Longboarding Owens Gorge Road
Longboarding Owens Gorge Road is a beautiful and super smooth run through the Inyo National Forest. The scenic Owens Gorge Road is located off of the CA-395 across from Tom’s Place, about halfway between Bishop and Mammoth Lakes in California. The section of Owens Gorge Road that I recommend longboarding is about four miles long, losing a little over 300 feet of elevation. This makes for a pretty mellow longboard run with a slight downhill pace for most of it. And then at the last half mile of the run there is a large and steep hill section!
Check out some of the other great skate spots in the area!
Crowley Skatepark | Rock Creek Road Longboarding Run | Mammoth Skatepark | Bishop Skatepark
Quick notes about Owens Gorge Road
– It runs through Inyo National Forest and there are numerous forest roads branching off of it. So that means there are opportunities for dispersed camping! Take our word for it – it’s a beautiful, peaceful place to camp and exploring the rocks and woods along the forest roads is a lot of fun.
– If you follow Owens Gorge Road long enough, you will eventually reach Crowley Lake.
– Follow the forest roads off of Owens Gorge Road and you can find trails that lead down into the gorge where you’ll find Owens River.
Basic Info: Longboarding Owens Gorge Road
How to get to Owens River Gorge Road:
From the CA-395, once you reach the Tom’s Place exit, turn onto Owens Gorge Road which is on the opposite side of the CA-395 from Tom’s Place. Follow Owens Gorge Road as it makes a sharp left and wiggles through a small neighborhood called Sunny Slopes before reaching a steep uphill section. Once the hill levels out there is much less congestion from the parked cars and driveways. This is where I started my run longboarding Owens Gorge Road.
First Impressions of Owens Gorge Road:
While driving down Owens Gorge Road my first impression was that there was virtually no traffic on this mellow downhill area. The forest along the road makes for some beautiful scenery and the sight of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the distance makes for a beautiful backdrop the entire run.
Pros:
Beautiful scenery, mellow cruise with a fun hill at the end.
Cons:
Spots of rolling hills require some kicking.
Know Before You Go:
Be ready for the steep hill at the end.
Riders Thoughts:
The four miles of longboarding Owens Gorge Road is mostly a pretty mellow downhill. There are a few level areas and rolling hills that may require some kicking. The mix of forest and high desert make for a beautiful setting for a longboard cruise.
Longboarding Owens Gorge Road
As I started the run, the road had a mix of mellow downhill and uphill straightaways as well as some gentle curves. These downhill straightaways are some of the highlights of longboarding Owens Gorge Road. They give you an opportunity to build up speed while having fun carving back and forth on the road.
Keep in mind that most of the road has double yellow lines. There was no traffic while I was cruising so I was comfortable crossing the lines a bit for some large carving.
Along the way, you cruise through beautiful conifers and have wide open vistas of the Crowley Lakes area and the Sierra Nevadas. Longboarding Owens Gorge Road is a great way to experience the some of the beautiful scenery of the national forest in the area. I really enjoyed seeing large trees scattered close to the road.
After the scenic, mellow straightaways and gentle curves, the run ends with an exciting finale! When you approach a small building on the right, that’s where the large hill and downhill section begins. The road gets pretty steep through a large “S” curve then it curves again to the right.
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This large hill makes for a very exciting end to a mostly mellow longboard run through the forest. The hill bends to the right after the steep “S” turn section.
At the bottom of this hill the road narrows to a one lane road with a very blind right turn and gets close to the water and a fence.
This is where I ended my run. From here, the road continues towards the Crowley Lake Dam. If you plan on continuing to the narrow section of road I suggest that you reduce your speed a lot to avoid getting hit by any oncoming traffic.
Overall, longboarding Owens Gorge Road is a great run for someone looking for a fun mellow cruise through some beautiful scenery. I think a rider of any experience could enjoy a cruise on this road. But I would only suggest the downhill section at the end to an experienced rider equipped with the proper gear.
Thanks for Reading!
If you’re in the area, there’s also a great 10 mile downhill longboarding run on the other side of the highway at the Tom’s Place exit! To get the information on this mountain run and see some great pictures of what to expect, check out our Longboarding Rock Creek Road article here.
Also, this area of California is home to some great skateparks! Check out the nearby skateparks by clicking the articles below:
And if you’re in the area, be sure to check out some of the beautiful hiking opportunities!
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