 State Route 178 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Map of eastern California with SR 178 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by Caltrans | ||||
| Length | 166.81 mi[1] (268.45 km) | |||
| Section 1 | ||||
| West end |  SR 99 in Bakersfield | |||
| Major intersections |
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| East end | Trona Road near Trona | |||
| Section 2 | ||||
| West end | Death Valley | |||
| Major intersections |  SR 127 at Shoshone | |||
| East end |  SR 372 towards Pahrump, NV | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | California | |||
| Counties | Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Route 178 (SR 178) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that exists in two constructed segments. The gap in between segments is connected by various local roads and State Route 190 through Death Valley National Park. The western segment runs from State Route 99 in Bakersfield and over the Walker Pass in the Sierra Nevada to the turnoff for the Trona Pinnacles National Natural Landmark. The eastern segment runs from the southeasterly part of Death Valley to Nevada State Route 372 at the Nevada state line.
SR 178 serves many different purposes. It connects Downtown Bakersfield with East Bakersfield and Lake Isabella. It is one of three crossings over the Sierra Nevada south of Yosemite (SR 120, Tioga Pass Road), connecting the southern San Joaquin Valley with the upper Mojave Desert and the Owens Valley. This also provides access to Death Valley National Park. If the unconstructed portion were built, it would also provide an easy route between Ridgecrest, California and Las Vegas, via Pahrump, Nevada.