Salinas to Lone Pine

Thanks everyone! I HOPE that we have so much snow, that 120 is closed...we sure need the rain/snow!! Looks like 58-14-395 is my route! Appreciate all the help!! :B

120 won't be open in April. The earliest date it has opened in the last 20 years is April 29th. It opened on May 2 this year and this was a very small snow fall year.

Google maps is your friend on this. Here are the mileages for you:

If you go down to 58 to 14 to 395 it's 372 miles.

If you take 178 instead of 58 it's 359 miles, but a whole lot slower drive.

If 120 were open you're looking at about 370 miles depending on what road you take.

Going up to 88 gets you to 471 miles.

Going up to 50 gets you to about 509 miles.

I think that tends to show that going down to 58 is probably the best route for you considering the time of year. If 120 were open that is the route I'd take only because it's a lot nicer of drive.

The best, and easiest, route would be to take hwy 99 to Bakersfield. Then hop on to hwy 58 east towards Tehachapi/Mojave, CA. You can then take hwy 14 that will intersect with the 395 at Inyokern. You are then approx an hour or so from Lone Pine.

178 (through the Kern River Canyon) *looks* like a shorter route, but it's very slow and curvy and taking it will add a lot of time to your trip. Also, there are stretches of 178 eastbound with rock "overhangs" very close to the road; one has to be watchful when driving a high-profile vehicle.

As commented, 120 will likely still be closed in April, and 50 is very far north; I suggest taking 58 out of Bakersfield to 14 (you'd have to check conditions over Tehachapi; it's only 4000', and should be fine in April, but who knows?), catch 395 and head up to Lone Pine. 395 is one of the best roads, in condition and scenery, in CA.

Any way you go, it's a long trip and there's really no easy or "fast" way to get there.

I would take the Southern route because the 120 will probably still be closed at Tioga Pass and the 50 is way North adding a lot of miles, could run into snow also.