BIG PINE - WAUCOBA PASS

RIDE OVERVIEW
Waucoba Pass....also called Death Valley Road....is an awesome ride out of Big Pine. The moderate and generally very consistent grade of 5% for about 13 miles is a rare find in the Eastern Sierras, but don't let that fool you, this ride is plenty challenging.

Going up the climb you will be treated to some beautiful high desert scenery, a very cool narrow canyon, and periodic 8% kickers to keep it exciting. On the descent you will be challenged to keep your eyes on the road, the view westward of the Sierras is breathtaking.

We think this ride is great all year round but we especially love this ride in the late Fall and throughout the Winter - the lower temps make the exposed climb more enjoyable.

LINK-UPS + NEARBY RIDES
We did not include this in the ride stats, but you can drop down the back side of Waucoba Pass - it adds another 4.5k feet of climbing to get back out and it is not for the faint of legs/heart but it is a worthy adventure if you are into a full day of climbing. 

Alternately, this ride could be linked up with Glacier Lodge, Bristlecone, or Westguard if you are looking to make a bigger climbing day in Big Pine. 

Another fun option that we enjoy is to start this ride from Bishop - it adds on an extra 30ish miles round-trip and as long as the winds are being nice (LOL) then you will have a great pre/post climb ride.

RIDE STATS
Distance = 32.3 miles
Elevation Gain = 3,722 feet
Road Quality = generally good
Bike Lane / Shoulder Size = not really
Amount of Traffic = very minimal

RIDE ESSENTIALS
Start Location = Mendenhall Park
Turn-Around Point = Top of Waucoba Pass
End Location = Mendenhall Park
Parking = plentiful
Bathrooms = yes
Water = yes at start