State Route 146 (SR 146) is a
state highway
A state highway, state road, or state route (and the equivalent provincial highway, provincial road, or provincial route) is usually a road that is either Route number, numbered or maintained by a sub-national state or province. A road numbered ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...
of
California
California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
in
Monterey
Monterey ( ; ) is a city situated on the southern edge of Monterey Bay, on the Central Coast of California. Located in Monterey County, the city occupies a land area of and recorded a population of 30,218 in the 2020 census.
The city was fou ...
and
San Benito Counties. The route serves as an entryway to
Pinnacles National Park
Pinnacles National Park is a national park of the United States protecting a mountainous area located east of the Salinas Valley in Central California, about east of Soledad and southeast of San Jose. The park's namesakes are the eroded lef ...
, located in the
Gabilan Mountains, from both
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...
in the
Salinas Valley
The Salinas Valley (Spanish language, Spanish: ''Valle de Salinas'') is one of the major valleys and most productive Agriculture, agricultural regions in California. It is located west of the San Joaquin Valley and south of San Francisco Bay and ...
on the west and
State Route 25 near
Paicines on the east. The route is broken into two sections and cannot be used to completely pass through Pinnacles National Park.
Route description
Route 146 is divided into two sections and does not provide a continuous vehicular route through the park. The western part of Route 146 passes from
U.S. Route 101
U.S. Route 101, or U.S. Highway 101 (US 101), is a major north–south highway that traverses the states of California, Oregon, and Washington on the West Coast of the United States. It is part of the United States Numbered Highway Syst ...
near
Soledad along ''Metz Road'' and ''Shirttail Canyon Road'' to the west area of Pinnacles. The eastern portion runs into the east area of Pinnacles from Route 25 along ''Pinnacles Road''.
SR 146 is not 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
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
.
SR 146 is eligible for the
State Scenic Highway System,
but it is not officially designated as a scenic highway by the
California Department of Transportation
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is an Executive (government), executive department of the U.S. state of California. The department is part of the Government of California#State agencies, cabinet-level California State Tran ...
.
History
According to the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
, Pinnacles has been administered as a
wilderness area
Wilderness or wildlands (usually in the plural) are Earth's natural environments that have not been significantly modified by human activity, or any nonurbanized land not under extensive agricultural cultivation. The term has traditionally ...
as long as that unit has been under their jurisdiction, and NPS sources contacted during research cannot recall any time when Route 146 proceeded through the park unbroken.
Major intersections
See also
*
References
External links
{{CASR external links, SR, 146
California Highways: Route 146
146 146 may refer to:
*146 (number), a natural number
*AD 146, a year in the 2nd century AD
*146 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC
*146 (Antrim Artillery) Corps Engineer Regiment, Royal Engineers
*146 Lucina, a main-belt asteroid
*Alfa Romeo 146
The ...
State Route 146
State Route 146
Gabilan Range
Pinnacles National Park
Salinas Valley