A Back Country Byway is a Passage
Through Changing Times     

  NOTE:  A portion of this road is CLOSED; see MAP 

The Chimney Creek Back Country Byway is most easily reached from State Hwy 178 via Canebrake Road.  It provides access to two campgrounds: the Chimney Creek Campground and the Long Valley Campground.

Canebrake Road ascends to Lamont Meadow and then, along with the Kennedy Meadows Road and the Long Valley Loop Road, circles around Chimney Peak and back to Lamont Meadow.  This 38 1/2 mile, type II back country byway is mostly made up of slow-speed roads for which high-clearance vehicles are recommended.  Parts of the road are washboard-like at times and some sections may be impassible in winter and early spring.  A portion of the original road is closed because it washed out during a storm.

The Chimney Peak Back Country Byway was dedicated on June 8, 1996.

The Bureau of Land Management initiated a byway program in 1989 in response to recommendations by the President's Commission on American Outdoors.  This program designates "back country byways," consisting of a system of low-standard roads and trails that pass through areas of public lands having high scenic value or open spaces.

The best way to get to know a place is to get off the highway and travel the back roads where the true qualities of the area wait to be discovered.  The Chimney Peak Back Country Byway has a unique character and beauty.  It leads into a historic region and through unspoiled and undiscovered treasures of several wilderness areas (California Desert Protection Act of 1994.)  A back country byway is designed to heighten awareness of public lands and their resources.  It's a great way to get to know this part of California.

Chimney Peak is a Type II byway, which accommodates high-clearance vehicles and is mostly made up of slow-speed, narrow, secondary roads. It offers a unique opportunity to drive a seldom-traveled route through the Southern Sierra Nevada mountains.  Along the way you may enjoy scenic views, picnicking, camping, hiking or simply traveling along the back country route.

This back country byway passes through more than 50,000 acres of wilderness in a transition zone between the Mojave Desert and the Sierra Nevada mountains.  The predominant pinon-juniper woodlands contain habitat for black bear, bobcat, mountain lion and mule deer.  The remoteness and solitude found in the area lends a feeling of the old west and provides a glimpse into a past era. This byway route has numerous examples of the diverse resources found on your public lands, including wildlife habitat, livestock grazing, wilderness, cultural resources, and outdoor recreation opportunities.

About 95% of the area along this byway is public land.  These public lands are for you to enjoy and to help take care of.  Private property is also located along the byway in several places, and visitors are asked to respect these private property rights.