Cajon Pass – Bad Roads for RVs is located on Interstate 15 between San Bernardino and Victorville. This road is steep for an extended distance. Since this is an Interstate Highway, there are at least two lanes, occasionally four lanes in each direction. The curves are not part of the problem.
There are dedicated slow lanes both north and south. Many trucks go exceedingly slow in these lanes and lane changes to go around the slowest trucks are common.
Caltrans is quick to close Cajon Pass during winter snowstorms when they are clearing the road typically between Cajon Junction and Victorville.
Refer to Caltrans Quick Map for the most up-to-date information about this section of the road. Caltrans Quick Map
Details
Elevation: 4190 feet
Length: 12 miles
Terrain: several 5-6% grades for extended distances. Southbound descent is 6% grade for 12 miles. Maximum truck speed 45 miles per hour.
Turns: Turns on the downhill section are not the problem, however at the bottom expect multiple lane changes for two miles before the Interstate 15 and 215 split.
Rest Stops & Turnouts: When going uphill the biggest problem will be overheating. The primary rest area is at Cajon Junction which has some services. Just south of Cajon Junction there is a weight scale that serves both northbound and southbound traffic. Southbound at the top is a truck brake check area at the Cajon Summit.
Bridges: Bridges, in the winter, often will be icy.
Traffic: This road is always busy and there is a large difference in speed between large trucks and cars.
Runaway truck ramps: Runaway truck ramp is on the right side at 2.5 miles down the grade.
Cajon Pass – Bad Roads for RVs — Our experience
We have traveled Interstate 15 numerous times on our travels. It is the primary north-eastbound route from the Los Angles Basin to Las Vegas and points further north.
We traveled this route during our journey to and from the solar eclipse in August 2017 this link. 2017 Total Solar Eclipse
We also traveled this route during our journey from Las Vegas and Riverside in November 2018.
Here is the link to our interactive map. Bad Roads for RVs