Roads with unexpectedly high elevations

[Max Rockatansky]

I don't think Cuddy Valley Road is on any list for high paved roads in California.  The surfaced portion ends at 8,300 feet above level after an approximately 8 mile long very gentle climb from Mil Potrero Highway:

IMG_6235 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

There is an approximately 2-mile-long dirt portion of Cuddy Valley Road which ends at an Air Force radar station on Mount Pinos itself.  This is the highest road in Ventura County, and I think even Kern County?

IMG_6265 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

IMG_6266 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

Sadly though, the elevation of Cuddy Valley Road isn't over 9,000...

[Roadgeekteen]

This is more of a city (I guess there are roads here), but Atlanta is about 1,050 feet above sea level, which is slightly higher than Pittsfield, MA (1,039), known as a mountain town here. People don't really think of Atlanta as a mountain town but it's pretty close to the Appalachians.

[Scott5114]

NV-158 gets unexpectedly high (well, to me, anyway)—in fact its top-out at 8437 ft is my current highest elevation. The Spring Mountains don't seem very big, but the north end of the range, where the highest elevations are, isn't visible from Las Vegas, so they are deceptive.

[Rothman]

NV-158 gets unexpectedly high (well, to me, anyway)—in fact its top-out at 8437 ft is my current highest elevation. The Spring Mountains don't seem very big, but the north end of the range, where the highest elevations are, isn't visible from Las Vegas, so they are deceptive.

It's past my bedtime.  I was thinking you meant US 158 and I got a bit confused...

[Scott5114]

NV-158 gets unexpectedly high (well, to me, anyway)—in fact its top-out at 8437 ft is my current highest elevation. The Spring Mountains don't seem very big, but the north end of the range, where the highest elevations are, isn't visible from Las Vegas, so they are deceptive.

It's past my bedtime.  I was thinking you meant US 158 and I got a bit confused...

Finally, an explanation for what causes NYSDOT people to mix up US and state route shields.

[Rothman]

NV-158 gets unexpectedly high (well, to me, anyway)—in fact its top-out at 8437 ft is my current highest elevation. The Spring Mountains don't seem very big, but the north end of the range, where the highest elevations are, isn't visible from Las Vegas, so they are deceptive.

It's past my bedtime.  I was thinking you meant US 158 and I got a bit confused...

Finally, an explanation for what causes NYSDOT people to mix up US and state route shields.

Nah.  That's just general apathy.

[michravera]

This is more of a city (I guess there are roads here), but Atlanta is about 1,050 feet above sea level, which is slightly higher than Pittsfield, MA (1,039), known as a mountain town here. People don't really think of Atlanta as a mountain town but it's pretty close to the Appalachians.

I was quite surprised to find a sign just outside Tonapah, Nevada (something like 6678 ft) was higher than Lake Tahoe.

[JayhawkCO]

KS27 has a high point of 3,711 feet ASL.

[kphoger]

KS27 has a high point of 3,711 feet ASL.

Not surprising to me, having grown up in northwestern Kansas.  Actually, if anything, it surprises me that K-27 has a high point that's only 20 feet higher than the elevation of Goodland itself.

[JayhawkCO]

KS27 has a high point of 3,711 feet ASL.

Not surprising to me, having grown up in northwestern Kansas.  Actually, if anything, it surprises me that K-27 has a high point that's only 20 feet higher than the elevation of Goodland itself.

I ballparked the highest point with a topo map, but it looks like it's right at the NE/KS border.

[kphoger]

I ballparked the highest point with a topo map, but it looks like it's right at the NE/KS border.

Really?  Haigler is 400 feet lower in elevation than Goodland, and the last couple of miles toward the NE line and Haigler are an overall downhill.

[JayhawkCO]

I ballparked the highest point with a topo map, but it looks like it's right at the NE/KS border.

Really?  Haigler is 400 feet lower in elevation than Goodland, and the last couple of miles toward the NE line and Haigler are an overall downhill.

Looks like I looked at the map wrong. I didn't see that the scale changed as I moved around the map. Looks like the highest I see is 3,737 feet around 10-11 miles south of Goodland.

[achilles765]

I didn't realize until driving to La from Houston last year that much of El Paso sits at over 4000 ft above sea level.
I also didn't realize how high Arizona and New Mexico were either. I've always lived in flat Louisiana and the Texas gulf coast.  I was also surprised by how mountainous the stretch from San Diego to Arizona on I-8 was. 

[Max Rockatansky]

I didn't realize until driving to La from Houston last year that much of El Paso sits at over 4000 ft above sea level.
I also didn't realize how high Arizona and New Mexico were either. I've always lived in flat Louisiana and the Texas gulf coast.  I was also surprised by how mountainous the stretch from San Diego to Arizona on I-8 was. 

When I was an area LP manager for Beall's I had New Mexico in my territory.  My regional wanted to visit the stores which were mostly in flat areas.  He was from San Antonio and kept having issues catching his breath (little bit of a heavy guy).  He had no idea how high we were above sea level until I told him. 

[pderocco]

I didn't realize until driving to La from Houston last year that much of El Paso sits at over 4000 ft above sea level.
I also didn't realize how high Arizona and New Mexico were either. I've always lived in flat Louisiana and the Texas gulf coast.  I was also surprised by how mountainous the stretch from San Diego to Arizona on I-8 was. 

El Paso's more like 3700, but you're right, it's surprising given that it's right next to a major river, which makes you feel like you can't be too high above sea level.

I-8 in California is half lovely little mountains, with the road peaking at a little over 4000 (and plenty of views because it's chaparral), and half with the lowest elevation on the Interstate system not in a tunnel, at about -50 feet. I often drive the former for pleasure (on Historic US-80, though), but after driving the eastern part a few times, it's more of a chore you have to do to get to more interesting places.

[Rothman]

We do know what "El Paso" means, right? ;D

[Quillz]

Bald Hills Road is surprisingly high elevation to the point it has steep dropouts on either side. In an area that is mostly close to sea level. 

[kphoger]

Yes, there's definitely a big difference in elevation between POE cities east of Big Bend and POE cities west of Big Bend.

3740 — El Paso (Juárez)
3524 — Fort Hancock (El Porvenir)
2579 — Presidio (Ojinaga)
1850 — Big Bend NP (Boquillas del Carmen)
968 — Del Rio (Acuña)
732 — Eagle Pass (Piedras Negras)
450 — Laredo (Nuevo Laredo)
213 — Roma (Miguel Alemán)
174 — Rio Grande City (Camargo)
102 — Hidalgo (Reynosa)
68 — Progreso (Nuevo Progreso)
33 — Brownsville (Matamoros)

We do know what "El Paso" means, right? ;D

The peak of North Franklin Mountain, topping out at 7192' elevation, is within El Paso city limits.

And, on the Mexican side, this is just over six miles as the crow flies from the Paso del Norte (downtown) border bridge.

[achilles765]

I didn't realize until driving to La from Houston last year that much of El Paso sits at over 4000 ft above sea level.
I also didn't realize how high Arizona and New Mexico were either. I've always lived in flat Louisiana and the Texas gulf coast.  I was also surprised by how mountainous the stretch from San Diego to Arizona on I-8 was. 

When I was an area LP manager for Beall's I had New Mexico in my territory.  My regional wanted to visit the stores which were mostly in flat areas.  He was from San Antonio and kept having issues catching his breath (little bit of a heavy guy).  He had no idea how high we were above sea level until I told him. 

That is funny because when we took that trip, as soon as we got to just outside El Paso, and for the rest of the trip until we were between El Paso and San Antonio, I felt like I was breathing better and felt better than I have anywhere else I've ever been. I dunno if it was elevation or just the difference in humidity and stuff but I had no issues in El Paso, or anywhere in California or Arizona

[Quillz]

I think a lot of it has to do with the stereotypes of Arizona and New Mexico. People think Arizona has nothing but hot flat deserts and cacti, but the entire northern half of the state is cold, forested high elevation mountains. New Mexico is similar. 

[Rothman]

I think a lot of it has to do with the stereotypes of Arizona and New Mexico. People think Arizona has nothing but hot flat deserts and cacti, but the entire northern half of the state is cold, forested high elevation mountains. New Mexico is similar.

There's this hole in the ground in northern Arizona and evidently "forested" is a relative term... ;D

[kphoger]

There's this hole in the ground in northern Arizona ...

And yet, as deep as that huge hole is, the bottom of it still manages to be over 2400 feet in elevation.  That should tell you something about the high elevation of the land around it.  The south rim is 7000 feet, the northern rim even higher.

In other words...  Yes, high elevation mountains do tend to also have canyons that are lower elevation.  Arizona just happens to have an extreme example of that.

[JayhawkCO]

There's this hole in the ground in northern Arizona and evidently "forested" is a relative term... ;D

Are you saying northern Arizona and New Mexico don't have a lot of forests?

[kphoger]

Are you saying northern Arizona and New Mexico don't have a lot of forests?

I mean, to be fair, a lot of it does look like this and this.

[JayhawkCO]

Are you saying northern Arizona and New Mexico don't have a lot of forests?

I mean, to be fair, a lot of it does look like this and this.

Sure, but a "more than people think" amount looks like this and this.