Hi, I am wondering if anyone can tell me what hwy 395 is like from the junction of hwy 58 all the way up to Reno. How steep and long are the mountain passes? We have a 38 ft dp pulling a toad. We want to take a different route back to BC from Az and have never been to Reno. From there we would take 395 to Susanville and then 36 over to Red Bluff. Our plan is to eventually go north down the Oregon coast. We would be doing this trip at the end of March.Is it doable or is there a better way.Thanks in advance.

US 395 is a very good road but it does get up to 8000 feet elevation between Bishop and Reno. Just watch the weather and you will be fine. There are a couple of climbs, the longest just north of Bishop; the second just north of Lee Vining. Many RV's travel the road annually.

The route up to Lee Vining does have any steep grades that I recall. It's been years since I drove the section north of that but looking at the altitudes of Lone Pine and Reno I see there is only a few hundred feet difference. So maybe it is moderate as well.Whoops I just checked Lee Vining and it is at 6700 ft so the must be a climb of 3000 ft between Lone Pine and that point. And almost as much drop to Reno.

Thanks for the replies. I take it that these grades are not that steep but maybe long?

What length of climb gives you problems? BC5 to Merritt?Did you take I5 south bound? From Oregon to California?

Have gone up 395 several times all the way to Carson City, Reno and Lake. As indicated, the climb out of Bishop is a long one and then again out of Lee Vining where the roads are a tad mountainous/s-turns but it should be a beautiful drive now with recent wet weather. The Walker River flows along the highway out of Lee Vining. We have traveled this in a 37' DP towing a toad.

Hwy US 395 | Good Sam Community

25 Replies

Acampingwewillg
Explorer II
Feb 14, 2015
Have gone up 395 several times all the way to Carson City, Reno and Lake. As indicated, the climb out of Bishop is a long one and then again out of Lee Vining where the roads are a tad mountainous/s-turns but it should be a beautiful drive now with recent wet weather. The Walker River flows along the highway out of Lee Vining. We have traveled this in a 37' DP towing a toad.
paulj
Explorer II
Feb 14, 2015
What length of climb gives you problems? BC5 to Merritt?

Did you take I5 south bound? From Oregon to California?
slickest1
Explorer
Feb 14, 2015
Thanks for the replies. I take it that these grades are not that steep but maybe long?
agesilaus
Explorer III
Feb 13, 2015
The route up to Lee Vining does have any steep grades that I recall. It's been years since I drove the section north of that but looking at the altitudes of Lone Pine and Reno I see there is only a few hundred feet difference. So maybe it is moderate as well.

Whoops I just checked Lee Vining and it is at 6700 ft so the must be a climb of 3000 ft between Lone Pine and that point. And almost as much drop to Reno.
jmtandem
Explorer II
Feb 13, 2015
US 395 is a very good road but it does get up to 8000 feet elevation between Bishop and Reno. Just watch the weather and you will be fine. There are a couple of climbs, the longest just north of Bishop; the second just north of Lee Vining. Many RV's travel the road annually.

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Hwy US 395

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