Northern Sierra

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Where are the best motorcycle roads in the Northern Sierra? Where will you find the nicest scenery, the least traffic, and the best riding? Which roads are buried in snow all winter long? Which roads are crowded with tourists all summer long?

Where can you find the best roads to ride, when you want to ride, the way you like to ride? Here’s our guide to the mountain pass roads of the Northern Sierra Nevada. Read about this part of the range, pick a pass—or a few—that’s perfect for you, and head on out.

Mountain pass roads of the Northern Sierra

Here’s a list of all the passes in the Northern Sierra, from north to south, with links to read a few facts about each:

• Fredonyer Pass, CA 36
• Beckwourth Pass, CA 70
• Yuba Pass, CA 49
• Little Truckee Summit, CA 89
• Donner Summit, I-80
• Donner Pass, Donner Pass Road
• Brockway Summit, CA 267
• Mount Rose Summit, NV 431

Best roads for motorcycling

Here are our favorites:

• Yuba Pass, CA 49
• Donner Pass, Donner Pass Road
• Mount Rose Summit, NV 431

And here’s why:

Yuba Pass

Yuba Pass on California State Route 49 offers some of the best motorcycling in the Northern Sierra. The scenery isn’t dramatic or spectacular, but it is attractive enough. Yuba Pass offers some very interesting riding with enough technically challenging curves to keep your game up. And traffic is generally light.

The pass itself is at moderate elevation, only 6,709 feet (2,054 meters) above sea level. So it is mostly open through the winter.

Here’s our article specifically about Yuba Pass.

Donner Pass

Donner Pass, on Donner Pass Road, is a beautiful ride. But don’t confuse Donner Pass with Donner Summit, on I-80. Both have beautiful scenery, but the old Lincoln Highway route is a much better motorcycle ride than the modern Interstate Highway.

Donner Pass Road is closed for the duration of winter. If you need to cross the Sierra in this area in the depths of winter weather, I-80 over Donner Summit may be your best choice.

Mount Rose Summit

Mount Rose Summit on Nevada State Route 431 doesn’t get the love it deserves. It has sweeping curves, steep climbs, tight turns, big open views, and even a great place to stop and look down on Lake Tahoe. At 8,946 feet (2,727 meters) above sea level, Mt. Rose Summit is the highest year-round pass in the Sierra Nevada. It is mostly open during winter, except during and right after a storm.

Mount Rose Summit is also the place we decided to divide the Northern Sierra from the Central Sierra. And we’ve overlapped both regions slightly. So if you use our Find Your Roads tool, you’ll find Mount Rose Summit in both regions.

About the Northern Sierra

The northern limit of the Sierra range is generally accepted to be at Fredonyer Pass, on California State Route 36. The mountains north of here are the Cascade Range, which runs about 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) through Oregon, Washington, and into British Columbia.

Any attempt to divide the Sierra into distinct regions would be arbitrary and debatable. We think the Northern Sierra is that part of the range north of Lake Tahoe. So, about 90 miles (145 kilometers) in a straight line from the lake to the end of the Sierra. With eight passes in that short distance. And some fantastic riding.

Landscape

Elevations in the Northern Sierra are lower than in the central or southern portions of the range. Mount Rose is the highest peak in the Northern Sierra, at 10,785 feet (3,287 meters) elevation. It’s in the Carson Range, which is a spur of the Sierra Nevada. There is no other peak in the Northern Sierra above 10,000 feet (3,048 meters). And only three higher than 9,000 feet (2,743 meters): Mount Lola, Castle Peak, and Basin Peak. Those three peaks are close to one another, just north of Interstate 80, west of Donner Summit. The next 10,000-foot mountain to the north is Lassen Peak at 10,462 feet (3,189 meters), in the Cascade Range.

The mountain pass roads in the Northern Sierra range from 8,946 feet (2,727 meters) elevation at Mount Rose Summit down to 5,212 feet (1,589 meters) at Beckwourth Pass. Half of the passes in this part of the range are below 7,000 feet (2,134 meters). So if you need to get across the Northern Sierra in winter, chances are good you’ll find a road open.

Weather

Like most of the range, the Northern Sierra sees four distinct seasons, each with its own charms and personality. No matter what time of year you travel here, be prepared for sudden and dramatic changes in the weather.

Spring

Spring usually arrives in April or May with the first wildflowers appearing at the lower elevations. Higher up expect plenty of snow still on the ground, though the roads will be clear more often than not. Daytime high temperatures will typically range from cool to cold. Overnight lows will reach or drop below freezing most nights until well into May. Rain or snow is a real possibility in spring. Real winter weather may linger—or return—even into late May, with snow, tire chain requirements, and challenging driving conditions.

Of course, it is also possible that you might plan a trip in April or May and find perfect weather when you arrive. And it might linger for the duration. Or, a storm could blow through, with beautiful weather right behind it. Spring Sierra weather is volatile. Be prepared for just about anything.

Summer

Summer weather in the Northern Sierra is generally quite pleasant. Temperatures in the mountains are mostly agreeable, though at lower elevations it can get uncomfortably hot, especially on the western slope. Afternoon thunderstorms can form suddenly.

Summer is when visitors flock to the Sierra. Accomodations and campgrounds may be difficult to find without reservations. Popular vacation communities can be very crowded, especially at or near Lake Tahoe. If you want to travel there in summer, try to avoid weekends, if at all possible.

Fall

Autumn might be the ideal time to ride the Sierra passes. After summer ends, the tourist season winds down rapidly. Roads, restaurants, motels, and campgrounds are much less crowded. The local people you will meet might just feel a little more relaxed. Everything just seems a bit less hectic.

Summer weather hangs on well into September. Skies are usually clear and dry. Temperatures are pleasant climbing into warm during the day. September is possibly the best month of the year to ride in the Sierra Nevada.

Fall colors will usually begin to arrive at the highest elevations by about mid-September or so. Depending on latitude and elevation, you can usually find nice fall colors into mid-October.

Winter

Winter weather typically arrives in the Sierra sometime from about mid-November through mid-December. Though snow in October is not uncommon. And sometimes winter weather doesn’t really set in until January. The beginning of winter is notoriously difficult to predict.

And when winter does set in it makes itself at home and plans to stay for some time. The highest elevations in the Northern Sierra, on Mount Rose and around the Donner Pass/Donner Summit area, get buried in snow. And they stay buried until well into spring. Winter snowfall in the Sierra is measured in tens of feet.

Fortunately for travelers, most of the Northern Sierra passes are usually open through the winter. North of the Donner Summit area the passes are at low enough elevations that they don’t see the worst of winter weather.

Mount Rose Summit is mostly open through the winter. It will be closed during and right after a storm.

Donner Pass, on Donner Pass Road, closes completely for winter. Its neighbor pass, Donner Summit on Interstate 80, stays mostly open for the season. But it does often close temporarily during and right after winter storms.

Check our Weather page to learn a lot more about the climate and seasons in the Sierra.

See our Road Closures page to find out which Sierra passes are usually open, closed in winter, and when things change.

Towns and cities

Reno

Reno, Nevada is the largest city in the Northern Sierra. It’s home to about a quarter million people, with more than 400,000 in the greater metro area.

There are several large motorcycle dealerships in Reno. If you need parts or service for your bike you can probably find it here. Sierra BMW has treated us well for years. Motorcycle rentals are also available from some dealerships or standalone rental agencies.

Reno-Tahoe International Airport has flights to and from most major airports in North America. It’s also easy to get to and from most of the largest international airports in the US, such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and San Franciso. Every mountain pass in the Northern Sierra is within two hours of the airport. So Reno could be a great starting point for a fly-and-ride tour of the best motorcycle roads of the Northern Sierra.

Reno is also home to the annual Street Vibrations Fall Rally that draws about 50,000 riders. And the smaller spring rally, in June.

North Shore Lake Tahoe

Lake Tahoe is beautiful. And immensely popular with visitors. Without tourist traffic it takes less than 30 minutes to drive from Tahoe City to Incline Village. These two towns bookend a series of small communities that crowd right up to the north shore of the lake. And they are only 15 miles (24 kilometers) apart. In the busy summer season—roughly from mid-June through early September—that same drive can take well over an hour, or more.

But the views of the lake are beautiful and there are lots of interesting restaurants and shops to explore. If you haven’t been to Lake Tahoe it is certainly worth a trip. If you have been, and want to go again, try to visit in the shoulder seasons—late spring or fall.

Truckee

Truckee, California is an historic mountain town of about 17,000 people at the intersection of Interstate 80 and State Route 89. It is connected to Lake Tahoe’s north shore by State Route 267. If you travel that road you will cross Brockway Summit, possibly the least interesting pass in the Sierra.

Truckee is also a popular place with visitors and often suffers from crowds and traffic congestion. Two words: shoulder season.

Other communities

North of Truckee the towns are small, sleepy, and far apart. We’ve found great places to eat and stay and you will, too. The scenery is nice, the highways are mostly quiet and the riding can be fantastic. There are lots of twisty roads to explore.

The Northern Sierra has some great roads for motorcycling. Though weather can be a challenge in winter you can still usually get over the mountains and possibly even enjoy the ride. In summer, avoid the crowded tourist areas and go explore the backroads.

Read our About the Passes page to learn much more about all the Sierra Nevada mountain pass roads.