Road trip guide: Conquering Babbitt Peak
Babbitt Peak is a high mountain peak at an elevation of 2.664m (8,740ft) above the sea level, located in Sierra County, in the U.S. state of California.
Set high on the northern edge of the Sierra Nevada, within the Tahoe National Forest, the road to the summit is totally unpaved. It’s called Babbitt Road. The dirt road to the summit is well maintained and doable for a 2WD vehicle but high clearance vehicle is recommended. At the summit there’s a lookout built in 1937 and usually staffed during the fire season.
It’s impassable in winters (typically December-April). The road is pretty steep. Starting at County Road S860 (Smithneck Road), the ascent is 9.65km (6.0 miles) long, with an elevation gain of 753 meters. The average gradient is 7.80%, hitting a 13.1% of maximum gradient through some of the ramps.
Pic&video: Jay Hayden