Highway 190, Springville, CA
- Tim Mayhew
- Apr 27
- 2 min read
Highway 190 is easily one of my favorite roads to ride in California. Now, before you choke on your morning coffee, hear me out. Before you retort, "What about road X, Y, or Z?" let’s break it down.
I’ve always described this road to my tour participants as "endlessly twisty," and I mean 250+ curves in just 25 miles. This is pure mountain riding—a steady, relentless climb gaining 1000s of feet in elevation into the Southern Sierra Nevada from the tiny foothill community of Springville, CA.
I’d even go as far as to call Highway 190 the "Holy Grail" of Central California Motorcycle Roads, but you have to ride it first before you can digest that claim. This isn't just a road; it’s a jewel of engineering carved into the rugged Sierra. Spanning roughly 50 miles from Springville to its abrupt end at The Trail of 100 Giants, the route is a vertical joyride, climbing over 5,000 feet through a spectacular transition of ecosystems.
The pavement is legendary for its rhythm—a dizzying sequence of tight 10–15 mph banked hairpins, sweepers, and technical "S" turns that demand total focus. There are stretches where you’ve transitioned the bike left right so many times you’ll forget what "straight" even looks like.
At the summit, it’s finally time to exhale. This road should have connected to Hwy 190 into Death Valley, but was never 'connected' in the middle to create Haiwee Pass. Instead, Hwy 190 turns south along the spine of the Sierra. You’re rewarded with vistas looking out over the Great Western Divide. Look up 7221’ Granite Dome & make the short detour to check out this granite dome. At the end of the Western Divide Hwy is the Trail of 100 Giants, a sequoia grove right beside the road that we've visited many times and shouldn’t be missed.
Once you reach the southern end of the Western Divide Highway-
1) Head east down the hill on Hot Springs Rd through California Hot Springs.
2) Head west into the Kern River Canyon toward Kernville (past Sherman Pass, which we featured yesterday).
3) Or... go straight onto Forest Rd 23S16, the "Road with No Name."
So many twisty choices.
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