Dare to drive to the Rogers Peak in California
Rogers Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 3.049m (10,003ft) above the sea level, located in Inyo County, California, in USA. 4WD may be necessary beyond Thorndike Campground due to steep sections and ruts. No RVs or trailers. Expect snow and ice during winter and spring. It's one of the highest roads of California.
Tucked away in the Panamint Mountains, in the Death Valley National Park, the road to the summit is 17.21km (10.7 miles) long starting from Emigrant Canyon Road. The road is mostly unpaved (only the first 6.11km (3.8 miles) are paved). Before the peak, the road reaches the Charcoal Kilns, conical constructions that converted lumber to charcoal from 1879 to 1882. Due to frequent flooding in the area, road conditions often vary throughout the park. The summit hosts a communication tower.
It’s one of the challenging Backcountry roads in the Death Valley National Park. Before reaching the main peak, the road climbs up to Mahogany Flat Parking, at 8,135ft (2.479 m) above the sea level. The road is rough and runs straight up the bottom of a drainage. It’s a steep, rough, and narrow gravel road. It requires a 4WD if it is wet or washed out. It’s closed during winter. The last 2.75 miles of the road are extremely rough, and very steep (12% grade) for the communications equipment atop the mountain. For the most up-to-date information on road conditions, visit Death Valley’s website at nps.gov/deva.