Caltrans District 10 announced yesterday that 8,736′ SR4 Ebbetts Pass is now open for the summer. There is lots of world-class backcountry skiing accessible from Ebbetts Pass.
The pass closed for the winter on November 18th, 2022; this is the latest it has opened since the big winter of 2016/17. Crews have been working since April 3rd to plow and repair the mountain pass.
#TrafficAdvisory #alpinecounty #sierranevada SR-4 Ebbetts Pass will open at 3 p.m. this afternoon for the spring/summer season. Please thank our Caltrans crew for their tireless efforts since the beginning of April to clear the road of snow, debris, and flooding to make this day possible. #caltranshq
– yesterday’s Facebook announcement
There is likely still lots of snow and snow melt, with snowpack still 4-6 feet deep in places, so please exert caution and drive carefully.
According to Wikipedia, Ebbetts Pass (el. 8,736 ft or 2,663 m), named after John Ebbetts, is a high mountain pass through the Sierra Nevada range in Alpine County, California. Ebbetts is the eastern of two passes in the area traversed by State Route 4. The western pass is the Pacific Grade Summit (el 8,050 ft or 2,450 m). The pass is registered as a California Historical Landmark. The Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,650-mile (4,260 km) long National Scenic Trail, crosses State Route 4 at Ebbetts Pass.
Caltrans District 10 manages three trans-Sierra passes in the central Sierra that are closed during winter and generally open in spring: Ebbetts Pass/SR-4 in Alpine County, Sonora Pass/SR-108 (Tuolumne County), and Monitor Pass/SR-89 (Alpine County). Monitor Pass opened on May 12th, but Sonora Pass and HWY 120 Tioga Pass (Caltrans District 9), the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park, remain closed.
Highway 108 over Sonora Pass leaves Hwy 49 in Sonora, CA, and rolls about 50 miles up to the Tuolumne/Mono County line at 9624′, before dropping 16 miles down to Highway 395 at Sonora Junction north of Bridgeport, CA. Highway 108 provides access to Dodge Ridge Ski Area, Eagle Meadows, Kennedy Meadows, Sonora Pass, and Leavitt Lake, all providing jumping-off points for backcountry skiing. Above Kennedy Meadows, this is a steep, winding, narrow, two-lane road.
Highway 4 over Ebbetts Pass leaves Highway 49 in Angel’s Camp, CA, and travels 61 miles from Arnold, CA, over the 8736′ pass to Markleeville, CA. You can access Highway 89 to Highway 395 over Monitor Pass before you get to Markleeville. Highway 4 accesses Bear Valley Mountain Resort, Lake Alpine, Highland Lakes, and Ebbetts Pass. Above Lake Alpine, this is a steep, narrow, winding road, often with only a single lane. The current west side closer is at the east end of Lake Alpine, with crews clearing to near Mosquito Lake.
For the latest information on road conditions throughout District 10, follow them on Twitter (@CaltransDist10) or Facebook (CaltransDistrict10).
Before you hit the road, plan your trip with the Caltrans QuickMap app or website at quickmap.dot.ca.gov. You can also call the Road Condition Hotline at 1-800-427-ROAD (7623).
