Share Your Ride: Todd's Ride Through the San Bernardino Mountains

Todd rented a bike in Palm Springs in February, pointed it toward the mountains, and ended up having one of those days you keep talking about. Water crossings, sinkholes, and $3/gal gas. He'd do it again without hesitation.

The plan was simple: take CA-73 to Firefighters Memorial Highway 243, climb into the San Bernardino National Forest, and poke around the rural dirt roads south of Banning. It turned into a full day of unexpected terrain and a few genuinely good surprises.

The Route

Starting in Palm Springs, CA-73 east toward Banning is warm and open. Highway 243, Firefighters Memorial Highway, picks up from there and winds up through Banning Pass into the San Jacinto Mountains. Todd continued onto the dirt roads south of Banning from there, which is where the day got interesting.

It was 74 degrees in the valley and 45 at elevation, no weather system involved, just altitude and sun. Worth layering for.

When the Road Gets Real

An Unexpected Detour

At some point Todd found himself on Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians tribal land without a clear way out. He kept his head, found the exit, and the Tribal Police he encountered along the way were genuinely friendly about the whole thing.

Gas on the reservation was $3 a gallon, not the $5.50 he had seen elsewhere in Southern California. A nice bonus.

Would He Do It Again?

Absolutely, and that pretty much covers it. Todd is based in Chicago, so getting out to Southern California in February and spending a full day on two wheels in the mountains is about as good as a reset gets. The route is worth bookmarking.

CA-73, Highway 243, and the dirt roads south of Banning make for a solid day. Rent a bike in Palm Springs and see where it takes you.