Sonora Pass, California State Route 108Sonora Pass:
- 9,624 feet (2,933 meters) above sea level
- California State Route 108
- Between Sonora, California and US 395 north of Bridgeport
- 38° 19′ 40″ N, 119° 38′ 9″ W
- Alpine, Tuolumne, and Mono counties, California
- Central Sierra
- Closed in winter
What to expect:
- Breathtaking scenery
- Light traffic
- Best riding
Sonora Pass on CA 108 offers some of the best motorcycle riding in the Sierra Nevada range, with breathtaking scenery and light traffic. Plan your trip with the seasons as the pass is closed in winter.
Sonora Pass Map
More Sonora Pass Photos
Click or tap thumbnails to view larger images.
Is the pass open still. October 23rd 2020?
Yes.
Caltrans reports Highway 108 over Sonora Pass is open right now, 8:40 am, Friday, October 23, 20202. Winter weather hasn’t arrived in the Sierra yet, so the seasonal passes should still be open for a while.
The best source for up-to-the-minute road information is the Caltrans QuickMap at: http://quickmap.dot.ca.gov/
Will the pass be open April 28, 2021?
Patrick-
It’s possible but not probable. In the past ten seasons, Sonora Pass has been open before April 28 only four times.
I’m planning a backpacking trip April 8th-11th (Sword Lake) that requires me to get to Clarks Fork Road & Highway 108. What are the chances the Sonora pass will be open up to that point at this time of year. I’ve been reading that Highway 108 is closed east of Strawberry, CA. I’ve looked at google maps and I need to get about 6.6 miles further east on highway 108 to get to the trailhead. Does anyone have any knowledge than can share? Thanks.
Mike-
It is extremely unlikely that Highway 108 will be cleared and open to Clarks Fork Road by April 8. There is a snow park at 38.267, -119.992. That’s where the road is closed. What if you started your trip from there? Could you hike from the snow park to the trailhead?
Here’s some information about overnight parking at California snow parks:
http://ohv.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=1233
Planning to stay in Yosemite June 24-26. Will pass be open to go to 395 and Mammoth.
Thanks!
Andria-
Sonora Pass should be open in time for your trip. In the past ten seasons the latest it has stayed closed was June 13, in 2016.
If you are asking about Tioga Pass, the answer is less clear. That pass stayed closed until June 18 in 2010, until June 29 in 2016, and until July 1 in 2019.
How can I track the progress towards the opening of Sonora Pass?
thanks
Ron-
We’re not aware of any simple way to track the progress as Caltrans works to clear the passes. It would be great if there were an online map or something similar. Caltrans has a pretty good social media program and frequently posts important updates. Sonora Pass is in District 9. Here’s their Twitter Feed: https://twitter.com/Caltrans9. And here’s their Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Caltrans9/.
What is the likelihood of the pass being open Thursday 4/21/2021
Going to mammoth lakes/June lake.
Thinking we will have to go another way?
Sonora Pass is still closed as of right now, Thursday, April 21, 7:30 am. Caltrans does not have an estimated date and time for reopening.
Hi, I’m planning to drive from las vegas to San franc via 395 pass through mammoth on 1 dec 2022. Understand that 120 Tioga Pass should be close by then.
Would like to know if 108 sonora pass be open on 1 dec 2022? So i can drive from mammoth to 108 sonora pass to san franc. Appreciate your help and other tips as this is 1st time taking this route from a foreigner!
Here’s what we know:
Since 2010, Sonora Pass has been closed by December 1 five out of 12 seasons. Tioga Pass has been closed by December 1 six out of 12 seasons.
For more detail, have a look at: https://sierramountainpasses.com/central-sierra/caltrans-mountain-passes-information-is-missing/
It is not possible to predict winter Sierra pass closures in August. The road closures are not pre-scheduled. The passes are closed in response to the weather. For more information about Sierra weather, have a look at: https://sierramountainpasses.com/about-the-sierra-nevada-passes/weather/
And for more information about the hows and whys of seasonal Sierra road closures, take a look at: https://sierramountainpasses.com/about-the-sierra-nevada-passes/road-closures/
The best advice we can offer for travel in the Sierra is to have a flexible schedule and multiple route options. Remember, the mountains don’t care about your plans.
How long does it take to ride the pass (in a car) from 395 to Sonora? Thanks!
Great question. Thanks for asking.
The short answer is: About three hours.
The long answer is: How much time do you have? And, it depends. (Like just about any question about traveling in the Sierra.)
We’ve just checked one of our GPS tracks from a while back, while riding our motorcycles. It took us about three hours to ride from the US 395 junction to Sonora. That’s traveling at about the speed limit, in good weather, and without stopping.
If you’ve chosen to travel over Sonora Pass and you are not familiar with it, you will really want to plan some time to stop a bit and enjoy your journey. Find a safe place to pull over and take some photos. Maybe have a picnic. Perhaps even a short hike.
Do you enjoy driving twisty mountain roads? Fantastic. If not, will you be nervous, perhaps frightened a bit? Allow a lot more time to drive a speed you feel comfortable going, plus lots more to pull over on the turn outs and let other traffic pass you.
Of course if you encounter road construction, or inclement weather, or a lost 18-wheeler blocking the road, it will take a lot, lot longer.
Hi – Will we need a pass/permit for driving the 108 from the 395 to Sonora in September 2025 (i.e. similar to that required for the Tioga Road). Trying to plan for our trip next year.
Highway 108 over Sonora Pass doesn’t have any sort of permit or reservation system like Tioga Pass has in place for portions of the year. Highway 108 is an important state route that the highway department tries to keep open for traffic as much as possible. Tioga Pass goes through Yosemite National Park and the Park Service has implemented the permit/reservation system to attempt to help manage traffic congestion inside the park.
September is a fantastic time of year to visit the Sierra. If you are still able to choose the dates for your trip consider favoring the later part of the month. Your chances of seeing the beautiful autumn colors will be much better.