After the summit, the highway turns briefly southerly and then southwesterly starting its slow descent as it continues along Cienaga Seca Creek until it is just west of the forest road to Heart Bar Campground and to one of the many trails to San Gorgonio Mountain, the highest land elevation in southern California.

It then continues northwesterly along the upper Santa Ana River and then, after briefly crossing undulating terrain, westerly through the Barton Flats area, home to many campgrounds.

After leaving the Barton Flats area, encountering many small-radius curves, it continues southwesterly through undulating terrain to Angelus Oaks, where Route 38 crosses the ridgeline of the highest peaks in the San Bernardino Mountains.

After leaving Angelus Oaks, the highway continues briefly to the south including many curves; then the highway descends more rapidly as it turns southeasterly and then briefly southerly and southwesterly along the southern face of the San Bernardino Mountains to its intersection with Valley of the Falls Drive, the access road to the community of Forest Falls and to the shortest and steepest trail to San Gorgonio Mountain.

[12] Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured on the road as it was in 1964, based on the alignment that existed at the time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage.