{{short description|Highway in California}} {{Use American English|date=March 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{redirect-distinguish-text|Sierra Freeway|the Sierra Highway}} {{Infobox road |state=CA |type=CA |route=168 |map={{maplink-road|from=California State Route 168.map}} |map_notes=Map of eastern California with CA&nbsp;168 highlighted in red; the gap represents the unconstructed segment over the Sierra Nevada |map_custom=yes |section=468 |length_mi=124 |length_round=2 |length_ref=<ref name="bridgelog" /> |restrictions=The segment from Lake Sabrina east to Aspendell in the eastern Sierra is closed most winters due to snow.<ref name="Pass Closures"/><ref name="KCET"/> |established=1934 |tourist={{plainlist| *20px|alt=|link= Sierra Heritage Scenic Byway *20px|alt=|link=20px|alt=|link= Ancient Bristlecone Scenic Byway }} |direction_a=West |direction_b=East |terminus_a1={{jct|state=CA|CA|41|CA|180}} in Fresno |terminus_b1=Huntington Lake |terminus_a2=Lake Sabrina |junction2={{jct|state=CA|US|395}} from Bishop to Big Pine |terminus_b2={{jct|state=CA|CA|266}} at Oasis |counties=Fresno, Inyo, Mono |previous_type=CA |previous_route=167 |next_type=CA |next_route=169 }}

'''State Route 168''' ('''SR&nbsp;168''') is an east-west state highway in the U.S. state of California that is separated into two distinct segments by the Sierra Nevada. The western segment runs from State Routes 41 and 180 in Fresno east to Huntington Lake along the western slope of the Sierra. The eastern segment connects Lake Sabrina in the Eastern Sierra to State Route 266 in the community of Oasis, just to the west of the Nevada border. The eastern segment of SR&nbsp;168 also forms a concurrency with U.S. Route 395 between Bishop and Big Pine. Originally conceived as a trans-Sierra highway, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has no plans to complete SR&nbsp;168 over the Sierra Nevada through wilderness areas.

==Route description== {{More citations needed section|date=January 2020|reason=actual route description is unsourced, sourced material only covers the details and status of the road itself}} {{-}} [[Image:Highway-168.jpg|thumb|left|Highway 168 along Bishop Creek, Eastern Sierra]] The western segment of SR 168 begins as the '''Sierra Freeway''' in southeast Fresno at its interchange with Highway 180. After reaching Shephard Avenue at the northeast edge of Clovis, it becomes the two-lane '''Tollhouse Road''' before it begins its ascent up the Sierra Foothills. Near Humphreys Station, Tollhouse Road branches off and takes a direct route northeast to Tollhouse, while SR 168 bypasses northwest through Prather. SR 168 and Tollhouse Road then merge again north of Tollhouse. In Ockenden, SR 168 changes from Tollhouse Road to Huntington Lake Road.{{Disputed inline|East end of Tollhouse Road|date=September 2020}} The highway then continues east up the Sierra Nevada, passing Shaver Lake before ending at Huntington Lake.

Before the reconstruction of urban Route 168 as a freeway, the route started at SR 41 and Shaw Avenue in Fresno. SR 168 ran along Shaw Avenue, Clovis Avenue, Third Street (Clovis), and Tollhouse Road to the current end of the freeway.

SR 168 cannot be used to cross the Sierra Nevada. The closest crossings of the Sierra Nevada are SR 120 via Tioga Pass to the north and Sherman Pass to the south. Both of these passes are accessible in warmer months only.

The eastern segment of SR 168 has its western terminus at Lake Sabrina on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada. This rural mountain road runs east to the town of Bishop, then joins U.S. Route 395 for 14.6 miles before separating from 395 in Big Pine. SR 168 then climbs into the White Mountains through Westgard Pass, passing the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest. From here it traverses Deep Springs Valley, home of Deep Springs College, before crossing into Fish Lake Valley, where the segment ends at SR 266, just west of the Nevada border. The segment of the highway from Lake Sabrina east to the community of Aspendell is subject to closure to most vehicles during the winter months, usually not opening until mid- or late-April, due to snow removal.<ref name="Pass Closures">{{cite web|url=https://dot.ca.gov/travel/winter-driving-tips|title=Winter Driving Tips|publisher=Caltrans|accessdate=January 2, 2023}}</ref><ref name="KCET">{{cite web | url=https://www.kcet.org/socal-wanderer/snow-leaves-eastern-sierra-mountain-roads-closed-for-the-season | title=Snow Leaves Eastern Sierra Mountain Roads Closed for the Season | publisher=KCET | access-date=2017-08-03}}</ref> The winter road closure gate is located to the southwest of Aspendell.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://bishopvisitor.com/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/BishopWinterMap.pdf | title=Bishop Area Winter Map | publisher=Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau | access-date=2017-08-03}}</ref>

SR 168 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System,<ref name="cafes">{{CAFESystem}}</ref> and in the Fresno and Clovis city limits is part of the National Highway System,<ref name=fhwa-nhs>{{FHWA NHS map|region=fresno|accessdate=September 17, 2017}}<br>{{FHWA NHS map|region=californiasouth|accessdate=September 17, 2017}}</ref> a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration.<ref name=NHS-FHWA>{{FHWA NHS}}</ref> SR 168 is eligible to be included in the State Scenic Highway System,<ref name="scenic">{{CA scenic}}</ref> and is officially designated as a scenic highway by the California Department of Transportation from Camp Sabrina to Brockman Lane on the Lone Pine Indian Reservation.<ref name="caltransscenic">{{Caltrans scenic|accessdate=September 17, 2017}}</ref>

Two portions of SR 168 are designated as National Forest Scenic Byways: the segment between Clovis and Huntington Lake is the '''Sierra Heritage Scenic Byway''', while the segment from Camp Sabrina to Brockman Lane is the '''Ancient Bristlecone Scenic Byway'''.<ref>{{cite web |author = Staff |url = http://byways.org/explore/byways/2303/ |title = Ancient Bristlecone Scenic Byway (Route 168) |work = America's Byways |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = October 23, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111023091553/http://byways.org/explore/byways/2303 |archive-date = October 23, 2011 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author = Staff |url = http://byways.org/explore/byways/2314/ |title = Sierra Heritage Scenic Byway (Route 168) |work = America's Byways |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = October 23, 2011 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111023090607/http://byways.org/explore/byways/2314 |archive-date = October 23, 2011 |url-status = dead |df = mdy-all }}</ref>

==History== The eastern part of the route, from the eastern over Westgard Pass to the Nevada state line near Lida, Nevada predates the era of numbered highways and dates to the auto trail era as part of the Midland Trail, one of the earliest transcontinental roads in the USA. It was at Big Pine that the Midland trail forked in its westward journey to its eventual western termini, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The western descent from Westgard Pass into the Owens Valley was described as a "Welcome to California" view in the route guides for the Midland trail.<ref name=fhwa>{{cite web|last=Westgard|first=A.L.|title=Motor Routes to the California Expositions|url=https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/infrastructure/westgard.cfm|work=Highway History|publisher=Federal Highway Administration|access-date=June 25, 2012}}</ref> Though SR&nbsp;168 is the original routing of the Midland Trail, the route was realigned numerous times, and signs today mark U.S. Route 6 as the routing of the Midland Trail from California east to Denver, Colorado.{{citation needed|date=January 2020}}

When the state of California began conceiving its own route network, modern SR&nbsp;168 was conceived as a trans-Sierra highway connecting Fresno and Bishop. The proposed route, named the High Sierra Piute Highway, would have taken the highway over the {{convert|adj=on|11453|ft|m}} Piute Pass,<ref name="fsusda"/> over {{convert|1400|ft|m|abbr=on}} higher than Tioga Pass, the current highest highway-traversed pass. However, the two segments were never connected. The rugged Sierra crest and eastern escarpment would have made construction very difficult and today two congressionally designated wilderness areas block the way: Kings Canyon National Park and the John Muir Wilderness.<ref name="caltransReport">{{cite web|url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist9/planning/docs/tcr_sr168.pdf|title=State Route 168 Transportation Concept Report|access-date=2017-08-03|publisher=California Department of Transportation|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211181348/http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist9/planning/docs/tcr_sr168.pdf|archive-date=2017-02-11}}</ref> The traversable route now comprises Kaiser Pass Road from Huntington Lake to Florence Lake, various hiking trails from Florence Lake and through the Piute Pass to North Lake, and North Lake Road to a point along SR&nbsp;168 east of where the highway connects to Lake Sabrina.<ref name="fsusda">{{cite web | url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd499744.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170302051855/https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd499744.pdf | url-status=dead | archive-date=March 2, 2017 | title=The High Sierra Piute Highway | publisher=US Forest Service | date=2015 | access-date=October 4, 2017}}</ref>

As originally designated SR 168 extended to the Nevada state line. The easternmost section of SR 168 was transferred to California State Route 266 in 1986.<ref name="CAstat1968">{{cite CAstat|year=1986|ch=928}}</ref>

==Major intersections== {{CAinttop|exit|post_ref=<br><ref name=trucklist /><ref name=bridgelog>{{Caltrans bridgelog|date=July 2007}}</ref><ref>California Department of Transportation, [https://traffic-counts.dot.ca.gov/ All Traffic Volumes on CSHS], 2005 and 2006</ref>|exit_ref=<br><ref>California Department of Transportation, California Numbered Exit Uniform System, [http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/exit/docs/onesixtyeighteast.pdf SR-168 Eastbound] and [http://www.dot.ca.gov/trafficops/exit/docs/onesixtyeightwest.pdf SR-168 Westbound], accessed February 2008</ref> }} {{CAint|exit |county=Fresno |cspan=18 |county_note=FRE R0.29-65.84 |location=Fresno |lspan=5 |postmile=R0.29 |exit=1 |road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|41|name1=Yosemite Freeway|SR|180|name2=Sequoia-Kings Canyon Freeway|city1=Lemoore|city2=Paso Robles|city3=Yosemite|city4=Kings Canyon|city5=Kerman|city6=Mendota}} |notes=Westbound exit and eastbound entrance; signed as exits 1A (SR 180 west) and 1B (SR 180 east); west end of SR 168; SR 41 exit 128A; SR 180 east exit 60A, west exit 60 }} {{CAint|exit |postmile=R0.99 |exit=1C |road={{Jct|state=CA|extra=airport|road|McKinley Avenue}} |notes=Signed as exit 1 eastbound; serves Fresno Yosemite International Airport }} {{CAint|exit |postmile=R2.02 |exit=2 |road=Shields Avenue |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |postmile=R3.04 |exit=3 |road=Ashlan Avenue |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |postmile=R4.26 |exit=4 |road=Shaw Avenue |notes=Former SR 168; serves California State University, Fresno }} {{CAint|exit |location=Clovis |lspan=6 |postmile=R5.63 |exit=6 |road=Bullard Avenue |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |postmile=R6.87 |exit=7 |road=Herndon Avenue |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |postmile=R8.04 |exit=8 |road=Fowler Avenue |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |postmile=R9.15 |exit=9 |road={{Jct|state=CA|extra=hospital|road|Temperance Avenue}} |notes=Serves Clovis Community Medical Center }} {{CAint|exit |postmile=R10.59 |exit= |road=Owens Mountain Parkway, Tollhouse Road west |notes=East end of freeway }} {{CAint|exit |postmile=R11.85 |exit= |road=Shephard Avenue |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |location=none |postmile=15.47 |exit= |road=Academy Avenue – Sanger, Kingsburg |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |location=none |postmile=T22.70 |exit= |road=Tollhouse Road east |notes=Connects northeast to Tollhouse }} {{CAint|exit |location=none |postmile=T24.70 |exit= |road=Millerton Road – Friant |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |location=Prather |postmile=T30.20 |exit= |road=Auberry Road – Millerton Lake |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |location=none |postmile=R36.18 |exit= |road=Tollhouse Road west |notes=Connects southwest to Tollhouse }} {{CAint|exit |location=Huntington Lake |lspan=2 |postmile=65.84 |pmspan=2 |exit= |espan=2 |road=Kaiser Pass Road – Mono Hot Springs, Edison Lake, Florence Lake |notes=East end of western section of SR 168 }} {{CAint| |mile=none |road= Huntington Lake Road – Huntington Lake |notes=Continuation beyond the east end of western section of SR 168 }} {{Jctgap}} {{CAint|exit |county=Inyo |cspan=6 |county_note=INY R0.00-54.70 |location=none |postmile=R0.00 |exit= |road=Lake Sabrina (Lake Sabrina Road) |notes=Continuation beyond the west end of eastern section of SR 168 }} {{CAint|exit |location=none |postmile=R1.25 |place=Westbound winter closure gate }} {{CAint|exit |location=Bishop |type=concur |postmile=18.31 |line=yes |postmile2=115.40<ref group="N" name="US 395">Indicates that the postmile represents the distance along US 395 rather than SR 168.</ref> |exit= |road={{Jct|state=CA|US|395|dir1=north|name1=Main Street|road|East Line Street|city1=Bridgeport|location2=Reno}} |notes=West end of US 395 overlap; former US 6 north; East Line Street serves Eastern Sierra Regional Airport }} {{CAint|exit |location=Big Pine |type=concur |postmile=100.83<ref group="N" name="US 395"/> |line=yes |postmile2=18.32 |exit= |road={{Jct|state=CA|US|395|dir1=south|city1=Big Pine|city2=Independence|city3=Los Angeles|road|County Road}} |notes=East end of US 395 overlap; former US 6 south }} {{CAint|exit |location=none |postmile=20.81 |exit= |road=Death Valley Road – Saline Valley, Eureka Valley, Scotty's Castle |notes= }} {{CAint|exit |location=none |postmile=32.23<ref name=summitlist /> |place=Westgard Pass, elevation {{Convert|7271|ft}}<ref name=summitlist>{{cite web|publisher=California Department of Transportation|title=Elevation and Location of Summits and Passes in California|url=http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tsip/data_library/archives/summit.xls|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301032752/http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/tsip/data_library/archives/summit.xls|archivedate=March 1, 2017}}</ref> }} {{CAint|exit |county=Mono |county_note=MNO 0.00-1.45 |location=Oasis |ctdab=Mono |postmile=1.45 |exit= |road={{Jct|state=CA|SR|266|to2=yes|US-NV|95|location1=Dyer}} |notes=East end of SR 168; SR 266 north is former SR 168 east }} {{Jctbtm|col=6|keys=concur}} {{reflist|group="N"}}

==See also== *{{portal-inline|California Roads}}

==References== {{Reflist|30em}}

==External links== {{Attached KML|display=title,inline}} {{Commons category|California State Route 168}} {{CASR external links|SR|168}} *[https://www.aaroads.com/california/ca-168.html California @ AARoads.com - State Route 168] *[https://www.cahighways.org/161-168.html#168 California Highways: Route 168] *[https://web.archive.org/web/20100621144027/http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist9/planning/docs/tcr_sr168.pdf State Route 168 Transportation Concept Report]

168 168 State Route 168 State Route 168 State Route 168 168 168 Category:Inyo National Forest Category:Transportation in Fresno, California Category:Clovis, California Category:Sierra Nevada (United States) Category:Bishop, California