop.”
Croasmun and Scott spoke about the history of the Ridge Route on LAist’s daily news program AirTalk, which airs on 89.3 FM.
Driving the Ridge Route
Yet, despite being easier than the previous roads, many vehicles still struggled to get up the pass.
“There were spots where the cars would overheat and people would take a rock and chock their wheels and restart the car,” said Croasmun. “You'd also have trucks and those blind turns. So often, trucks would go over the edge if their brakes [went] out.”
What is remaining of Dead Man's Curve, part of the Old Ridge Route.
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Courtesy Ridge Route Gallery
)
Even if you made it through the pass unscathed, there was a likelihood you’d be met with a speeding ticket at the bottom.
Because there were no spaces to pull off, drivers would get a card stamped at Castaic indicating their start time. If they reached the bottom of the road too quickly, officers would be waiting to issue a speeding ticket, Scott said.
“They knew how long it would take to traverse the road. So, you didn't want to get there too quick. You'd have to stop if you went too fast and wait before you came all the way out,” Scott said.
If you needed a place to kill time to avoid being ticketed, there were a few rest stops along the route, and even hotels. Most stops had a gas station, garage and lunch counter, Croasmun said.
An old postcard of the Grapevine Hotel off U.S. 99 in Grapevine, California
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Courtesy Ridge Route Gallery
)
One popular stop was the National Forest Inn, north of Castaic.
“They had a dining hall, and during Prohibition, they would turn it into a dance hall. And they wouldn't ask questions if you brought your own drinks," Croasmun said. "They'd have wild parties up there."
Some other notable rest stops were the Reservoir Summit that had a cliff-side restaurant that gave visitors dinner with a view, and the Sanberg Summit Inn, a three story-log cabin with a big chimney fireplace that was frequented during the winter, Croasmun said.
Light snow on the Ridge Route (US Highway 99) near Lebec as storm passes. A diesel truck and cars zip along the highway without trouble as the snow melts on March 17, 1954.
(
Herald Examiner Collection
/
Los Angeles Public Library
)
The Grapevine today
Although there were efforts made to straighten the Ridge Route and cut down on the winding turns, the state ultimately decided that an alternative highway should be built.
Interstate 5 construction started in 1963 and wasn’t complete until 1970, Scott said.
It was originally planned to be a six lane highway, but ended up becoming eight lanes. In 1970, 73,000 cars a day were traversing it, Scott added.
The Grapevine Loop today as part of Interstate 5
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Courtesy Ridge Route Gallery
)
How the Grapevine came to be
As for how the Grapevine got its name?
“The Grapevine is actually the six-and-a-half miles from Fort Tejon to the bottom of the grade in the little town of Grapevine. And it's called Grapevine because there were a lot of Cimarron grapes growing there,” Scott said.
Although the Grapevine was built to by-pass the Old Ridge Route, Croasmun and Scott recommend the next time you’re up there you don’t by-pass the history of one of Southern California's longest roads.
Listen to the conversation
Listen
• 30:41
SoCal History: From the Ridge Route to the Grapevine
