State Route 88, also known as the Carson Pass Highway, is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It travels in an east–west direction from Stockton in the San Joaquin Valley, crossing the Sierra Nevada at Carson Pass, and ending at the Nevadastate line, whereupon it becomes Nevada State Route 88, eventually terminating at U.S. Route 395. Unlike other two-lane California highways through the mountains, Route 88 stays open through winter, except during the worst snowstorms, making it the third major route through the mountains, after Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 50. In fact, Route 88 over the Carson Pass is designated as Alternate U.S. 50, such that it may be used during floods of the American River Canyon.
Route description
SR 88 begins just outside Stockton as Waterloo Road, heading northeast towards Waterloo. The highway turns north at Waterloo, and SR 88 continues north to an intersection with SR 12, where the latter runs concurrently. SR 88 continues through Lockeford and Clements before continuing into Amador County. Continuing northeast, SR 88 intersects the southern terminus of SR 124 and is joined by SR 104 before passing through the town of Sunnybrook. SR 104 leaves SR 88 prior to the community of Martell, SR 88 continuing to Martell, where it joins with SR 49 and shortly thereafter turning south, running concurrently with SR 49 to the city of Jackson. In Jackson SR 88 turns northeast again leaving SR 49 at the intersection of SR 49, SR88 and Peek Street. The highway continues northeast through Pine Grove, Pioneer, Buckhorn, Cooks Station, and Ham's Station before entering the state game refuge. SR 88 continues paralleling the county line with El Dorado County in El Dorado National Forest before passing by Silver Lake and Kirkwood, where SR 88 crosses into Alpine County. In Alpine County, SR 88 continues by Caples Lake before running concurrently with SR 89 until Woodfords. The highway continues through Paynesville before entering Nevada as Nevada State Route 88. Route 88 is one of only three routes to continue with the same route number after crossing into Nevada, the others being Routes 28 and 266. SR 88 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System, and is part of the National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the Federal Highway Administration. It is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System; however, it is only a scenic highway as designated by Caltrans from the Dew Drop ranger station to the Nevada state line, meaning that it is a substantial section of highway passing through a "memorable landscape" with no "visual intrusions", where the potential designation has gained popular favor with the community. The Carson Pass Highway is also designated as a National Forest Scenic Byway. The road is kept open all winter but can be subject to restrictions or short-term closure due to snow or ice.
Historical landmarks
Listed in order from west to east.
The Trail of the 1844 John C. Frémont Expedition, at the northwest corner of the Calaveras River
Clinton, on Clinton Rd., south of the highway, in Pine Grove—Clinton was the center of a placer mining community during the 1850s and of quartz mining as late as the 1880s. This town once decided Amador County elections as its votes were always counted last.
Irishtown, at the intersection of Pine Grove Wieland Rd. in Pine Grove—This was an important stopping place for emigrants on their way to the southern mines. The first white settlers on this spot found it a "city of wigwams," and hundreds of mortars in the rocks testify that this was a favorite Indian camping ground.
Maiden's Grave, burial place of Rachel Melton, a young girl who died while traveling to California via covered wagon
The Old Emigrant Road was a long loop around the Silver Lake basin, starting from Caples Lake and reaching an elevation of 9,640 feet at one place. This difficult portion of the road was used by thousands of vehicles from 1848 to 1863, when a better route was blasted out of the face of the cliff at Carson Spur. There are two markers. One is at the intersection of Mud Lake Rd. The second marker is at postmile ALP 2.4, at Caples Lake.
Cooks Station, a roadside stop built in 1863 and still in operation, elevation
Ham's Station is a roadside stop still in operation as a restaurant and convenience store, located at at an elevation of. Ham's Station was built by 1879 and originally served as a toll station on the highway. Both Cooks and Ham's stations are routinely used by Caltrans to indicate points where tire chains are required for continued travel during snowstorms, as they are two of the only landmarks between Pioneer and the junction with State Route 89.
Kirkwood's, a resort, stage station, and post office originally built by Zack Kirkwood in 1864. The building straddles the Alpine–Amador county line.
The Kit Carson Marker, at the summit of Carson Pass, marks where Carson carved his name into a tree in 1844 while guiding John C. Frémont through the Sierra Nevada. The original can be found at Sutter's Fort, Sacramento.
On some large rocks near Carson Pass, a group of pioneers inscribed their names and the emblem of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows in 1849.
History
A portion of Route 88 started as the Amador/Nevada Wagon Route, a toll road completed in 1862, which was a major thoroughfare through the mountains, as California sent timber, food, and particularly gold to the east during the Civil War. Completion of the First Transcontinental Railroad in 1869 greatly decreased traffic on the wagon road. The original highway number was 8 in Amador County. Old CA-8 overlaps present CA-88 from Alpine County to Jackson but continues south to Mokelumne Hill, then to Valley Springs and other points south. Present 88 follows a portion of old SR 104 but diverges just south of Ione.
