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Highway 243: Banning to Idyllwild, San Jacinto Mountains, California
Photo: Seauton · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped

Drives California The Inland Empire

Highway 243: Banning to Idyllwild

CA 243 · Banning → Idyllwild

Twisty23 mi45 min5,200 ft climbHigh point ≈ 6,200 ftOne way
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The drive

Highway 243 is the Banning-Idyllwild Panoramic Highway, an officially designated state scenic highway and one of the oldest mountain roads in Southern California: construction began around 1904, and it was finished as an oiled road in 1910. It climbs from about 2,400 feet in Banning to over 6,000 feet in the San Jacinto Mountains.

Leaving Banning just south of I-10, the road switchbacks up through dry chaparral with the valley opening out behind it, then enters the San Bernardino National Forest and the pines. Lake Fulmor, a small trout lake with a short loop trail and a picnic area, sits right beside the highway about 15 miles up. From there it's on through Pine Cove, the highest point at about 6,165 feet, and down a little into the village of Idyllwild.

The highway is also named the Esperanza Firefighters Memorial Highway, for the five firefighters killed in the 2006 Esperanza Fire. From Idyllwild, Highway 243 continues south to Mountain Center, where the Pines to Palms Highway drive begins.

Along the way

  1. Banning
  2. Lake Fulmor
  3. Idyllwild
Elevation
5,200 ft of climbing · high point ≈ 6,200 ft
BanningIdyllwild
Curves
Twisty most of the way
BanningIdyllwild
GentleHairpins

Good to know

  • Parking at Forest Service day-use sites along the highway, including Lake Fulmor, needs a recreation pass such as the Adventure Pass; buy it before you arrive.
  • The lower switchbacks above Banning are tight and steep; take them slowly, especially on the way back down.
  • Fire danger is often high here in summer and fall, and campfires are allowed only in Forest Service rings.

Open all year, weather permitting. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check Caltrans highway conditions: Highway 243.

Questions about this drive

How long is the drive from Banning to Idyllwild on Highway 243?

Highway 243 from Banning to Idyllwild is 23.4 miles and takes about 45 minutes, climbing about 5,200 feet.

Is Highway 243 twisty?

Yes. Highway 243 from Banning to Idyllwild is twisty most of the way, with switchbacks on the climb out of Banning and constant curves through the forest.

Do you need an Adventure Pass on Highway 243?

Not to drive Highway 243, but parking at Forest Service day-use sites along it, such as Lake Fulmor, requires a recreation pass like the Adventure Pass.

Is Highway 243 a scenic highway?

Yes. Caltrans designates Highway 243 as a state scenic highway, the Banning-Idyllwild Panoramic Highway.

What you get in the app

Turn by turn, on this roadSpoken directions along the exact route. Carve never reroutes you onto a faster one.
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Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.

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Map of Highway 243: Banning to Idyllwild, from Banning to Idyllwild