LA / San Diego: Riding through Camp Pendleton (or not)

[Skootz Kabootz]

Well, I finally did it. After all the stories and rumors of scooterists being turned away at the gate and not allowed entry to Camp Pendleton, I finally said screw it, and gave it a go. So today I rode through Camp Pendleton marine base on my way back to LA from San Diego.

My verdict? It was a very cool experience (riding your scooter through intersections with large painted letters reading "TANK CROSSING" is incredibly comic), but there is a better way to scoot between LA and San Diego for those wanting to avoid the 5 freeway.

First, entering the base was a total non-issue. They scan your driver license and that's it, you're in. As for the reflective vest issue/requirement I asked the marine who admitted me about policy and a reflective vest is only required at night. I had also heard that over the ankle boots are required. I didn't ask specifically about a boots policy but I didn't get the impression there was one. (FYI, I was wearing full gear: helmet, boots, gloves, plus riding pants and jacket. Other motorcyclists I saw were in just helmet, jacket, gloves, and jeans. Maybe boots too, I couldn't tell. But no one I saw was being turned away for gear (or anything else).

Though taking the costal route through Camp P is 11 miles shorter than my inland route, it takes about 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer because of traffic. It is also much more mentally exhausting because you are in stop and go traffic pretty much the entire time and thus must have your wits about you.

My inland route (from the Sunset Strip inland via Lake Elsinore, Murrieta, Clinton-Keith Rd etc to the 76 and Oceanside, plus it does require riding one short exit on the 91 fwy - only 2.25 miles, so no big deal) is far more traffic free, has wide open twisty country roads, faster speed limits pretty much from start to finish, and fewer stops and starts. So it is just a faster, easier, and more relaxed ride.

Both routes include spectacular scenery as well as short sections that go through truly awful parts of town. So in that comparison it is a wash.

So, after all the talk and rumor about riding through Camp Pendleton that I have heard over the years, my final verdict — when scooting between LA and SD, forget about the coast and riding through Camp Pendleton — it is a slower and more exhausting route from start to finish. Take the inland route and have a nicer day.

Cheers.

Camp Pendelton Coastal Route: http://goo.gl/maps/wQz2K
Skootz's Inland Route: http://goo.gl/maps/9cjkF

[mattgordon]

the speed limit is what...14 mph in most areas.

[Skootz Kabootz]

the speed limit is what...14 mph in most areas.

In a couple of spots around barracks or the infirmary etc it is 15mph, but the limit is 45 - 55mph for most of the way. Ideal scooter speeds.

It was funny, as the car I was behind passed one of those "your speed is" electronic signs, we were going EXACTLY 15mph. Talk about military discipline

Through the camp is a nice ride through wide open space.

[Keys]

I spent 2 years riding my motorcycle on Camp Pendleton in the mid-seventies. I found it to be a delightful experience. (Yes, I even found being a Marine to be a fabulously wonderful experience)

[ericalm]

Glad you got through!

The problem with most reports is that the policies seem to be very inconsistently applied, just depending on who's working the gate when you arrive. It seems that most people are able to get through, though. (But the inconsistency makes me hesitant to recommend going this way!)

I think if I ride down there (sans big group or with a few people) I may just hop on the freeway for the 19 miles to get past Pendleton.

[Skootz Kabootz]

Glad you got through!

Everyone got through. It was a total non issue.

I also spoke someone I met who used to work there and they were surprised to hear anyone had a problem at all. They thought it might just be that it is easier on weekends than on weekdays as if the marines are doing tank maneuvers etc it would likely be on a weekday.

I think if I ride down there (sans big group or with a few people) I may just hop on the freeway for the 19 miles to get past Pendleton.

It would still take you longer than the inland route.

[SYMbionic Duo]

Thanks Skootz.

If i am ever in that part of the country i'll keep this route in mind. i hate stop and go.



-duo

[neotrotsky]

I spent 2 years riding my motorcycle on Camp Pendleton in the mid-seventies. I found it to be a delightful experience. (Yes, I even found being a Marine to be a fabulously wonderful experience)

Nothing wrong with that! My brother misses the Corps badly. Sometimes just seeing him mope about his job as a Diesel Mechanic foreman just makes me wish he could've done a few more years. He truly fit in there.

[agrogod]

You have to keep in mind that it is a Military Post. Any training, emergency (local or national), visiting dignitaries, etc., can cause a post lock down. These are normal, (un)announced occurrences, and a part of military life. 'Civ-vies' are usually turned away at the gate when something is afoot.

[peabody99]

Thanks for the write up! I have only been thru there taking the 5 freeway thru the base, and I'm not going to lie,my throttle hand got tired because it was full speed ahead for many miles (I have only done it on the Vespa though).

Where were the truly "awful" areas? OC, SD county, LA? Just wondering....

[Skootz Kabootz]

Thanks for the write up! I have only been thru there taking the 5 freeway thru the base, and I'm not going to lie,my throttle hand got tired because it was full speed ahead for many miles (I have only done it on the Vespa though).

Where were the truly "awful" areas? OC, SD county, LA? Just wondering....

You have to give it a try at least once. It is a really neat experience riding through the base.

So, the yuckky areas...

Leaving (or arriving in) LA on the inland route you go through 6th Street/Skid Row and east on Whittier for a ways. Skid Row itself is just a couple of blocks but it's about as depressing as anywhere can be - people living in cardboard boxes etc, really very, very sad. It sure makes you grateful for what little you have. If you prefer, the area can easily be avoided with a minor route adjustment. I just like using 6th street because it starts near my home then turns in to Whittier which just keeps on going for about the first 1/3 of the ride. Nice and simple.

On the costal route there is a less than ideal stretch heading west from Long Beach for a ways before you eventually turn onto Hawthorne. It is not the worst area ever, and I have ridden through it many times before, but you won't be stopping to take souvenir photos for friends.

[ThreeSheets]

sounds like an exciting ride...

[ericalm]

I think if I ride down there (sans big group or with a few people) I may just hop on the freeway for the 19 miles to get past Pendleton.

It would still take you longer than the inland route.

Hm… Interesting.

How challenging is the inland route? Just curious for planning out Amerivespa rides. I'll have to do some test rides to SD!

[jijifer]

I think if I ride down there (sans big group or with a few people) I may just hop on the freeway for the 19 miles to get past Pendleton.

It would still take you longer than the inland route.

Hm… Interesting.

How challenging is the inland route? Just curious for planning out Amerivespa rides. I'll have to do some test rides to SD!

it's an endurance challenge is all but lovely roads into San Diego!

[Skootz Kabootz]

I think if I ride down there (sans big group or with a few people) I may just hop on the freeway for the 19 miles to get past Pendleton.

It would still take you longer than the inland route.

Hm… Interesting.

How challenging is the inland route? Just curious for planning out Amerivespa rides. I'll have to do some test rides to SD!

The inland route is cake. It just gets better and better the whole way to SD. Once you get out of LA (about 30 min past downtown) the worst of the traffic lights are done and it is pretty much 55mph the whole rest of the way. It gets more rural, fun, fast, and twisty, the farther you go. Just the way I like it

[BootScootin'FireFighter]

looking at the route through Pendleton, it looks like Stuart Mesa Rd and El Camino Real would be more direct and less traffic on the base. Are those areas off limits?

[Skootz Kabootz]

looking at the route through Pendleton, it looks like Stuart Mesa Rd and El Camino Real would be more direct and less traffic on the base. Are those areas off limits?

I dont know about El Camino. I wasn't really feeling the urge to explore and just played it safe, sticking to the nice, well marked, well traveled, paved, yellow roads.

[ericalm]

This weekend at Swerve n Curve, there was a lot of discussion and debate about routes to SD and the fastest/most convenient ways to get there. All pretty much agreed that through Pendleton is time-consuming and rather unreliable. One person said they'd been limited to 15mph in the bike lane when riding through! As for inland vs. coastal or coastal and hopping on the freeway for 19 miles, well, not everyone agreed.

I hope to go test as many routes as I can.

[Skootz Kabootz]

This weekend at Swerve n Curve, there was a lot of discussion and debate about routes to SD and the fastest/most convenient ways to get there. All pretty much agreed that through Pendleton is time-consuming and rather unreliable. One person said they'd been limited to 15mph in the bike lane when riding through! As for inland vs. coastal or coastal and hopping on the freeway for 19 miles, well, not everyone agreed.

I hope to go test as many routes as I can.

Speed limits are posted throughout Pendleton. For the route one would expect to take to bypass the 5 fwy, it is clearly marked 35-50 for most of the way with the exception of two short spells of 15 mph through the infirmary and one other area as I recall. I think this here-say you are posting is a case of rumor getting in the way of fact and is what contributes to the confusion about the base.

Undoubtedly there will be days when military training maneuvers will prohibit civilian entry onto the base. But the speed limits are clearly posted everyday.

[ericalm]

This weekend at Swerve n Curve, there was a lot of discussion and debate about routes to SD and the fastest/most convenient ways to get there. All pretty much agreed that through Pendleton is time-consuming and rather unreliable. One person said they'd been limited to 15mph in the bike lane when riding through! As for inland vs. coastal or coastal and hopping on the freeway for 19 miles, well, not everyone agreed.

I hope to go test as many routes as I can.

Speed limits are posted throughout Pendleton. For the route one would expect to take to bypass the 5 fwy, it is clearly marked 35-50 for most of the way with the exception of two short spells of 15 mph through the infirmary and one other area as I recall. I think this here-say you are posting is a case of rumor getting in the way of fact and is what contributes to the confusion about the base.

Undoubtedly there will be days when military training maneuvers will prohibit civilian entry onto the base. But the speed limits are clearly posted everyday.

Greg Block said they were told 15mph and to stay in the bike lane!

[Skootz Kabootz]

This weekend at Swerve n Curve, there was a lot of discussion and debate about routes to SD and the fastest/most convenient ways to get there. All pretty much agreed that through Pendleton is time-consuming and rather unreliable. One person said they'd been limited to 15mph in the bike lane when riding through! As for inland vs. coastal or coastal and hopping on the freeway for 19 miles, well, not everyone agreed.

I hope to go test as many routes as I can.

Speed limits are posted throughout Pendleton. For the route one would expect to take to bypass the 5 fwy, it is clearly marked 35-50 for most of the way with the exception of two short spells of 15 mph through the infirmary and one other area as I recall. I think this here-say you are posting is a case of rumor getting in the way of fact and is what contributes to the confusion about the base.

Undoubtedly there will be days when military training maneuvers will prohibit civilian entry onto the base. But the speed limits are clearly posted everyday.

Greg Block said they were told 15mph and to stay in the bike lane!

I call shenanigans. I don't recall there even being a bike lane anywhere on the entire route. It is just wide open twisty country roads with cars, and motorcycles, and tanks, and me going 55mph (except where speed limits indicate otherwise of course ).

[davidschap]

Crazy... I live right outside the front gate on coast highway. I'm a civilian employee & used to work at CPEN. I hit up there motorcycle safety class as I used to ride street bikes. They told me I would have to take another course, which I found really odd, as I already took the advanced rider course...

I guess it's just a test it out now..

[Skootz Kabootz]

I'm riding down to San Diego again tomorrow. I might come back through Pendleton again just to see what happens this time. If I do, rather than taking the coast all the way home I'm going to ride the Ortega Hwy inland. It is supposed to be a really, great ride. Definitely it's a longer route home, but it'll be more funner too

[jijifer]

oretega to san juan capistrano is LOVELY

[Skootz Kabootz]

Didn't get to do the Ortega this time. We rode to the top of Mt. Palomar today I came home from there instead. (Great ride).

In other news, I made record time on my inland route this ride:
Whiskey-A-GoGo to eating lunch in Carlsbad: 3hrs45min.
Coming home: Mt Palomar to the Whiskey (yep, I live at the Whiskey-A-GoGo): 4hrs.

Really great time!

[Skootz Kabootz]

I rode through Camp P again today to confirm my previous experience. It was every bit as simple as the last time — show the guard your license, they scan it, they ask you where you are going, you say you are just passing through the base to avoid the 5, they say have a nice day, you say thank you, and off you go.

Some of you were asking about speed limits so I paid a little closer attention to those. They run the gamut but 85% of the way through the camp it is 45-55mph posted. A couple brief areas are 35 posted, two 25 posted, and one short area of 15mph by the infirmary. Everyone obeys the speed limits.

That's it. Nothing more to report. It really is a pretty ride, especially towards sunset. And interesting too, to see life inside of a marine base. There was one big convoy of massive military trucks carrying what appeared to be parts for one of those temporary bridges the marines will build. They nearly blew me off the road! Saw a bunch of tanks too (parked, no action).

[ericalm]

Someone I talked to about this is notoriously full of hooey, and his/their comments on riding through CP definitely back that up.

No, not you Skootz. Someone even more full of hooey. Like, about 98% hooey from what I can tell. SOMEONE YOU KNOW.

[Skootz Kabootz]

Hmmmm, yes. If it is who I think you mean all I can say is consider the source.

I should note, both times I have ridden through the base it has been on a Sunday afternoon. So many marines are returning to the base and from what I can tell there are zero training maneuvers going on. It could be that during the week there is more active training so the base is closed to civilians for obvious safety reasons. I'll have to test that theory if I'm ever down there on a weekday.

With an eye towards Amerivespa, I am not sure how trying to cross the base with a large group of scooter would go down. That might just be a little TOO unusual and raise some flags.

[Tom]

In regards to gear requirements, I would bring the reflective vest boots and all- from my experience in the Army, you could be at the mercy of whoever the gate guard is that day and what they interpret the regulations as being. Sometimes gate guards are particular people who do that full time, sometimes they are just Private Snuffy who caught the detail for that day- either one can be a stickler depending on personalities.

I'm glad to hear that they are letting folks do this though! I may have to head out this way some day.

[Skootz Kabootz]

Tom, definitely you should give it a go. It's a fun ride.

The reflective gear requirement is one of the rumors that persist. All I can say is based on my experience and observing the dozens of motorcycles riding through the base (there are a fair number that ride through the base) I have yet to see a single one traveling in either direction wearing any specifically reflective gear such as vests and the like.

From what I saw, every rider was just wearing jeans plus the standard helmet, armored jacket, gloves, and boots for protection. (I couldn't really tell about the boots with 100% certainty.) But both times through the base I was the most geared up rider I saw because I was also wearing armored pants. When I asked the guard specifically about the base's reflective gear policy I was told it is only required at night.

[KABarash]

Minimum military requirement is to wear a PT belt across one shoulder. Many posts that take civilian traffic through them will not enforce this regulation, if it is a 'closed' base it's another story altogether.
Here in central Pa at Fort Indiantown Gap (FtIG) there's no issue, on the grounds on the Army War College in Carlisle you better have all 'your ducks in a row'!!
(An old friend of mine from High School was the Post Commandant we met up one day on post, while we were chatting an MP came over for a 'compliance check' I didn't have my PT belt, I had to walk the scoot off post even though I was with the Colonel )

[Tom]

Where I was stationed in CO, PT belt or reflective vest were requirements. I have never been Navy, but there is a Navy base close to here, and whenever I'm close to it, I notice lots of riders seem to be wearing the orange vests.

Could be it's just required for those wearing camouflage though, and I do believe that base Commanders probably get to choose those things independent of the military they belong to.

[ericalm]

I think we'll take the scenic, around the base route to Amerivespa!

We're going to have a lot of scoots and also a support vehicle.

[Skootz Kabootz]

It'll be a parade!

[bbg.will]

I was a squid for 8 years. Some bases will allow a "pt belt" some will not. The bases here in San Diego require reflective vests even during the day. That said, they will not allow a random scooterist to ride on their base. Its definitely much harder to get on a navy base than the others branches i've visited.