--- title: "Real Sierra Drive Times, Measured Not Estimated | Arnold Haven" description: "Measured driving times from San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto to every central Sierra destination, with winter allowances and the seasonal dates for Ebbetts, Sonora and Tioga passes." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "Article", "headline": "Real Sierra Drive Times, Measured Not Estimated", "description": "Measured driving times from San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto to every central Sierra destination, with winter allowances and the seasonal dates for Ebbetts, Sonora and Tioga passes.", "datePublished": "2026-09-13", "dateModified": "2026-09-13", "articleSection": "Trip planning", "mainEntityOfPage": "https://arnoldhaven.com/guides/sierra-drive-times" }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "How long is the drive from San Francisco to the Sierra Nevada?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "To the foothill Gold Rush towns, about two and a half hours. To Calaveras Big Trees and the first sequoias, three hours. To Bear Valley at 7,100 feet, three and a half. To Yosemite Valley, just under four. All measured door to door in normal daytime traffic." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When does Tioga Pass open?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Usually late May or June. Clearing of Tioga Road begins around 15 April each year and takes one to two months depending on snowpack; the National Park Service publishes historical opening dates back to 1933 and does not forecast the date in advance. It closes with the first sustained storm, typically in November." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When do Ebbetts Pass and Sonora Pass open and close?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Caltrans District 10 closes both with the first sustained snow, usually in the first half of November, and reopens them in late May in an average year — earlier in a light winter, as late as July in a heavy one. No date is announced in advance." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How many state parks are there in California?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "280 units in the California State Parks system, covering about 1.6 million acres. Four of them are in this guide's area: Calaveras Big Trees, Columbia, Marshall Gold Discovery and Indian Grinding Rock." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Highway 4 over Ebbetts Pass a scenic byway?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. The Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway runs 61 miles from Arnold to Markleeville and holds both state and national scenic byway designation. The section above Lake Alpine is single-track in places with no centre line and is not suitable for large vehicles or trailers." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Do I need chains to drive to the Sierra in winter?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "You need to be carrying them. Chain controls above about 6,000 feet are enforced at checkpoints, and R2 means chains on all vehicles except four-wheel drive with snow tyres on all four wheels. Below 5,000 feet the roads are usually ploughed bare, but the requirement to carry chains still applies." } } ] } ] --- [Skip to content](#main-content) [![](/__l5e/assets-v1/84bf9984-9cf8-406b-aaf5-dbde0a9f8c6a/arnold-haven-mark-white.png)Arnold Haven Arnold · California ](/) [Cabins](/cabins)[Explore](/explore)[Guides](/guides)[Membership](/circle)[Support](/chalet-bruin-future)[Merch](/merch)[Book a stay](/cabins) ![Real Sierra Drive Times, Measured Not Estimated](/assets/highway-49-bridge-BqI8oDgl.jpg) Trip planning # Real Sierra Drive Times, Measured Not Estimated Every itinerary you read invents these numbers. We drive them. Below is the measured driving time from San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto to every destination that matters on the central Sierra's two main corridors, with what winter adds to each one — plus the seasonal closure dates for Ebbetts, Sonora and Tioga passes and the live Caltrans picture for all three, further down the page. [Check availability](/cabins)[See the cabins](/cabins) Trip planning ## First things first: why published Sierra drive times are wrong September 13, 2026 Two things break the numbers in most travel articles. The first is that mapping software gives you a time for an empty road, and the roads that matter here are not empty at the times you will use them: Highway 4 above Angels Camp on a Friday evening in ski season, Highway 120 into Yosemite on a summer Saturday morning, and Highway 108 out of Sonora on a Sunday afternoon each run twenty to forty minutes longer than the estimate. The second is elevation. These are not motorways. Highway 4 climbs from 1,400 feet at Angels Camp to 8,730 at Ebbetts Pass, mostly on two lanes with no passing, and one slow truck sets the pace for everyone behind it for twenty miles. A 60-mile leg here is not an hour. Every figure in the table is measured door to door in ordinary daytime conditions, and the winter allowance column is what to add for a wet or snow-covered road, not for a storm. In an active storm the honest answer is to wait it out. ![A two-lane highway curving between golden oak-covered foothills](/assets/highway-49-road-C2G9pH2v.jpg) The data ## Measured drive times to the central Sierra Door-to-door times in normal daytime traffic, rounded to five minutes, driven within the last two seasons. Winter allowance is what to add for wet or snowy road in December to March, not for a storm — in a storm the answer is do not go. Measured driving times from San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton and Modesto to central Sierra destinations, with elevation and winter allowance Destination⇅ , sort ascending Corridor⇅ , sort ascending Elevation (ft)⇅ , sort ascending San Francisco⇅ , sort ascending Sacramento⇅ , sort ascending Stockton⇅ , sort ascending Modesto⇅ , sort ascending Winter allowance⇅ , sort ascending Open⇅ , sort ascending Angels Camp Highway 4 1,400 2 h 20 m 1 h 50 m 1 h 05 m 1 h 10 m None Year round Murphys Highway 4 2,200 2 h 30 m 2 h 00 m 1 h 15 m 1 h 20 m 5 minutes Year round Arnold Highway 4 4,000 2 h 50 m 2 h 15 m 1 h 35 m 1 h 40 m 15 minutes Year round Calaveras Big Trees Highway 4 4,700 3 h 00 m 2 h 20 m 1 h 40 m 1 h 45 m 15 minutes Year round Bear Valley Highway 4 7,100 3 h 30 m 2 h 55 m 2 h 15 m 2 h 20 m 30–60 minutes Year round to the village Lake Alpine Highway 4 7,300 3 h 40 m 3 h 05 m 2 h 25 m 2 h 30 m Closed Late May to October Ebbetts Pass summit Highway 4 8,730 4 h 10 m 3 h 35 m 2 h 55 m 3 h 00 m Closed Late May to November Sonora Highway 108 1,800 2 h 40 m 2 h 20 m 1 h 25 m 1 h 15 m None Year round Columbia Highway 49 2,100 2 h 45 m 2 h 15 m 1 h 30 m 1 h 20 m None Year round Twain Harte Highway 108 3,600 3 h 00 m 2 h 35 m 1 h 45 m 1 h 35 m 10 minutes Year round Dodge Ridge Highway 108 6,600 3 h 30 m 3 h 05 m 2 h 15 m 2 h 05 m 30–60 minutes Year round to the base Pinecrest Lake Highway 108 5,600 3 h 25 m 3 h 00 m 2 h 10 m 2 h 00 m 30 minutes Year round Kennedy Meadows Highway 108 6,400 4 h 00 m 3 h 35 m 2 h 45 m 2 h 35 m Closed Late May to October Sonora Pass summit Highway 108 9,624 4 h 15 m 3 h 50 m 3 h 00 m 2 h 50 m Closed Late May to November Groveland Highway 120 3,100 2 h 50 m 2 h 40 m 1 h 50 m 1 h 25 m 10 minutes Year round Hetch Hetchy Highway 120 3,800 3 h 40 m 3 h 30 m 2 h 40 m 2 h 15 m Gate hours vary Year round, daylight only Yosemite Valley Highway 120 4,000 3 h 55 m 3 h 40 m 2 h 50 m 2 h 20 m 30–60 minutes Year round Tioga Pass summit Highway 120 9,945 5 h 15 m 5 h 00 m 4 h 10 m 3 h 45 m Closed Late May or June to November Jackson Highway 49 1,200 2 h 25 m 1 h 05 m 1 h 10 m 1 h 30 m None Year round Placerville Highway 50 1,900 2 h 20 m 0 h 50 m 1 h 30 m 1 h 50 m None Year round Download this table (CSV) Click any column heading to sort. Free to reuse with attribution. How far up each corridor goes Summit elevation of the three seasonal passes, and the elevation of the towns below them. Everything above about 6,500 feet is winter-closed. - Tioga Pass (SR 120) 9,945 ft Highest paved pass in California - Sonora Pass (SR 108) 9,624 ft Steepest — 26 percent grades - Ebbetts Pass (SR 4) 8,730 ft Narrowest, no centre line for miles - Bear Valley village 7,100 ft - Dodge Ridge base 6,600 ft - Arnold 4,000 ft Where the cabins are — the snow line, roughly Sources - Drive times: measured door to door by us in normal daytime traffic across the 2025 and 2026 seasons, rounded to five minutes. - Seasonal closure points and responsibilities: Caltrans District 10 mountain passes programme (Ebbetts, Sonora and Monitor) and the National Park Service for Tioga Road. - Tioga opening and closing dates: National Park Service historical seasonal opening and closing dates for Yosemite, 1933 to present. - Elevations: US Geological Survey. 02 ## The three seasonal passes, and when they actually open Three passes cross the central Sierra and all three close for winter. Caltrans District 10 shuts and reopens Ebbetts (State Route 4) and Sonora (State Route 108); the National Park Service handles Tioga Road (State Route 120) inside Yosemite. Nobody publishes a date in advance, because the date is decided by snowpack and avalanche risk, not the calendar. The pattern from the records is consistent enough to plan around. Closure comes with the first sustained storm, typically the first half of November and occasionally late October. Reopening is late May in an average year, mid-May in a light one, and July in a heavy one — the Park Service starts clearing Tioga around 15 April and the job takes one to two months. Ebbetts and Sonora tend to open within a week or two of each other and usually a little before Tioga. The practical consequence for a Memorial Day trip is that you should not assume any of the three is open. Plan the trip so it works with the passes closed, and treat an open pass as a bonus. > Closes: early November, give or take. Opens: late May, give or take a month. No exceptions and no announcements. **Ebbetts (SR 4):** 8,730 ft, Caltrans · **Sonora (SR 108):** 9,624 ft, Caltrans · **Tioga (SR 120):** 9,945 ft, National Park Service [Live Highway 4 conditions→ ](/explore/highway-4-conditions) ![A mountain highway gate closed for winter with deep snow beyond it](/assets/sonora-pass-closure-KACiwhPu.jpg) ![A narrow highway climbing the bare granite switchbacks of Sonora Pass under a deep blue sky](/assets/sonora-pass-summit-BV_ZHJdT.jpg) Road conditions ## Highway 4 and Ebbetts Pass right now Live from Caltrans, so the pass rows above can be checked against today rather than an average year. Reference point Bear Valley, California — 7,100 ft Sources Caltrans & National Weather Service [Caltrans conditions for Highway 4 ↗ ](https://roads.dot.ca.gov/?roadnumber=4) Chain control None reported Closures None reported Mountain temp 64°F Sky Clear Snow next 24h 0" Snow next 72h 0" Snow level 10,900 ft SR 4 1-way controlled traffic at various locations from Bacon Island Rd to Tracy Boulevard /in Stockton/ (San Joaquin Co) from 0700 hrs to 1800 hrs Wednesday thru Friday thru 9/11/26 - Due to maintenance SR 4 1-way controlled traffic at various locations from Angel Oaks Dr to Six Mile Creek (Calaveras Co) from 0630 hrs to 1830 hrs Wednesday thru Friday thru 9/11/26 - Due to maintenance Read Sep 12, 4:37 PM Pacific time, from a Caltrans report dated Saturday, September 12th, 2026 at 04:37 PM. Conditions change faster than any page can; treat this as a starting point and confirm with Caltrans before you drive. 03 ## Which corridor to use, and the mistake people make Highway 4 is the shortest way from the Bay Area to a giant sequoia grove and a ski hill: Angels Camp, Murphys, Arnold, Calaveras Big Trees, Bear Valley. Highway 108 is the Sonora corridor and gives you Twain Harte, Pinecrest and Dodge Ridge. Highway 120 is the Yosemite road through Groveland. Highway 49 crosses all three and joins the Gold Rush towns. The mistake is treating them as interchangeable because they look close together on a map. There is no quick way between the upper ends of Highway 4 and Highway 108 in winter — the connecting roads over the ridge are unploughed forest routes — so a trip from Bear Valley to Dodge Ridge means coming most of the way back down to the foothills. That is 90 minutes in either direction, not the twenty the map implies. > On the map the two ski hills are fifteen miles apart. On the road, in February, they are an hour and a half. **Rule of thumb:** pick one corridor per trip below the snow line, or accept the descent between them [Live Highway 108 conditions→ ](/explore/highway-108-conditions) ![A plowed two-lane mountain highway curving uphill between snow banks and snow-laden pines](/assets/highway4-plowed-CNPDrnXv.jpg) ![A two-lane highway winding through conifers toward high granite country with patchy roadside snow](/assets/yosemite-road-120-DXbR3-Ua.jpg) 04 ## What winter really adds Between roughly 4,000 and 5,000 feet — which includes Arnold and Twain Harte — a snowy road adds ten to twenty minutes and nothing more dramatic. Above 6,000 feet, chain control is the variable that matters: R1 and R2 restrictions mean chains unless you have four-wheel drive with snow tyres, and they are enforced at a checkpoint you cannot drive around. Fitting chains in a lay-by in the dark costs half an hour before you have moved. The other winter cost is daylight. These roads are unlit, deer are active at dusk, and the last hour of a mountain drive in the dark in falling snow is the part people underestimate. Our own rule for guests is to be off Highway 4 above Arnold by nightfall in a storm. > Add half an hour above 6,000 feet in winter, and another half hour if you have to fit chains. **Carry:** chains for your tyre size, a torch, gloves and a full tank from the foothills — there is no fuel above Arnold on Highway 4 [Learn more about Bear Valley→ ](/explore/bear-valley-ski-resort) ![Tyre chains laid out on wet snowy asphalt beside a car wheel at a roadside pull-out](/assets/highway4-chains-tjOFkr5F.jpg) ![A snow-covered mountain highway at dusk during light snowfall, pines heavy with snow on both sides](/assets/highway4-storm-DpFkKwYk.jpg) 05 ## Day trips and weekend trips from the Bay Area, honestly assessed As a day trip from San Francisco, the central Sierra is at the edge of reasonable. Calaveras Big Trees is three hours each way, which is six hours of driving for four hours of trees — doable, and plenty of people do it, but it is a long day. Columbia and Murphys at two hours forty-five are a genuinely comfortable day out. Yosemite Valley at just under four hours each way is not a day trip, whatever the roundups say. As a weekend, everything changes. Two nights at 4,000 feet puts the sequoias, three Gold Rush towns, a ski hill and a river canyon inside an hour of the front door, and you drive the long leg once in each direction rather than twice in a day. > The honest line: two and a half hours is a day trip, three and a half is a weekend. **From San Francisco:** Murphys 2 h 30 m · Big Trees 3 h · Bear Valley 3 h 30 m · Yosemite Valley 3 h 55 m [Learn more about Big Trees→ ](/explore/big-trees-state-park) ![A dirt footpath winding between giant sequoia trunks in a shaded grove](/assets/bigtrees-grove-path-CkbaOhuQ.jpg) Road conditions ## Highway 108 and Sonora Pass right now The Sonora corridor, updated from the same Caltrans feed. Reference point Pinecrest, California — 5,600 ft Sources Caltrans & National Weather Service [Caltrans conditions for Highway 108 ↗ ](https://roads.dot.ca.gov/?roadnumber=108) Chain control None reported Closures None reported Mountain temp 76°F Sky Clear Snow next 24h 0" Snow next 72h 0" Snow level 10,700 ft SR 108 \[IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA\] \[YOSEMITE NAT'L PARK\] For Yosemite Nat'l Park road information call 209-372-0200 Read Sep 12, 4:37 PM Pacific time, from a Caltrans report dated Saturday, September 12th, 2026 at 04:37 PM. Conditions change faster than any page can; treat this as a starting point and confirm with Caltrans before you drive. 06 ## Where to stay in the middle of it Arnold sits at 4,000 feet on Highway 4, which is the reason the drive-time column for the cabins reads the way it does: twenty minutes to the sequoias, forty minutes to Bear Valley, fifteen to Murphys, an hour to Columbia and Sonora, and an hour and a half to the Highway 108 ski hill. It is also below the usual snow line, so the road to the door is ploughed and you drive up to the snow rather than living in it. Both our cabins are on that road, and every number on this page was measured from one of their driveways. - [CHALET BRUIN — 12 guests, 5 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/chalet-bruin) - [KODA LOFT — 4 guests, 2 bedrooms→ ](/cabins/koda-loft) ![A rocky singletrack overlook on the Arnold Rim Trail above the forested river canyon](/assets/arnold-rim-trail-overlook-CxSkCO9d.jpg) Nearby ## Keep exploring [ ![Highway 4 conditions](/assets/highway4-chains-tjOFkr5F.jpg) ### Highway 4 conditions Live chain control and closures on the cabins' own road. Discover ↗ ](/explore/highway-4-conditions) [ ![Highway 108 conditions](/assets/sonora-pass-closure-KACiwhPu.jpg) ### Highway 108 conditions Sonora Pass, Pinecrest and the Dodge Ridge corridor. Discover ↗ ](/explore/highway-108-conditions) [ ![Yosemite conditions](/assets/yosemite-road-120-DXbR3-Ua.jpg) ### Yosemite conditions Tioga Road status and the Highway 120 approach. Discover ↗ ](/explore/yosemite-conditions) Cite this page ## Free to quote, chart or screenshot — a credit and a link is all we ask This page is kept up to date on purpose so it can be cited. Copy the line below, or link to the stable URL. Arnold Haven, "Real Sierra Drive Times, Measured Not Estimated", updated 13 September 2026. https://arnoldhaven.com/guides/sierra-drive-times Stable URL https://arnoldhaven.com/guides/sierra-drive-times Last updated 13 September 2026 Publisher Arnold Haven, Arnold, California Good to know ## Frequently asked questions How long is the drive from San Francisco to the Sierra Nevada? + To the foothill Gold Rush towns, about two and a half hours. To Calaveras Big Trees and the first sequoias, three hours. To Bear Valley at 7,100 feet, three and a half. To Yosemite Valley, just under four. All measured door to door in normal daytime traffic. When does Tioga Pass open? + Usually late May or June. Clearing of Tioga Road begins around 15 April each year and takes one to two months depending on snowpack; the National Park Service publishes historical opening dates back to 1933 and does not forecast the date in advance. It closes with the first sustained storm, typically in November. When do Ebbetts Pass and Sonora Pass open and close? + Caltrans District 10 closes both with the first sustained snow, usually in the first half of November, and reopens them in late May in an average year — earlier in a light winter, as late as July in a heavy one. No date is announced in advance. How many state parks are there in California? + 280 units in the California State Parks system, covering about 1.6 million acres. Four of them are in this guide's area: Calaveras Big Trees, Columbia, Marshall Gold Discovery and Indian Grinding Rock. Is Highway 4 over Ebbetts Pass a scenic byway? + Yes. The Ebbetts Pass National Scenic Byway runs 61 miles from Arnold to Markleeville and holds both state and national scenic byway designation. The section above Lake Alpine is single-track in places with no centre line and is not suitable for large vehicles or trailers. Do I need chains to drive to the Sierra in winter? + You need to be carrying them. Chain controls above about 6,000 feet are enforced at checkpoints, and R2 means chains on all vehicles except four-wheel drive with snow tyres on all four wheels. Below 5,000 feet the roads are usually ploughed bare, but the requirement to carry chains still applies. ![](/__l5e/assets-v1/84bf9984-9cf8-406b-aaf5-dbde0a9f8c6a/arnold-haven-mark-white.png) Arnold Haven Cabin stays in Arnold, California — minutes from Calaveras Big Trees State Park, White Pines Lake and Bear Valley. [Check availability](/cabins) Cabins - [CHALET BRUIN](/cabins/chalet-bruin) - [KODA LOFT](/cabins/koda-loft) - [All cabins](/cabins) - [Check availability](/availability-search) - [About us](/about) - [Things to do](/things-to-do) - [Support Chalet Bruin](/chalet-bruin-future) - [Merch](/merch) Legal - [Privacy Policy](/privacy-policy) - [Terms & Conditions](/terms-conditions) - Cookie preferences Explore - [Arnold, CA](/explore/arnold-california) - [Big Trees State Park](/explore/big-trees-state-park) - [Murphys, CA](/explore/murphys-california) - [Bear Valley Ski Resort](/explore/bear-valley-ski-resort) - [Dodge Ridge Ski Resort](/explore/dodge-ridge-ski-resort) - [Sonora, CA](/explore/sonora-ca) - [Twain Harte, CA](/explore/twain-harte-ca) - [Strawberry, CA](/explore/strawberry-ca) - [Jackson, CA](/explore/jackson-ca) - [Columbia State Historic Park](/explore/columbia-state-historic-park) - [Black Chasm Cavern](/explore/black-chasm-cavern) - [Moaning Caverns](/explore/moaning-caverns) - [Mercer Caverns](/explore/murphys-california/mercer-caverns) - [Angels Camp, CA](/explore/angels-camp-ca) - [Mokelumne Hill](/explore/mokelumne-hill) - [San Andreas, CA](/explore/san-andreas-ca) - [Lake Alpine](/explore/lake-alpine) - [Spicer Meadow Reservoir](/explore/spicer-meadow-reservoir) - [White Pines Lake](/explore/arnold-california/white-pines-lake) - [Arnold Rim Trail](/explore/arnold-california/arnold-rim-trail) - [Sequoia Woods Country Club](/explore/arnold-california/sequoia-woods-country-club) - [Forest Meadows Golf Course](/explore/forest-meadows-golf-course) - [Highway 4 conditions](/explore/highway-4-conditions) Guides - [Every Giant Sequoia Grove in California, Compared](/guides/california-giant-sequoia-groves) - [The Gold Rush Towns of Highway 49, Compared](/guides/california-gold-rush-towns) - [The Best Restaurants in Sonora, CA](/guides/restaurants/sonora-restaurants) - [Real Sierra Drive Times, Measured Not Estimated](/guides/sierra-drive-times) - [Top Restaurants Near Arnold, CA](/guides/restaurants/arnold-restaurants) - [OHV and Dirt Bike Trails Near Arnold, CA](/guides/ohv/ohv-dirt-bike-trails-near-arnold) - [When It Snows in the Sierra, by Elevation](/guides/sierra-snow-season) - [The Best Fishing Spots Near Arnold, CA](/guides/fishing/fishing-spots-near-arnold) © 2026 Arnold Haven. 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