
Little Truckee Summit, a 5 stars road in the Sierra Nevada
Usa, north-america
37.17 km
1,954 m
easy
Year-round
Okay, so you're heading to Little Truckee Summit? Sweet! This high-altitude gem sits at 6,411 feet in California's Sierra County, nestled right in the Tahoe National Forest. You'll be cruising on good ol' CA-89, a paved road that's usually open year-round, though winter storms can occasionally throw a wrench in things. The good news is, you probably won't be fighting a ton of traffic.
The whole shebang is about 23 miles long, winding its way from Sierraville in the north down to Truckee in the south. Get ready for some climbs though! There are definitely some steep spots along the way, with grades hitting up to 8% in places. But hey, the scenery is totally worth it!
Road Details
- Country
- Usa
- Continent
- north-america
- Length
- 37.17 km
- Max Elevation
- 1,954 m
- Difficulty
- easy
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