{"id":4996,"date":"2017-03-29T09:47:17","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T16:47:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/?p=4996"},"modified":"2026-10-14T06:48:40","modified_gmt":"2026-10-14T13:48:40","slug":"these-are-the-best-roads-to-drive-in-la","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turo.com\/blog\/wayfaring\/these-are-the-best-roads-to-drive-in-la\/","title":{"rendered":"These are the best roads to drive in LA"},"content":{"rendered":"

DON’T WASTE TIME SITTING IN TRAFFIC WHEN THESE ROADS EXIST<\/h4>\n

In Los Angeles, sitting in traffic is a way of life. Rush hour is ongoing. Lanes are blocked because of accidents, construction, or bureaucracy. There’s no simple way to avoid standstills on major thoroughfares \u2014 unless you make the conscious decision to get off the freeway and find the roads meant for drivers.<\/p>\n

Want to know an insider’s secret? Some of the best roads in the country are in Los Angeles. You just need to know where they are.<\/p>\n

Get behind the wheel and get going.\u00a0Here are five great ways to escape the freeway in LA.<\/p>\n

Scenic byway: Pacific Coast Highway<\/h3>\n

Almost everything regarding L.A.\u2019s best roads is connected in some way to the Pacific Coast Highway. Technically (technically<\/i>), the ribbon of asphalt that runs along LA\u2019s strip of crowded beaches is a highway. But Pacific Coast Highway \u2014 PCH as it\u2019s known to locals, Highway 1 as it\u2019s known to tourists \u2014 is far from a boring freeway. The portion of PCH you want to drive begins at the easternmost point of Interstate 10, and snakes along the California coastline all the way to northern California. Your speed may be limited to a pesky 45 or 55 mph, but that\u2019s to ensure that you\u2019re focused on the road ahead, and not on the breathtaking views.<\/p>\n

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Image credit: Pavel Suslov for Turo<\/p><\/div>\n

Serious drivers only: Las Flores Canyon<\/h3>\n

Los Angeles has a proud tradition of hidden canyon roads, and few are more famously tucked away than Las Flores Canyon Road. Take a right where PCH meets Duke\u2019s Malibu<\/a> (a wonderful, beachfront Hawaiian restaurant), and begin the climb up the challenging series of crests and bends. Suddenly, you\u2019ve ascended to a height where you can see the Pacific Ocean on one side, and the Santa Monica Mountains on the other. Taking Las Flores affords you the opportunity to dip into tuner culture \u2014 it\u2019s a popular spot with customizers \u2014 and see what your car is worth. Take caution in the blind, mountainside hairpins, and keep an eye out for the occasional cyclist. Go on a weekday (Sundays are for driver\u2019s clubs), and the circuit is all yours.<\/p>\n

No cell service: Mulholland Highway<\/h3>\n

Head a bit further north from Las Flores, and you\u2019ll encounter the beginning of what might be LA\u2019s most famous set of curves second to the latest Hollywood star. Mulholland Highway is the kind of road you dream about when you\u2019re stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic. It sweeps through the Santa Monica mountains and ascends into underpopulated areas north of Malibu for a truly separated driving experience. Make sure to wave as you pass the Rock Store, a famous biker haunt, and Paramount Ranch<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Image credit: Pavel Suslov for Turo<\/p><\/div>\n

Royalty &\u00a0banked curves: Sunset Boulevard<\/h3>\n

Stretching west from mid-Beverly Hills to the Pacific Coast Highway is a section of road that rivals the best European auto routes. Challenging curves, aggressive banking, and quick straightaways on Sunset Boulevard are a welcome departure from most of LA\u2019s straight, clogged highways \u2014 and they\u2019re a massive departure from the Sunset Strip just a couple of miles away. Escape from the row of endless open mics and enter a driver\u2019s paradise. Head west along Sunset for the full effect, as the boulevard runs through tony Bel Air before intersecting with (you guessed it) PCH.<\/p>\n

A ribbon of skyway: Angeles Crest Highway<\/h3>\n

No list of L.A.\u2019s best roads is complete without mentioning the skyway to the desert that attracts serious drivers around the world: Angeles Crest Highway, aka California State Route 2. Yes, you can use Angeles Crest as a thoroughfare between its westernmost point of origin in La Ca\u00f1ada and over the San Gabriel Mountains \u2014 or you can test your abilities on the paved slices of heaven as the auto world\u2019s engineers do. The danger factor on Angeles Crest certainly sweetens its appeal: Go too fast into a corner, and you\u2019ll find yourself teetering on the brink of\u00a0a ravine. But if you get it right, Angeles Crest acts as a public playground for enthusiasts of all kinds \u2014 and a much-needed respite from LA\u2019s unending traffic jams.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DON’T WASTE TIME SITTING IN TRAFFIC WHEN THESE ROADS EXIST In Los Angeles, sitting in traffic is a way of life. Rush hour is ongoing. Lanes are blocked because of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":5004,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54,48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4996","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gearheads","category-wayfaring"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t