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Hi All - I'm driving from NY to SF in a 1990 VW Vanagon, and she doesn't like climbing mountains. Can anyone confirm what is the least steep route from one coast to the other -- I am thinking about visiting friends in LA and Portland, so I have a wide latitude. This will be October so I'd really rather not hit steep-graded hills.
thanks!
Hello szegedin,
You pose an interesting question and it comes up often. The short answer, in my experience, is there is no way to cross the country without some mountains. Perhaps a few comments would help in your overall understanding:
The lowest Continental Divide crossing is in Montana, fairly close to the Canadian border, at some 3,900'. Access is by a long series of 2-lane highways and you end up well outside of your intended destinations.
The highest Interstate crossing is I-70 in Colorado, at Eisenhower Tunnel, at some 11,000'
In Wyoming, I-80 crests at around 8,000' west of Laramie.
I-40 crosses the Divide at around 7,700', near Gallup, NM. Other locations along I-40 in NM and AZ are in excess of 7,000' elevation.
There are few ways to avoid elevation, so perhaps looking at grades is useful:
I-80 in WY has a single very long high-elevation grade, the one which tops out at 8,000'. The remainder of the state is high, running between 5,000' and 6,500', but no big ranges to cross. Oh, if you run I-80, you'd need to jog west on I-84 to Ogden then down I-15 to Salt Lake City in order to avoid Parley's Summit along I-80. There are passes in Nevada but they generally only pick up 1,000' to 2,000'. Crossing the Sierra Nevada is the single biggest obstacle and that occupies tens of miles west of Reno.
I-90 crosses 3 passes and one additional long grade in MT.
I-70 crosses 2 major passes and one additional long grade in CO.
Be aware of many long grades along I-5 in CA, noted here since you should be aware of such as you contemplate your West Coast travels.
All in all, I'd be far less concerned about grades than distance. The Interstate system is built to exacting standards concerning steepness, and you will encounter maximum steepness in some places pretty much anywhere within or west of the Rockies. Just be sure to keep to the right and turn on your flashers as you climb slowly up the grades.
Foy
Welcome to the RTA Forum!
The reality is that there simply is no way to drive across country without dealing with some degree of mountains.
The other reality is that all interstate highways are built to handle long haul trucks, and as such have limits on grades and curves when going over mountain passes.
If your car is not capable of making it over a mountain pass on any interstate highway, that is built with those standards in mind, then you really need to think about if your car is capable of dealing with all of the other stresses that come with a cross country trip.
The best bet would be to take I-80 all the way across, which is relatively flat across the rockies. However, you still have to gain elevation even there, and you'll have to deal with crossing the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
The absolute flattest route would involve going all the way down to I-10, which again, even that isn't completely immune to elevation changes. That gets you do LA, and then you'd either have go over the Grapevine, or follow the coast which takes more time. You'll be looking at at least 2 extra days of driving to go this route, and if mountains are that much of a problem, I'd have to think that being on the road for 2 extra days could also be quite problematic.
Welcome!
If you don't care how long it takes, take I-95 to I-20 to I-10 to LA. However, standards for *ALL* Interstate highways limit them to 6% grades. To get from LA to SF, you would have to take 101 to avoid the Grapevine.
Hmmm. I took 95 down to 10 at Jacksonville then all the way to Arizona, and then 8 to San Diego and up 1/101, at a mellow pace, about a week. This is the least mountainous route, and definitely worth it. There are some grades in Arizona and at the end in CA. I have to say there is a lot of difference between routes (I've also done 70, 80 and 10 all the way across). I-70 across Colorado was a never-again experience.Quote:
Originally Posted by szegedin
If you care about the longevity of your engine, it is imperative to take things like this into consideration, and well worth it. Hand over heart, I'm still driving the 90' VW daily and haven't been to the mechanic since 2010.
Glad you found a route to suit you and your precious VW. But I am wondering why it took you seven years to let us know how you got on. Mind you, better late than never, as it is likely to help others coming to these forums. Having driven all those roads at one time or another - albeit in a Ford V8 - I know what you're talking about.
Neither am I surprised to hear you are still driving an almost 30 year old VW. I bought my 2002 T4 a few years ago, and next month am having it fitted out as a very basic camper (no plumbing or mains power). Can't wait to hit the road and explore our continent.
Lifey
Hi szegedin and welcome back to RTA !
All the proof you need in the fact you have, over the years, become a more experienced road tripper. You have answered your own question 7 years after asking it !!
Dave.
Glad you asked. I am about to drive cross country again, and I thought to myself, 'hmmm, I wonder what is really the least mountainous route across?', so I googled it, and the first result is my own, long forgotten old post here. Lol. I thought that was pretty funny. My VW runs great, it's just that it's about 80 horsepower on 3500lbs and steep hills are slow, hot running. She loves to go 45 on flat country roads. Have gone halfway across Kansas and NM on back roads for that reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lifemagician
That's my setup in the Vanagon -- simple is the way to go!Quote:
Originally Posted by Lifemagician
I might take 40 from the midwest toward LA this time; it's sort of gradual climb up the high desert and I-10 is too hot to handle this time of year. One time I took I-10 from LA to Texas, and I drove overnight to avoid the heat. It was 100 degrees in the dead of night in Arizona. Another experience you only need to have once.
Happy trails to you guys. For future travelers' reference, there is this now:
https://www.flattestroute.com
that has happe ned to me more than once.Quote:
Originally Posted by szegedin
Lifey