If you are planning a trip from Bakersfield to Alta Sierra, you are looking at a manageable 55.9-mile journey that typically takes about 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete. This route is perfectly suited for a single-day excursion, allowing you to reach your destination without the need for an overnight stay. Expect to spend approximately $13 on fuel for the trip, keeping costs low for a quick getaway. You will stay within the Pacific Coast region for the duration of your travel, moving between these two California locations. Because the drive is relatively short and direct, it serves as an efficient connection rather than a multi-day expedition.
Main Roads
Road
Distance
Duration
Route 178
31.9 mi
46m
CHP Officer David W. Manning Memorial Freeway
7.4 mi
8m
Evans Road
7.3 mi
10m
Wofford Heights Boulevard
6.6 mi
9m
Isabella Walker Pass Road
1.4 mi
1m
Old State Road
0.5 mi
1m
L Street
0.5 mi
1m
Truxtun Avenue
0.1 mi
<1m
Longest stretch:
Route 178
— 31.9 mi, about 46m
Turn-by-Turn Driving Directions
Step-by-step road directions between Bakersfield, CA and Alta Sierra, CA.
1
Start on Truxtun Avenue
0.1 mi·23 sec·Truxtun Avenue
2
Turn left onto L Street
0.5 mi·1 min·L Street
3
Turn right onto 23rd Street
420 ft·9 sec·23rd Street
4
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 178
7.4 mi·8 min·CHP Officer David W. Manning Memorial Freeway
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
Continue on CA 178
32 mi·46 min·Route 178
6
Continue on CA 178
1.4 mi·1 min·Isabella Walker Pass Road
7
Take the exit
0.2 mi·31 sec
Exit 43Toward CA 155
8
Turn left onto CA 155
6.6 mi·9 min·Wofford Heights Boulevard
9
Turn sharp left onto CA 155
7.3 mi·10 min·Evans Road
10
Turn left onto Old State Road
0.4 mi·1 min·Old State Road
11
Continue on Old State Road
486 ft·21 sec·Old State Road
12
Arrive at destination
Old State Road
Where to Stop
Rest stops, refuel points, and overnight suggestions along this route.
The midpoint is around 28 miles from Bakersfield, CA, which is a good place for a longer meal and fuel stop.
These stop ideas are pacing suggestions — the exact town or exit can change with traffic, hotel plans, and fuel range.
Heads-up: tricky spots
5 of 6
5 decision points cluster between mile 0.1 and 55.4 — GPS handles the exact turns, but know they're coming. Your lane choice matters more than the turn itself.
4
0.1 mi into trip|~0m in|L Street
Turn left onto L Street
Navigation decision point
6
0.7 mi into trip|~1m in|CA 178 / CHP Officer David W. Manning Memorial Freeway
Keep slight left at fork onto CA 178 / CHP Officer David W. Manning Memorial Freeway
Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here
Use the straight / right lanes.
5
41.3 mi into trip|~57m in
Take the exit toward CA 155
Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early
Exit 43
Toward CA 155
5
48.2 mi into trip|~1h 8m in|CA 155 / Evans Road
Turn sharp left onto CA 155 / Evans Road
Sharp turn - reduce speed on approach
4
55.4 mi into trip|~1h 19m in|Old State Road
Turn left onto Old State Road
Navigation decision point
Fuel & Cost
Regular Gas
$11.69 one way
$23.39 round trip
$5.31/gal25.4 MPG avg20 kg CO2
Fuel Type
$/gal
One Way
Round Trip
midgrade
$5.52
$12.15
$24.29
premium
$5.67
$12.47
$24.93
diesel
$4.80
$10.55
$21.11
No toll roads detected on this route.
Drive Cost (one way)
Fuel
$12
Estimated CO2 emission: 19.6 kg one way.
Prices: EIA weekly data, 2026-07-13.
Driving Electric?
About $6 in charging
· 0 stops
· 65% less CO2
Vehicle Type
kWh
Stops
DC Fast
Home Charge
Average EV
16.8
0
$5.87
$2.68
Efficient EV
14
0
$4.89
$2.24
EV Truck/SUV
22.4
0
$7.83
$3.58
Gas CO2
20 kg
EV CO2
7 kg (65% less)
This trip is well within single-charge range for most EVs. No charging stops needed if you start fully charged.
DC fast charging avg $0.35/kWh. Home charging avg $0.16/kWh. US grid CO2: 0.39 kg/kWh.
Travel Intel
Current conditions at both ends of the drive.
Forecast as of Jul 16, 2026
Origin
Bakersfield, CA
Late night
in Bakersfield on Monday
Local time
12:23 AM
PDT
Current temp
74°F
Mostly Clear
WNW 0 to 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued July 16 at 12:12AM PDT until July 16 at 4:00AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 16 at 12:12AM PDT until July 16 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Destination
Alta Sierra, CA
Late night
in Alta Sierra on Monday
Local time
12:23 AM
PDT
Current temp
64°F
Partly Cloudy
WNW 5 mph0% chanceLive forecast
Wind Advisory
Wind Advisory issued July 16 at 12:12AM PDT until July 16 at 4:00AM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Heat Advisory
Heat Advisory issued July 16 at 12:12AM PDT until July 16 at 8:00PM PDT by NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Time zone
Same local time
Origin and destination are on the same clock, so arrival timing is easier to judge at a glance.
Temperature spread
10 degrees cooler at arrival
A meaningful temperature swing is a good cue to rethink layers, water, and how soon you want to arrive.
Road read
1h 20m on the road
The weather snapshot is not static. If you are leaving later, give both cities one more quick forecast check before departure.
Weather data from the National Weather Service. Conditions may change; check closer to your travel date.
More Details
What kind of drive is this?
This highway-focused drive relies heavily on major corridors, with about 70% of your time spent on high-speed roads. Your journey utilizes a combination of Route 178, the CHP Officer David W. Manning Memorial Freeway, and Evans Road to navigate the distance. You will encounter your longest uninterrupted stretch of 31.9 miles while traveling along Route 178, which dictates the primary pace of the trip. The transition from the freeway to local roads requires you to stay alert as the environment shifts from high-speed thoroughfares to the final approach in Alta Sierra. Overall, the road offers a straightforward experience that favors efficiency over technical complexity.
70% highway — fuel and pacing are the main things to plan.
12 navigation steps total — most of the decisions cluster near the start and finish.
Longest single stretch: 31.9 mi on Route 178.
How Hard Is This Drive?
3/10
This is a straightforward highway drive that stays mostly on Route 178 and CHP Officer David W. Manning Memorial Freeway. There are only a few real navigation decisions along the way. The trickiest moment comes around 0.1 miles in near L Street.
Driving Effort3/10
Easy - simple navigation with a manageable amount of wheel time
Balances navigation complexity with total wheel time.
This is a straightforward 1h 20m drive. You will face about 6 decision points, but nothing that requires special attention if you follow navigation.
Where does it get tricky?
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (L Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (CA 178 / CHP Officer David W. Manning Memorial Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Elevation Profile
Mostly flat terrain
1,000 ft641 ft
Total Climb
402 ft
Total Descent
42 ft
Highest Point
1,000 ft
~16 mi in
Elevation Range
359 ft
Detours Along the Way
Tagged by where each one fits in your drive — first break, midpoint, final stretch.
Bakersfield is a city in Kern County in the San Joaquin Valley of California. Bakersfield is famous for being the home of country music singers Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, and has the nickname "the country music capital of the West Coast."
The longest stretch is about 31.9 miles on Route 178. The full list of main roads is in the Roads section above.
Yes. At under 2 hours behind the wheel, this works well for families — plan one quick stop if you have younger kids.
The main spots that need attention: at 0.1 miles (L Street): Navigation decision point; at 0.7 miles (CA 178 / CHP Officer David W. Manning Memorial Freeway): Highway fork - watch signs carefully. Lane positioning matters here; at 41.3 miles: Exit ramp - move to the correct lane early.
Yes — César E. Chávez National Monument. See the National Parks section for detour distances and tips on detours.
Yes. A round trip is manageable in a single day if you plan a break at Alta Sierra, CA before heading back.
