List of Sierra Nevada road passes
Encyclopedia
This table shows some major road passes of the Sierra Nevada, California
, United States
. The road passes are listed from north to south, with their elevation and significance.
Out of these, state routes 4, 108, and 120 are closed during winter, while the California Department of Transportation
attempts to keep I-80, US 50 and CA 88 open year-round.
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The road passes are listed from north to south, with their elevation and significance.
| Name | Elevation | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Fredonyer Pass Fredonyer Pass Fredonyer Pass is a high mountain pass in Lassen County, California. The pass is slightly higher than Morgan Summit to the west. Snow falls on the pass during winter.... |
5775 ft (1,760 m) | SR 36 California State Route 36 State Route 36 is an east–west state highway in the U.S. state of California that is routed from U.S. Route 101 in Humboldt County to U.S. Route 395 just east of Susanville in Lassen County. The portion of SR 36 travelling past Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lake Almanor is part of the... (paved road) |
| Beckwourth Pass Beckwourth Pass Beckwourth Pass is the lowest Sierra Crest mountain pass and is located at the Sierra Valley's eastern edge near Chilcoot-Vinton, Plumas County, California. Beckwourth Pass is east of Beckwourth, California, in the Sierra Nevada, and is northwest of Reno, Nevada. The pass carries California State... |
5221 ft (1,591 m) | SR 70 California State Route 70 State Route 70 is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. Connecting Sacramento with U.S. Route 395 near Beckwourth Pass via the Feather River Canyon, it was formerly known as U.S. Route 40 Alternate, crossing the Sierra Nevada at a lower elevation than Donner Pass on U.S. Route 40... (paved road) Western Pacific Railroad Western Pacific Railroad The Western Pacific Railroad was a Class I railroad in the United States. It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the near-monopoly the Southern Pacific Railroad had on rail service into northern California... |
| Donner Pass Donner Pass Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west.... |
7085 ft (2,160 m) | I-80 Interstate 80 in California In the U.S. state of California, Interstate 80 , a major east–west route of the Interstate Highway System, has its western terminus in San Francisco, California, United States. From there it heads east across the Bay Bridge to Oakland, where it turns north and crosses the Carquinez Bridge... (interstate highway) Central Pacific Railroad Central Pacific Railroad The Central Pacific Railroad is the former name of the railroad network built between California and Utah, USA that formed part of the "First Transcontinental Railroad" in North America. It is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad. Many 19th century national proposals to build a transcontinental... (first transcontinental railroad) |
| Echo Summit Echo Summit Echo Summit is a mountain pass located in eastern El Dorado County, California, USA. At an elevation of , it is the highest point on U.S... |
7382 ft (2,250 m) | US 50 U.S. Route 50 in California In the U.S. state of California, U.S. Route 50 runs east from I-80 in West Sacramento to the Nevada state line in South Lake Tahoe. Portions within Sacramento are known as the Capital City Freeway and El Dorado Freeway... (paved road) Lincoln Highway Lincoln Highway The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,... (first road access across United States of America) |
| Luther Pass Luther Pass Luther Pass is a mountain pass in California in the Sierra Nevada, between the Carson River basin and Lake Tahoe. It is traversed by State Route 89 and lies on the boundary between Alpine County and El Dorado County... |
7735 ft (2,358 m) | SR 89 California State Route 89 State Route 89 is a California State Highway that travels in the north–south direction, and is the major thoroughfare for many mountain communities. It starts from U.S. Route 395 near Topaz Lake, winding its way up to the Monitor Pass, down to the Carson River, and up again over the Luther... (paved road) |
| Carson Pass Carson Pass Carson Pass is the Sierra Crest mountain pass over which State Route 88 crosses. The historic pass was a point on the Carson Trail during the California Gold Rush and was used for American Civil War shipping to California until the completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad... |
8650 ft (2,637 m) | SR 88 California State Route 88 State Route 88 , also known as the Carson Pass Highway, is a California State Highway that travels in an east–west direction, from Stockton, crossing the Sierra Nevada at Carson Pass, and ending at the border with Nevada, whereupon it becomes Nevada State Route 88, eventually terminating at U.S... (paved road), Pacific Crest Trail Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico... (foot trail). |
| Ebbetts Pass Ebbetts Pass Ebbetts Pass, named after John Ebbetts, is a high mountain pass through the Sierra Nevada range in Alpine County, California. Ebbetts is the eastern of two passes in the area traversed by State Route 4. The western pass is the Pacific Grade Summit . The pass is registered as California Historical... |
8730 ft (2,661 m) | SR 4 (paved road), Pacific Crest Trail Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico... (foot trail) |
| Sonora Pass Sonora Pass Sonora Pass is the second-highest highway pass in the Sierra Nevada, lower by 321 ft. than Tioga Pass to the south. State Route 108 traverses the pass.-Description:... |
9624 ft (2,933 m) | SR 108 California State Route 108 State Route 108, also known as Highway 108, is a numbered state highway in California. SR 108 runs generally northeast across central California from downtown Modesto near the SR 99/SR 132 interchange, crossing the Sierra Nevada at Sonora Pass, to U.S. Route 395 near the Nevada state line... (paved road), Pacific Crest Trail Pacific Crest Trail The Pacific Crest Trail is a long-distance mountain hiking and equestrian trail on the Western Seaboard of the United States. The southern terminus is at the California border with Mexico... (foot trail) |
| Tioga Pass Tioga Pass Tioga Pass is a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. State Route 120 runs through it, and serves as the eastern entry point for Yosemite National Park. It is the highest highway pass in California and in the Sierra Nevada. Mount Dana is to the east of the pass... |
9943 ft (3,031 m) | SR 120 California State Route 120 State Route 120 , in northern California, runs between the Central Valley near Manteca, through Yosemite National Park, and ends at U.S. Route 6 in Mono County.-Route description:... (paved road) |
| No roads cross the Sierra Crest for nearly 200 miles (321.9 km) between Tioga and Sherman Passes. | ||
| Sherman Pass | 9200 ft (2,804 m) | Sherman Pass Road (County Road J41) |
| Walker Pass Walker Pass Walker Pass is a mountain pass by Lake Isabella in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains. It is located in northeastern Kern County, approximately 53 mi ENE of Bakersfield and 10 mi WNW of Ridgecrest... |
5250 ft (1,600 m) | SR 178 California State Route 178 State Route 178 is a route that exists in two constructed segments. The gap in between segments is connected by various local roads and State Route 190 through Death Valley National Park.... (paved road) |
| Tehachapi Pass Tehachapi Pass Tehachapi Pass is a mountain pass crossing the Tehachapi Mountains in Kern County, California in the United States. The route over the pass connects the San Joaquin Valley to the Mojave Desert... |
3793 ft (1,156 m) | SR 58 California State Route 58 State Route 58 is an east-west highway across the California Coast Ranges, the southern San Joaquin Valley, the Tehachapi Mountains, which border the southern Sierra Nevada, and the Mojave Desert. It runs between its western terminus near Santa Margarita and its eastern terminus at Barstow... (paved road), Union Pacific Railroad Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman.... |
Out of these, state routes 4, 108, and 120 are closed during winter, while the California Department of Transportation
California Department of Transportation
The California Department of Transportation is a government department in the U.S. state of California. Its mission is to improve mobility across the state. It manages the state highway system and is actively involved with public transportation systems throughout the state...
attempts to keep I-80, US 50 and CA 88 open year-round.