Sonora Pass
Hwy 108 / Stanislaus NF · near Bridgeport / Strawberry · Eastern Sierra
Road Cycling
At a glance
- Distance
- long
- Best season
- Summer–early fall ONLY; road closed by snow in winter
What is here
- Scenery
- mountain
- Amenities
- One of California's steepest climbs · Wild, remote high-alpine scenery · Second-highest Sierra highway pass · A true test for strong climbers
- Best for
- A savage, remote high-alpine test
- Features
- Among the steepest climbs in California · Pitches ramping past 20% · Remote high-alpine wilderness · Second-highest Sierra pass
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- SEASONAL — closed by snow in winter · Savage sustained gradients (up to ~26%) · Remote, thin air, no services near the top · Steep descents demand strong braking
- Beginner friendly
- No
Road Cycling detail
- Ride types
- pass · climb
- Road
- quiet
- Climbing
- 5
- Ride notes
- One of the steepest, most savage paved climbs in California — Highway 108 to a 9,624-ft summit, with sustained pitches ramping past 20% (up to ~26%), a raw, remote, high-alpine test for the strongest riders
- Stats note
- Summit 9,624 ft; sustained ~15%+ with pitches up to ~26%; remote high alpine
- Seasonal
- Yes
- Intl tip
- One of the steepest, most savage paved climbs in California — Hwy 108 to a 9,624-ft summit, with sustained mid-teens gradients and pitches ramping past 20% (toward ~26%), in thin air far from services, through wild granite country that sees little traffic. The second-highest Sierra highway pass and a bucket-list test for strong climbers. Strictly summer–early fall (closed by snow in winter). Extreme gradients, altitude, and remoteness: carry ample food and water, dress for cold up top, and be sure of your brakes.
The guide
Sonora Pass, where Highway 108 crosses the Sierra crest at 9,624 feet, is one of the steepest and most savage paved climbs in C…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Sonora Pass — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.3277, -119.6362