This byway offers one of the most spectacular passages over the Sierra Nevada. Travelers drive through the highest automobile pass in California, and experience an elevation change of over one mile from west to east. Views include towering granite peaks, pristine lakes, wildflower-covered meadows and lush evergreen forests with Giant Sequoia groves.
Visitors can see how ancient glaciers created the serene, yet rugged, landscape.
The byway provides the morotist an opportunity to experience this scenery from a vehicle or for hiking enthusiasts it offers some of the most beautiful High Sierra back country trails in California. Majority of road closed in winter. The National Scenic Byways Program recognizes highways that are outstanding examples of our nation's beauty, history, culture, and recreational experience by designating them as All-American Roads and National Scenic Byways. The roads being featured were designated by the Secratary of Transportation form the nominations submitted by the states and federal land management agencies. These designations provide a compass for people from all over the world to explore America's treasured open roads.