
A gravel road to the top of Waterman Hills
Usa, north-america
2.57 km
1,025 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, so picture this: Waterman Hills, a hidden gem in sunny Southern California, just north of Barstow, clocking in at a cool 3,362 feet. The road up? Oh, it's an adventure! We're talking unpaved all the way, so ditch the sports car.
The 1.6-mile climb kicks off from Irwin Road and it's a bit of a leg-burner, gaining 600 feet in elevation. That's a 7% grade, so hold on! Best tackled during daylight hours β trust me, you'll want to see where you're going.
Once you're up there, radio towers dot the peak but who cares? The 360-degree views are totally worth the trek. Seriously, breathtaking stuff. Get ready for some major photo ops!
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 2.57 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,025 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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