Re: Chowchilla Mountain Road

The road has some small trees that have fallen into the roadway , causing small hazards . These trees will be removed this morning.The road is rutted but not severely enough to warrant continued closure. Road is open as of this morning.

Any of you ever drive this road?

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eeek
Any of you ever drive this road?

Should we be driving this road? What are we missing?

I've never done it. So whatever I'm missing is missing.

You are missing an opportunity to drive one of the old stage roads from the Mariposa area to Wawona, past a pretty neat USFS campground at Summit Camp, the site of Murphy's (where the Chowchilla Mtn. Road and the road to Fish Camp meet), the crossing of Big Creek where bordellos by the names of Tipperary and Happy Camp operated, logging railroad grades, bedrock mortars, at least one Indian camp, a logging camp dump, to name just a few.

When I worked in Wawona, I would drive over the mountain to bypass Oakhurst, come out near the auto junkyard and drive to Mariposa.

A very worthwhile drive.

Dearborn:

I'm glad I asked. I'll keep that in mind when I'm in that area.

I'm more often on the 120 side. Do you have any recommendations along hwy 120?

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RobE
I'm more often on the 120 side. Do you have any recommendations along hwy 120?

Have you used the Coulterville Road?

I should be asking you about Highway 120. I have been on it a number of times, but I don't know the road very well. After studying several options, I decided to approach Coulterville from the west, then to Greeley Hill and Highway 120 east of Groveland. I was pulling a 19' RV, and that seemed to be the easiest way at the time. Otherwise, I prefer the Arch Rock entrance without an RV, and South Entrance with a trailer.

I used to hunt and camp in the Summit Camp area, traveled to and from Wawona and explored several areas on the road, and have no reservations in recommending that others look into it. It requires a slow and cautious approach, but I believe you will like it.

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Dearborn
I should be asking you about Highway 120. I have been on it a number of times, but I don't know the road very well.

Happy to help if I can.

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Dearborn
I used to hunt and camp in the Summit Camp area, traveled to and from Wawona and explored several areas on the road, and have no reservations in recommending that others look into it. It requires a slow and cautious approach, but I believe you will like it.

Slow and cautious?? I probably won't like it.

I'm still traumatized from driving Wards Ferry Road. (A direct route between Big Oak Flat and the Sonora area.) Very narrow, with a nice abrupt drop over the side. It should be one way, but it's not... Oh and there are places to turn out, but if you turn out too far, you will go too far.

Rob,

Welcome to the wild west.

Jim

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tomdisco
Welcome to the wild west.

There are pockets of the old west still remaining. The area has a number of active ranches, complete with seasonal cattle drives. Ghost towns. Remnants of gold stamp mills and mines.

Which one? There is one between Coulterville and Priest. I've driven that one.

There is another road from Coulterville to Groveland (actually east of Groveland).
I've taken that one between Groveland and Greely Hill.

There is Old Highway 120. I think that is an old stage road, but more developed
than Chowchilla Mountain Road. That is probably the most interesting of the
three.

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RobE
There is another road from Coulterville to Groveland (actually east of Groveland).

That's the one I did last month. We were heading back to Oakhurst and it was a nice shortcut. Made the GPS whine though.