A memorable road trip to Hawkins Peak in California

Hawkins Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.953m (9,688ft) above the sea level, located in Alpine County, in the U.S. state of California. It’s one of the highest roads of California.

Hawkins Peak

Set high in the Sierra Nevada range, in Eastern California, the road to the summit is totally unpaved with a few rocky parts. 4x4 vehicle required. The peak is very windy, but the views are amazing and it has been home to a forest service radio communications facility since the 1960s.

Starting from Burnside Lake Road, the road is 4.34km (2.7 miles) long. Over this distance the elevation gain is 449 meters and the average gradient is 10.34%, hitting a 17.8% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps. Accessibility is largely limited to the summer season. It is not generally snow-free until late June or even July in some years.
Pic&video: Ted Lenzie

 

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