palms to pines scenic byway

We took this drive from Palm Springs up through the San Jacinto Mountains to Idlywild. It is a beautiful drive up with many twists and turns. The views are spectacular as you go up. There are lookouts on the way but some of the better scenery is definitely from the car. Idlywild is at the top at 6000 ft and the town is very cute we had lunch here. A delightful place to stop and shop and hike. We decided to come down the mountain the other way through Banning. This was a nice drive but much easier. I thought it was worth the drive .

I have been taking this road into palm desert for years. It offers plenty of space and time to think to yourself or enjoy it just as much with someone else! Of course the views are going to be amazing from that high up on the mountains but by far seeing the sunrise has been the best to pull over and relax from all the daily commotion one might be constantly dealing with. I live in San Diego which is about a 2 hour drive away so you can see why i love to come often. The heat is never overwhelming and being on the coastal side of things its nice to get my blood warmed. being out in this beautiful land means you can get the simple Escape you might be looking for. Enjoy this pleasant drive and views doesn't get old.

We thought this would be nice drive, but that is an understatement. The views were spectacular. Take you time and use the pullouts as each one has a great view. It is long winding road ascending through the arid desert zones to the higher altitude semi-arid zone, then we got to the pines trees. There is a large pullout at the top. We continued on to Temecula for wine tasting and lunch. A fun drive with great views. A fun day trip. Tip: There are no restrooms around for about 1+ hours.

I'm sure this road has been used for a sports car commercial. The twists and turns make this an exciting ride. Stop at one of the overlooks where there are great views of the valley. It's interesting to see where the natural desert landscape meets the lush watered neighborhoods and golf courses.

We were in Palm Springs for a juried vintage travel trailer show that was part of Modernism Week. Our 1949 Curtis Wright trailer came from the desert around Palm Desert so we werer just looking aroundIt was hot in the valley so we took the byway up to Idylewild tok hike a bit at 6300 feet, much cooler than the valley. A very scenic drive with interpreted pull outs with great views.Great place for a motorcycle or convertible but it can be pretty cool up there at times

The 1963 movie "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" had many scenes filmed along this highway, and it was fun to take the drive. There are a number of pull-outs where you can stop for photos. It is a bit narrow and places and has many twists and turns, but most areas have guard rails. Some people were driving quite fast and it made it a bit nerve-wracking, but the pull-outs let them get around. The driver won't see all the scenery because you need to keep your eyes fixed to the road. We had friends from the East Coast with us and they were totally impressed by the views and plants.

This is an awesome view of the valley. I came up from San Diego so was able to see all of the greatness. But you could simply drive up to the lookout area and then drive back. Great views!

Fun drive but if you get carsick do not take this route due to switchbacks and steep cliffs. Stop in Idyllwild

Taking the Palms to Pines highway give you a wonderful view of the coachella valley and some great hair pin curves to enjoy a high performance sports car. Great with the top down on a sunny day!

This makes for a great drive up to Idlywild and Julian (Julian is world famous for their apple pies) and well deserved. We took hwy 74 up to Julian and then came back down over by Banning. Great day!

We took this route, despite reading reviews from some travellers claiming that it was terrifying and treacherous. Yes, as a driver, you must keep your eyes on the road and pay attention to your driving, but that should go without saying. The road is in excellent condition, the scenery is lovely, saw three mountain sheep on the road! Stopped in Idlewyld (sp) for a delicious lunch. Great day!

We took this drive specifically because the opening scenes of this classic film were shot here. For fans of the movie, you can find the actual spot where Smiler Grogan crashed through the guard-rail and went sailing right out there and crashed into the canyon below. I walked down to where the car came to rest and found that there's an old car still sitting there. I don't think it's the car from the movie, but it has clearly been there for decades. If you're interested in this drive do a google search for "filming locations of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World". You'll find sites that will tell you what mile-markers to look for. We had a ball tracking down the spots and standing on the very spot where these great actors worked. That was our reason for going, but the bonus is the absolute beauty of the area! I never thought I'd be a fan of the desert, but I really fell in love, and can't wait to go back.

We drove the southern half of Palms to Pines Scenic Byway out of Palm Desert on a Sunday morning as a scenic route through the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. We were rewarded with very light traffic and stunning views of the sunrise over the Coachella Valley. The road is curvy but well-graded and maintained. Unfortunately the Visitor Center at the National Monument (just 1-2 miles south of Palm Desert) wasn't open yet, but we were able to pull into the parking lot for a view of Palm Desert. I noticed there was a trail head across the road as well. Next we stopped at the Coachella Valley Vista pull-out at the top of Seven Level Hill (switchbacks) for great views of the valley all the way to Salton Sea. I wished there were a few more stops along the ascent for additional photo-ops! At the top of the grade, near Pinyon Pines, we stopped at the Cahuilla Tewanet Vista. There is a parking area there and a short, paved trail through desert flora to a vista point overlooking a canyon. Lovely area - worth the brief stop. This trail is narrow but probably usable by most wheelchairs through some assistance may be needed on grades. We enjoyed this drive very much and would like to go back to visit the northern portion into Idyllwild when the weather is nicer - there was snow at the higher elevations in late December.

A suggestion of things to do by the Desert Riviera Hotel was to drive up to Idyllwild in the Mountains. Great! The beginning stretch from rte 10 to 243 and up the mt was an incredible trip. All is paved and two lanes and most sections have guard rails but there are some switchbacks and white knuckle moments. The trip around the mountain was very scenic and luckily very lightly traveled the day we went as I was driving a bit like a turtle. Lots of places to pull over and let speedier cars pass. Beautiful ride all on counts.

Don't miss this amazing drive if you're in the area. It is an impressive feat of road engineering that gives you access to spectacular views, amazing changes in scenery and a charming California style mountain community at the end. There are plenty of well marked spots to pull over and let the traffic pass if you're not into rally driving or just want a chance to take in the scenery. Our only regret was not starting earlier so that we could hike a short portion of the Pacific Crest Trail which you pass at the top (it's well sign posted) - as a fan of Cheryl Strayed's book 'Wild' I would have got a kick out of walking a little piece.