Highway 33 - Ojai, CA

Highway 33 in Southern California likely qualifies as a Top-10 California Motorcycle Road. If you’re starting your morning at the Deer Lodge in Ojai, you’re in the right place. This rustic, 1932 hunting-lodge vibe is the traditional gateway (& great lunch stop) to one of the most transformative rides in California.

Heading north from Ojai on Highway 33, the "Maricopa Highway" wastes no time climbing & throwing out curves. It immediately plunges you into the tight, limestone corridors of Wheeler Gorge, where the road tunnels through solid rock and the air temperature can drop ten degrees within miles.

As you clear the gorge, the road begins to school you in vertical geometry. This isn't just a road; it's a 33-mile ascent through five distinct climate zones. You’ll sweep through the massive, open-throttle curves of Sespe Gorge—where the sandstone cliffs tower over you like ancient skyscrapers—before the real climbing begins.

The final push to 5160 ft Pine Mountain Summit is side-to-side lean angles. When you finally crest the summit, pull over. To the south on a clear day, you can see the Channel Islands floating in the Pacific; to the north, the Cuyama Badlands roll out like a crumpled map of the moon.

From the Deer Lodge to the Summit, Hwy 33 is a pure, undistilled riding experience. No stop signs, no cross-traffic—just you, the throttle, and the Sierra Madre range.

Reach Highway 166 on the northern end, ride westward to Tepusquet Rd to Foxen Canyon to Solvang. Or ride the big loop through Taft and onto Highway 58. Eastward? Lockwood Valley Rd to Frazier Park, Lake Hughes & the SoCal canyon rides.