Tuna Canyon Road: Saddle Peak to PCH
A steep, tight descent off the Saddle Peak ridge toward the coast, stacking dozens of bends into just over four miles. The lower section is one-way toward PCH, with a mandatory right turn onto the highway.
Loading map…
Permanently one-way downhill to PCH, with a mandatory right turn onto the highway; flaggers work the bottom junction to stop wrong-way entries. LA County fully reopened the road on May 23, 2025 after a wildfire closure. Do not start uphill from the coast. Check current access · Reviewed 2026-09-15
Planning the drive
Tuna Canyon drops about 1,800 ft off the Saddle Peak ridge to PCH in just over four miles, with 61 counted bends and 7 full switchbacks — the tightest bend density of any road in this catalog. Many of those corners are off-camber or decreasing-radius, tightening after you commit rather than opening up, which punishes carrying speed in. The road rewards braking early and getting it done before the apex over trying to trail-brake through a corner that's still closing on you. Eat Sleep Ride: Tuna Canyon is 70 turns in 4 miles
It's permanently one-way downhill toward the coast, which removes oncoming traffic from the equation entirely — a real factor on a road this tight and blind. The tradeoff is a mandatory right turn onto PCH at the bottom, with county flaggers working that junction to stop wrong-way entries. Tuna Canyon Park, an MRCA preserve of coastal-facing ridgeline, borders the upper corridor. Check current status before relying on it: the road has been closed by wildfire more than once, most recently reopening in May 2025. County of Los Angeles: LA County fully reopens Tuna Canyon Road near Malibu
Roads to connect
- Schueren / Saddle Peak connectorThe ridge connector at the top, toward Old Topanga and Stunt Road.
- Pacific Coast Highway · MalibuThe coastal road at the bottom; the one-way rule only allows a right turn here.
Driving notes updated .
Road shape
- Length
- 4.3 mi
- Bends
- 61
- Switchbacks
- 7
- Bends per mile
- 14.3
- Turning per mile
- 1413°
- Curviest rank
- 1of 168
Measured from the OpenStreetMap centreline at a 20 m sampling step — road shape only, not a safety or speed judgement. How bends are counted.
Elevation
- Total climb
- 1,809ft
- Climb per mile
- 421ft
- Highest point
- 1,835ft
- Steepest grade
- 14.6%
Sampled every 100 m from USGS 10 m elevation data, a public-domain federal dataset. Total climb counts vertical change in both directions, so it does not depend on which way you drive. How elevation is measured.
Speed limits
Varies
Unverified
No posted limit has been verified for this selected section. Follow current signs.
No posted limit has been verified for this selected section. Follow current signs.
Posted signs always govern. How speed evidence is handled.
Sources
Difficulty 3/3 (Demanding) is our editorial rating of width, bends and sightlines; “Technical” describes character, not a target speed. Full method. Identified from:
- Epic Road Rides · Eastern Santa Monica Mountains / Mulholland Highway East
- City of Malibu · Malibu Evacuation Plan
- County of Los Angeles · LA County fully reopens Tuna Canyon Road near Malibu
- MRCA · Tuna Canyon Park
- OpenStreetMap road data (5 ways in this trace)
Reviewed 2026-09-09. The trace shows selected road sections, not a navigation route.
Roads nearby
Distances are approximate straight lines between road centers, not driving distances or direct connections.