Traveling to California

[Goneagain1]

We are traveling from Austin to Palo Alto California. I wanted to avoid as many high mountains as I can. Don’t know if we will be traveling on I-40 or I-10. Can anyone suggest a good route to avoid the least high mountains. Thanks for your help.

[paulj]

Why do you want to avoid high mountains? What is high for you? Some people have problems with altitude. Others are concerned about grades - up or down. Or maybe it's the potential for snow.

On I40 there's a grade where it drops from the high plains level to the Rio Grande at Alb. It then climbs gradually to Grants and the Continental Divide. Flagstaff is another high area, known more for snow than grades. Then a drop to the Colorago River west of Kingman.

CA 58, Tahachapi Pass takes you from the California desert into the Central Valley. I15 Cajon Pass is the major route from I40 to the LA basic. I5 Grapevine the main route north out of the basin. I10 from Palm Springs is a lower pass. All of these are busy freeways. Grapevine may be most notorious for grades (mainly downhill north bound) and occasional weather problems.

Then there's the question of when you want to cross over to 101, whether you take it all the way from LA, use something like 46 to cross from the Central Valley, or wait to I580.

[profdant139]

If you want flat, try to avoid Interstate 5 between LA and Bakersfield. There are fairly steep grades and lots of trucks and cars. The trucks go too slow and the cars go too fast.

Instead, use 58 to avoid Southern California entirely, if you possibly can.

Where are you going to stay in Palo Alto? That area is not known for its abundant RV parks. 😉

[CA_Traveler]

Totally agree with th Captain... When is the trip as time is a factor? At the AZ border 40 is OK.
From the memory banks: We were going to FL in Dec. Clueless - Tehachapi closed Grapevine closed - wonderful night in Bakersfield, still closed, west to 101, down and through LA, spent the night at the CA/AZ rest stop - what can I say.. young and BC of course.

[Desert_Captain]

Keep in mind that a complete shutdown of large sections of I40 between Albuquerque and Flagstaff is a fairly common winter event due to heavy winter snow. I10 is far less vulnerable/likely to have those conditions.

For the record winter is creeping in very early in Arizona and New Mexico. Yesterday we had a couple of inches of snow and awoke to a crisp 25 degrees here in Payson {100 miles north of Phoenix at 5,000'} and my calendar still says it is "Fall". :h Flagstaff got quite a bit of snow as well and this storm front is rolling through New Mexico today.

We had just enough snow to be pretty but not much work but hey, it was only November third:



:S

[CA_Traveler]

The fattest is 10, 202 Phoenix bypass, 210 in LA, 101 to PA, LA best midday.

Better and not quite as flat: 10, 202, at Quartzsite exit 20 get fuel, AZ 95, cross at Parker, CA 95 to 40, 58 Tehachapi pass not bad, 99, 46 to Lost Hills, 5, 152 minor pass, 101 to PA.

[bob213]

Try this...Flattest route

[Sandia_Man]

Going down I-10 will have less issues with mountains and higher elevations compared to I-40, although I-40 is not by any means difficult to travel unless their happens to be a storm moving through AZ or NM. From Austin I would more than likely utilize I-10 for most of this rather long trek, lots to see on the way if you have time, happy travels.

[azdryheat]

I-10 and I-40 are both good choices. My advice is to look at a terrain map of your route and it will show you mountains to avoid.