
A tough desert road to Towne Pass in CA
Usa, north-america
88.5 km
1,515 m
hard
Year-round
Okay, picture this: you're cruising through Death Valley National Park on CA-190, a completely paved road slicing through the west side. This is Towne Pass, peaking at a cool 4,970 feet in Inyo County, California.
The road links Panamint Valley and Stovepipe Wells, serving up some seriously breathtaking views. But heads up, this isn't a Sunday drive. The road's windy with a ton of curves, so daylight is your friend here. Plus, it gets steep, with grades hitting 15% in spots. Keep your speed in check – even though the limit's 55 mph, you'll want to drop it down to 30 mph for those tight turns. Word on the street is they're even planning some road work to straighten out the twistiest parts and make it safer. Basically, Towne Pass is a stunning drive, just keep your wits about you and enjoy the ride!
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 88.5 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,515 m
- Difficulty
- hard
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