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Cameron Road

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Cameron Road is an approximately 5.5-mile rural highway located in the Tehachapi Mountains of Kern County.  This corridor originates at California State Route 58 in Tehachapi Pass near Cameron siding and ascends Cameron Canyon westward to Tehachapi-Woodford Road.  The segment of Cameron Road between California State Route 58 Exit 159 west to the Union Pacific Railroad is a repurposed portion of US Route 466 which was relocated in 1957.  Modern Cameron Road often appears in driving tests in Motortrend magazine and is maintained as Kern County Mountain Road 523. 




Part 1; the history of Cameron Canyon Road

Cameron Road is named after the Southern Pacific Railroad siding of Cameron.  Cameron siding is located in Tehachapi Pass just south of modern California State Route 58.  The Southern Pacific Railroad line through Tehachapi Pass was completed during July 1876.  Tehachapi Pass was the last link in the Southern Pacific system completed between Los Angeles and San Francisco.  

Cameron siding can be seen along the Southern Pacific Railroad at Tehachapi Pass on the 1898 Official map of Kern County.  The map doesn't display a roadway following Cameron Creek southwest from the siding to Cameron Valley.  The map does display a Cameron Schoolhouse located in Cameron Valley near Tehachapi-Woodford Road.  The Southern Pacific is shown to own much of the land in Cameron Valley, and the insinuation indicates a primitive road existed to serve railroad workers living at Cameron siding. 


The 1915 United States Geological Survey map of Mojave displays Cameron Road as being present between Cameron siding and Tehachapi-Woodford Road.  


Cameron Road can be seen as a minor local highway between US Route 466 and Tehachapi-Woodford Road on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Kern County. 


The original eastern terminus of Cameron Road was located at US Route 466 at Tehachapi Pass a short distance after crossing the Southern Pacific Railroad.  This original eastern terminus is clearly displayed on the 1943 United States Geological Survey map.  


The September/October 1958 California Highways & Public Works announced the completion of a realignment project along US Route 466 at Cameron and Tehachapi Pass.  The then new three-mile alignment was completed in late 1957 originated at the eastern outskirts of Tehachapi and extended easterly through Cameron to Cache Creek.  The purpose of the new four-lane alignment was to mitigate congestion that occurred on the older two-lane segment approaching Cameron Road.  The new alignment of US Route 466 was located to the north of Cameron siding.  Cameron Road was extended from the Southern Pacific Railroad crossing to then new alignment of US Route 466.  


In recent decades Cameron Road has made frequent appearances in Motortrend magazine.  Cameron Road is located near the Hyundai Motor Group Proving Ground and is one several roads used by the magazine as part of their "best driving car tests."  This article from 2020 referenced Cameron Road as part of the Car of the Year test for the C8 Corvette. 

Cameron Road is presently maintained as Kern County Mountain Road 523.  Kern County maintains a system of numbered roadways within mountainous regions and signs them with Postmile paddles similar to Caltrans stock. 



Part 2; a drive on Cameron Road

Westbound Cameron Road begins at California State Route 58 Exit 159 in Tehachapi Pass. 




Cameron Road passes through the former site of Cameron along the original alignment of US Route 466.  The roadway branches from the original alignment of US Route 466 at the double set of tracks carrying the Union Pacific Railroad (former Southern Pacific). 






Cameron Road continues westward through Cameron Canyon in the Tehachapi Mountains.  The roadway corridor crests at an unnamed pass at approximately 4,500 feet above sea level.  















Cameron Road begins a descent westward and terminates at Tehachapi-Woodford Road. 











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