sonora and tioga pass in calif

[krotchrocketgrampa]

has anyone made the ride thru these passes ?

if you have ,can you tell me the best time of year to do this.

we plan on doing it on june 4th this summer ,hope the snows gone by then ,most books dont mention the snow and when its gone

any info will be appreciated.

 

[tcfjr]

This site has the historical opening dates for Tioga Pass since 1933. They say the average opening date is May 29th, but it has been as late as July 8th.

All the roads over the Sierra are fun, with the possible exception of I-80 and US-50, where traffic can be a hassle.

 

[CAJW]

I've left the Central Valley on trips to the great state of Colorado and beyond as late as June 1st and had to check daily to see if Sonora or Ebbetts was open or not. Tioga is in the same boat, open when Mother Nature is done with it for the year. Tioga is the main tourist route through the Sierra's and Yosemite so traffic can be heavy compared to the other two. My favorite is Ebbetts and Monitor, but they're all great in their own way. Pass opening can be touch and go as the previous posts stated so if you can put your trip off till mid-June at least you're more than likely to enjoy a somewhat gravel free ride by allowing traffic to run through for a few weeks to clean off the road. Here's a little teaser to tide you over. https://www.fjrforum.com/forum//index.php?s...=122044&hl=

 

[FJRBluesman]

Not winter. They're both closed then. They should open around late April or early May some time, depending on winter snow. Call Cal-trans.

I did Sonora in mid June, it was awesome great temps blue skys ahhhh, to live in Cali.... :yahoo:

 

[rmcobb]

With the winter we're currently experiencing I would expect a later than normal opening. Snow pack in the Sierra's this year is above normal and will take longer to melt off.

 

[madmike2]

USUALLY...they're open for Memorial Day weekend.

Unless we get a heavy late snow........they'll do what they can to get at least one of them open.

Here's a link to CalTrans Road Info: https://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi

 

[Old Michael]

...it was awesome great temps blue sskys ahhhh, to live in Cali.... :yahoo:

Sounds groovy!

 

[FJRBluesman]

...it was awesome great temps blue sskys ahhhh, to live in Cali.... :yahoo:

Sounds groovy!

Yeah Baby!!!

 

[Happy Rider]

Both are excellent rides. The speed limit in Yosemite (Tioga Pass) is 35 mph and there will be a ton of RV's on the road that don't know how to use a turnout. The LEO's in the park are very very strick and 35 means 35. The views are excellent so the slow speeds are not a big deal. The pass usually opens around Memorial Day.

Sonora pass opened right before memorial day last spring. It often opens and closes several times at first due to snow showers. The phone number for the Sonora Area CHP is (209)984-3944. They can usually give you good details on the expected opening day. The speed limit on Sonora Pass is 55 miles per hour.

Hwy 4 (Ebbetts pass) is also one not to be missed. It opens around Memorial Day as well.

I ride all of the passes as much as possible since they are right outside my back door. When you get closer to your trip PM me and I will get you the latest local info on the passes.

 

[Mount Rainier]

I did Tioga Pass July 10th - mid-week - last year while snagging O'Shaughnessy Dam. The locals suggest that the morning part of the day is best for avoiding conjestion as the Condos on Wheels are still getting ready to hit the road. I traveled west to east around noon and it was wide open both directions.

Perfect weather as the pic shows.

Keep Going!