 = California State Route 243 = 
 
 State Route 243 ( SR 243 ) , or the Banning @-@ Idyllwild Panoramic Highway , is a 30 @-@ mile ( 50 kilometer ) two @-@ lane highway that runs from Banning , California ( in the north ) to Idyllwild , California ( in the south ) in Riverside County , California . The highway is a connector between Interstate 10 ( I @-@ 10 ) and SR 74 . Along its route , it provides access to the San Bernardino National Forest . A road from Banning to Idyllwild was planned around the turn of the twentieth century , and was open by 1910 . The road was added to the state highway system in 1970 . 
 
 = = Route description = = 
 
 SR 243 begins at SR 74 in the San Jacinto Wilderness near Mountain Center , Riverside County as Idyllwild Road . The highway traverses north along a winding road through the community of Idyllwild . SR 243 makes a left turn at the intersection with Circle Drive and continues through Pine Cove . The road continues through the forest past Mount San Jacinto State Park through Twin Pines and the Morongo Indian Reservation before making a few switchbacks and descending en route to the city of Banning as the Banning Idyllwild Panoramic Highway . The highway continues as San Gorgonio Avenue into the city before making a left onto Lincoln Street and a right onto 8th Street and terminating at a diamond interchange with I @-@ 10 . 
 SR 243 is part of the National Highway System , a network of highways that are essential to the country 's economy , defense , and mobility . SR 243 is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System , and is officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation ( Caltrans ) , meaning that it is a substantial section of highway passing through a " memorable landscape " with no " visual intrusions " , where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community . In 2007 , it was named the Esperanza Firefighters Memorial Highway in honor of five firefighters who died while fighting the Esperanza Fire in October 2006 . In 2013 , SR 243 had an annual average daily traffic ( AADT ) of 1 @,@ 650 between Marion Ridge Drive in Idyllwild and San Gorgonio Avenue in Banning , and 6 @,@ 500 at the northern terminus in Banning , the latter of which was the highest AADT for the highway . 
 
 = = History = = 
 
 A road from Banning to Idyllwild was under construction in 1904 , and 12 miles ( 19 km ) of the road was open by August , with an additional six miles ( 9 @.@ 7 km ) of the road planned . Another four miles ( 6 @.@ 4 km ) were commissioned in 1908 . The oiled road was completed by September 1910 , and provided a view of Lake Elsinore and the Colorado Desert , and it was expected to help with transporting lumber and stopping fires ; because of this , the federal government provided $ 2 @,@ 000 for the construction . The road became a part of the forest highway system in 1927 . 
 A new " high @-@ gear " road from Banning to Idyllwild was under way by 1935 , and two years later , the Los Angeles Times considered the road to be " high @-@ gear " . Efforts to pave the road were under way in 1950 . The road from Banning through Idyllwild to SR 74 was known as County Route R1 ( CR R1 ) by 1966 . By 1969 , plans were in place to add the Banning to Idyllwild to Mountain Center road as a state highway ; earlier , State Senator Nelson Dilworth proposed legislation to require the road to be added to the state highway system if SR 195 was removed , as the two were of roughly the same length , but the latter remained in the system . SR 243 was added to the state highway system in 1970 . The Division of Highways suggested deleting the highway in 1971 . In 1998 , Caltrans had no plans to improve the route through 2015 . 
 
 = = Major intersections = = 
 
 Except where prefixed with a letter , postmiles were measured on the road as it was when the route was established , based on the alignment that existed at the time , and do not necessarily reflect current mileage . R reflects a realignment in the route since then , M indicates a second realignment , L refers an overlap due to a correction or change , and T indicates postmiles classified as temporary ( for a full list of prefixes , see the list of postmile definitions ) . Segments that remain unconstructed or have been relinquished to local control may be omitted . The entire route is in Riverside County . 
 
 = = Other important information = = 
 
 Firearm Transportation Due to the fact that CA @-@ 243 passes Idyllwild School , pursuant to the Gun @-@ Free School Zones Act of 1990 , firearms , including those in vehicles , must be within the guidelines of 18 U.S.C. § 922 ( q ) ( 2 ) ( B ) within the school zone , which is , as defined by 18 U.S.C. § 921 ( a ) ( 25 ) , is 1000 feet . Violators will be , according to 18 U.S.C. § 924 ( a ) ( 4 ) , " fined under this title , imprisoned for not more than 5 years , or both . " 
 
 