Sierra Highway: U.S. 395 and El Camino Sierra in California and Nevada (Highways of the West) Paperback – August 27, 2023

They called it the Three Flags Highway because it stretched all the way from Canada south to Mexico. But one section of this road stood out for its singular beauty: the section that ran through and along the eastern base of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains. It was here where U.S. Highway 395 followed a course set forth to showcase the most scenic lands in all the West. El Camino Sierra, they called it, in homage to the older Spanish trail called El Camino Real. Yet what this highway lacked in historic significance among the Spaniards, it more than made up for in its beauty.To travel U.S. 395 in California and Nevada meant to marvel at snow-capped peaks soaring toward heaven; to revel in the smell of pine that permeates the air; to gaze out on desert sunsets of red and orange and yellow; to fish in clear, tranquil lakes; to bathe in healing hot springs; and to brave the rapids of cold, rushing rivers. It still means those things today, and so much more. There’s history to discover along this road. Cities have grown up around it, and boomtowns have become ghost towns beside it.Discover the majesty and history of the Three Flags Highway and El Camino Sierra from the timber country near the Oregon border south through Reno, Carson City, and Nevada’s oldest town. Climb toward the crest of the range and explore haunting Mono and breathtaking Mammoth Lakes, then descend to the edge of the Mojave Desert and witness a wholly different kind of beauty. Revisit old 395 where it once continued down all the way to San Diego, the only highway to share part of its length with both the Lincoln Highway and Route 66.Travelers by the millions have followed this path before you, and their stories echo through more than 350 pages in this historical travelogue. Illustrated by more than 550 images, Sierra Highway is the fourth installment in the Highways of the West series and the definitive companion for travelers who want to explore the road as it is now—and as it was then. Join us on this fascinating journey from Bodie to Bishop, from Susanville to San Bernardino, and beyond. You’ll be glad you did. Read more