California 108 begins its easterly journey at its junction with California 99 in Modesto, joined with California 132 until it turns north toward Oakdale. Oakdale, home of a large Hershey chocolate plant, is where California 108 merges with California 120. One of the longest combined routes in the state, California 108-120 travel 26 miles together. California 120 heads southeast toward Yosemite National Park, whiel California 108 leads northeasterly into the historic gold mining communities of Jamestown and Sonora. Shifting between a two-lane rural highway and a four-lane freeway in varying intervals, California 108 spawns an "historic loop" at Jamestown and business loops at Sonora and Twain Harte. Plans call for improvements to increase the capacity of California 108. Traffic remains heavy along California 108 until it reaches Lake Pinecrest, Dodge Ridge, and Strawberry. After these camping/skiing destinations, California 108 narrows to a very narrow two-lane mountain route, crossing the Sierra Nevada in the summer months only by passing over the Sonora Pass at 9,624 feet. From that height, California 108 drops dramatically into the Walker River Valley, ending at its junction with U.S. 395 about 17 miles northwest of Bridgeport, just shy of the Nevada State Line.
California 108 East
Eastbound California 108 and California 132 in Modesto just east of California 99. Photo taken by Trevor Carrier, Summer 2002.
Eastbound California 108 at the Sonora Pass (9,624 feet), where it leaves Tuolumne County and enters Mono County. Photo taken by Joel Windmiller/Mike Ballard, Summer 1999.
California 108 West
Westbound California 108 at the Sonora Pass (9,624 feet), where it leaves Mono County and enters Tuolumne County. Photo taken by Joel Windmiller/Mike Ballard, Summer 1999.
Westbound California 108 at Junction Northbound Stanislaus County Route J-6. At this intersection, California 108 turns left (south) from Patterson Road onto McHenry Avenue, while County Route J-6 leads north along McHenry Avenue to Escalon (it changes to San Joaquin County Route J-6 upon crossing the Stanislaus River), where it meets San Joaquin County Route J-14. Photo taken by Joel Windmiller, 06/19/01.
Westbound California 108 at Junction California 219, Kiernan Avenue, between Riverbank and Modesto. California 219 leads west from here to meet California 99 at Salida. Photo taken by Joel Windmiller, 06/19/01.
