CAJON PASS, CA. (Pain In The Pass) >> April 30 marked Route 66’s 100th anniversary and it runs through the Cajon Pass. Posting some history on the Cajon Pass.
In 2026, the nation will be celebrating the Route 66 Centennial … the 100th anniversary of the Mother Road serving the traveling public!
If you want to celebrate the Route 66 Centennial Events in 2026 here is a link.
The numerical designation of “U.S. Route 66” was assigned on April 30, 1926. “The Mother Road” was then commissioned on November 11, 1926, and ultimately stretched 2,448 miles (3,940 km) from Chicago to Los Angeles. Route 66 would become one of the United States’ first continuous stretches of paved highway, and served as a major path for those who migrated west.
History of the Cajon Pass, is a mountain pass between the San Gabriel and San Bernardino Mountains and the route of the Old Spanish Trail. This important box canyon has been used by thousands of years as a passage from the Mojave Desert to the Los Angeles Basin. It is currently grouped with Cajon Summit to describe the area where a vital artery of the California interstate system, Interstate 15, descends into Los Angeles, after traveling east from Las Vegas. The Interstate 15 corridor through this area also serves as a part of the mother road, Route 66.
History of Camp Cajon was a rest stop located near the Cajon Pass in Southern California, and it was built in 1919. Back in the day, it was a popular spot for people driving into the Los Angeles area. The camp was a place where travelers could take a break, grab some supplies, and enjoy the beautiful mountain views as they made their way through the tough terrain of the San Bernardino Mountains.
Camp Cajon was important because it represented the early days of road trips when more and more people were starting to explore the country by car. It had picnic areas, a small store, and even a monument to honor the pioneers who had traveled through the area before there were good roads.
Sadly, in 1938, a big flood destroyed Camp Cajon, and it was never rebuilt. Even though the camp is gone, its memory still reminds us of the early days of road travel and how crucial the Cajon Pass has always been for getting around Southern California. Today, the area where Camp Cajon used to be is part of a major transportation route.
Blue Cut and the San Andreas Fault is the place is named after the blue-colored rocks on the hills above the highway. It is here that the San Andreas Fault cuts across Route 66’s alignment and the Cajon Wash with a SE to NW direction creating a transversal valley that, one mile to the west has a small lake, called Lost Lake.
The final part of the Cajon Pass Route 66 ends in Devore before going into San Bernardino.
Most famous spots on Route 66, Google’s list of top attractions on Route 66. These go from the very start of the road with Navy Pier and breakfast diner Lou Mitchell’s in Chicago, Illinois, to Santa Monica Pier in California.
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