Cycling the Sierra Nevada Mountains
Photos clockwise from top left:
Onion Valley Road; Whitaker Forest; Kings Canyon NP; Yosemite Valley; Whitney Portal (center)
Sierra Nevada is spanish for “snowy range.” This mountain range, located on the eastern edge of California, is home to some of the greatest road bike climbs and climbing areas in the US and world. This range runs 400 miles north-to-south and 70 miles across (east-to-west) and includes Lake Tahoe (the largest alpine lake in North America), three national parks (Yosemite, King, and Sequoia) and the highest point in the contiguous United States (Mt. Whitney).
CLIMBING AREAS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAINS
(north to south)
Markleeville
Photos, clockwise from upper left:
Ebbetts Pass East; Monitor Pass West; Ebbetts Pass West. and Monitor Pass East.
Markleeville is home to one of the great one-day bike climbing events in the US, the Death Ride. The top and most popular bike climbs in this area are Monitor Pass (East and West) and Ebbetts Pass (East and West).
Yosemite National Park
Photos, clockwise from upper left:
El Capitan; Western Entrance; Tioga Pass; Hetch Hetchy Dam; Glacier Point (middle).
Yosemite is simply breathtaking -- a bucket list place to visit and a wonderful road biking experience. We have ridden and documented all of the bike climbs in and around Yosemite and also ridden to and from Yosemite Valley and Lee Vining (the eastern entrance to the park). It just doesn’t get any more beautiful than Yosemite NP!
Owens Valley
Photos, clockwise from upper left:
Pine Creek; Onion Valley; Horseshoe Meadows; Rock Creek; Whitney Portal (middle).
Owens Valley is one of the top five best areas in the world to climb by bike. Eight of the 10 HC climbs in the Owens Valley are located on the east side of the valley, the Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, which are steeper and more stark than the Western Sierras.
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
Photos, clockwise from upper left:
Bear Creek; Mineral King; Hwy 198; Whitaker Forest.
The great and unparalleled attraction here is the Giant Sequoia Redwood trees bordering the upper sections of Whitaker Forest, Highway 198, Mineral King Road, and Bear Creek Road -- we highly recommend these bike climbs -- they are spectacular and you will not be disappointed.