2N79 Penstock Ridge

2N79 Penstock Ridge Road is within the San Bernardino National Forest and is a pleasant escape with views of the majestic San Gabrial Mountains to the west. There are beautiful vistas at many spots along the trail dominated in the west by the almost 9000' granite peaks of Cucamonga, Big Horn, Timber Mountain, and from below the jumbled boulders that make up Lytle Creek. To create the shelf-road, large sections of the hills have been sliced away, revealing evidence of the millennia of upheaval caused by the dense nest of earthquake faults undermining the area, including the Lytle Creek Fault directly below and the San Andreas Fault only a few miles north. There are massive power line towers following the Lytle Creek Valley and the road to drive in. Penstock Ridge hosts one of these structures, and it is a worthwhile trip to stand next to it and appreciate the engineering to raise such a large structure. Local artists have used the tower's foundation as a canvas, and the tower is an entertaining stop to appreciate their work. Your dog can also enjoy the trail when kept on a leash.