This branch left the Santa Fe mainline at Corona (between Fullerton and San Bernardino), and headed generally southeast to the town of Lake Elsinore. At one point the line continued further southeast to Elsinore Junction, where it connected to the remnants of Santa Fe's original through route to San Diego. (These remnants were built in the 1880s and abandoned around the 1930s.) Most of the customers along the route were rock and sand quarries.
The Lake Elsinore branch was cut back in stages, first to Alberhill in the 1970s and then back to its current end point in the 1980s. (There is a 2- to 3-mile segment still in operation that serves a quarry near Corona.) The right-of-way roughly parallels Temescal Canyon Road, although in some areas it went through small canyons accessible only to 4WD vehicles. There are a few small bridges still in place, but the most interesting girder bridge was removed for highway widening.
The branch passed through the settlements of South Corona, El Cerrito, Weisel, Arcilla, Alberhill, North Elsinore and the town of Lake Elsinore.