Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
- Sonora Pass opened today, April 30, 2026.
- Sonora Pass closed for the winter on December 26, 2025.
- Ebbetts Pass remains closed.
- Tioga Pass remains closed.
- Monitor Pass opened on March 5, 2026.
- Late-season storms sometimes close the pass temporarily.
- Check the Caltrans Quickmap for the latest road conditions.
Sonora Pass, on Highway 108, opened today. It had been closed for the winter since December 26, 2025. This is our favorite pass over the Sierra Nevada. We’re looking forward to riding it soon.
Things can change suddenly in the mountains. Check the Caltrans QuickMap for the current conditions.
Conditions should improve rapidly as the weather continues to warm up and the snow disappears. Besides plowing, Caltrans has been busy repairing any winter storm damage. Though they generally sweep the pass roads when they reopen them, there may be sand and gravel in the curves. And there may be ice in the shadows.
This early in the season is not the time to ride the mountain roads at 10/10ths of your ability. Especially if you have been off the bike for most of the winter. Be careful.
Sonora Pass open and close dates
These are the dates that Sonora Pass closed for the winter and then opened up again in the spring, going back to 2010.
| Closed | Opened |
|---|---|
| 12/26/2025 | 4/30/2026 |
| 12/17/2024 | 5/15/2025 |
| 1/2/2024 | 5/16/2024 |
| 11/14/2022 | 6/9/2023 |
| 12/16/2021 | 5/12/2022 |
| 12/15/2020 | 5/6/2021 |
| 12/2/2019 | 5/15/2020 |
| 11/28/2018 | 5/30/2019 |
| 11/21/2017 | 5/3/2018 |
| 11/30/2016 | 6/13/2017 |
| 11/16/2015 | 5/18/2016 |
| 12/17/2014 | 4/17/2015 |
| 12/9/2013 | 4/18/2014 |
| 12/19/2012 | 4/24/2013 |
| 1/21/2012 | 5/4/2012 |
| 11/22/2010 | 5/27/2011 |
Check our Weather page to learn a lot more about the climate and seasons in the Sierra.
Donnell fire
Haven’t been on Sonora Pass in a few years? Prepare to be shocked when you see the historic Dardanelle Resort. It was destroyed in the Donnell Fire, in August, 2018. We were there shortly after the fire. There wasn’t much left of the resort.
The fire burned 36,450 acres (147.5 km2), and destroyed 54 major structures. It went on through August and September.
Wildfires in the Sierra are devastating. Please be careful. Don’t be the person who burns down the forest.
Great motorcycling
Now that Sonora Pass is open, get ready for some fantastic motorcycle riding. Sonora Pass has breathtaking scenery, generally light traffic, and some of the best riding in the entire Sierra Nevada.
If you have the time, consider making it a three-pass ride. From the town of Sonora, head east over Sonora Pass to the junction with US 395. Ride north to Highway 89 and turn left to ride over Monitor Pass. When you get to the junction with Highway 4, turn left again and ride over Ebbetts Pass.
Continue all the way down Highway 4 until you can turn south and return to Sonora. That entire loop is just a little over 200 miles (320 kilometers) and is easily done in a day. It takes you over three of the best passes in the Sierra and it is one of our favorite rides.
Read our About the Passes page to learn much more about all the Sierra Nevada mountain pass roads.
