Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Highway 395 is one of the most famous roads in the American West, stretching for more than 1,300 miles from the Mojave Desert to the Canadian border. But what many people don't realize is that it didn't always begin in the desert. For more than 40 years, U.S. Highway 395 started in downtown San Diego before traveling north through Escondido, Temecula, Riverside, San Bernardino, and the Cajon Pass.
In 1979, more than 100 miles of the highway were officially removed from the U.S. Highway System. Today, most travelers have no idea the route ever existed.
In this video, we retrace the forgotten southern end of U.S. 395, following the original alignment from San Diego to Hesperia. Along the way, we visit historic downtowns, old bridges, railroad depots, the Mission Inn, Camp Cajon, Mormon Rocks, and countless surviving pieces of a highway that quietly disappeared from the map, but not from the landscape.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
04:48 Cabrillo Bridge
06:58 Pomerado Road
11:07 Lake Hodges
14:39 Escondido
18:14 Old Bonsall Bridge
23:56 Temecula
31:13 Murrieta
32:56 Lake Elsinore
35:06 Perris
37:55 Riverside
43:09 Colton
46:25 San Bernardino
48:06 The Cajon Pass
Highway 395 in the Eastern Sierra: youtu.be/xJPCnxSNi8c
Highway 395 in Nevada: youtu.be/RnvGc1PLZpE
Highway 395 in Northern California: youtu.be/sgyc6EFTLBs
Highway 395 in Oregon: youtu.be/dXPuw2JVBos
Highway 395 in Washington: youtu.be/y65rVGmj-rE
○ Gear we use: amazon.com/shop/sidetrackadventures
►Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/SidetrackAdventures
►Please subscribe for weekly updates showcasing some of our adventures: youtube.com/channel/UCdueDRFYPVgzPAAOM_bxVWA?sub_confirmation=1
►Also please follow Sidetrack Adventures on Instagram: instagram.com/sidetrackadventures
►Music in this video is from Epidemic Sounds; use our link for a free trial: share.epidemicsound.com/v927fj
Highway 395 is one of the most famous roads in the American West, stretching for more than 1,300 miles from the Mojave Desert to the Canadian border. But what many people don't realize is that it didn't always begin in the desert. For more than 40 years, U.S. Highway 395 started in downtown San Diego before traveling north through Escondido, Temecula, Riverside, San Bernardino, and the Cajon Pass.
In 1979, more than 100 miles of the highway were officially removed from the U.S. Highway System. Today, most travelers have no idea the route ever existed.
In this video, we retrace the forgotten southern end of U.S. 395, following the original alignment from San Diego to Hesperia. Along the way, we visit historic downtowns, old bridges, railroad depots, the Mission Inn, Camp Cajon, Mormon Rocks, and countless surviving pieces of a highway that quietly disappeared from the map, but not from the landscape.
Chapters:
00:00 Intro
04:48 Cabrillo Bridge
06:58 Pomerado Road
11:07 Lake Hodges
14:39 Escondido
18:14 Old Bonsall Bridge
23:56 Temecula
31:13 Murrieta
32:56 Lake Elsinore
35:06 Perris
37:55 Riverside
43:09 Colton
46:25 San Bernardino
48:06 The Cajon Pass
Highway 395 in the Eastern Sierra: youtu.be/xJPCnxSNi8c
Highway 395 in Nevada: youtu.be/RnvGc1PLZpE
Highway 395 in Northern California: youtu.be/sgyc6EFTLBs
Highway 395 in Oregon: youtu.be/dXPuw2JVBos
Highway 395 in Washington: youtu.be/y65rVGmj-rE
○ Gear we use: amazon.com/shop/sidetrackadventures
►Join us on Patreon: patreon.com/SidetrackAdventures
►Please subscribe for weekly updates showcasing some of our adventures: youtube.com/channel/UCdueDRFYPVgzPAAOM_bxVWA?sub_confirmation=1
►Also please follow Sidetrack Adventures on Instagram: instagram.com/sidetrackadventures
►Music in this video is from Epidemic Sounds; use our link for a free trial: share.epidemicsound.com/v927fj
