Nevada_State_Route_431
Nevada State Route 431
Highway in Nevada
State Route 431 (SR 431), commonly known as the Mount Rose Highway, is a 24.413-mile-long (39.289 km) highway in Washoe County, Nevada, that connects Incline Village at Lake Tahoe with Reno. The highway, a Nevada Scenic Byway, takes its name from Mount Rose, which lies just off the highway. Prior to 1976, the highway existed as State Route 27.
| Mount Rose Highway | ||||
SR 431 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by NDOT | ||||
| Length | 24.413 mi[1] (39.289 km) | |||
| Existed | 1976–present | |||
| History | SR 27 by 1941, became SR 431 in 1976 | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  SR 28 in Incline Village | |||
| Major intersections |   I-580 / US 395 in Reno | |||
| East end |   US 395 Alt. / SR 341 in Reno | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Nevada | |||
| Counties | Washoe | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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The highway begins along the northeast shore of Lake Tahoe in the city of Incline Village, at an intersection with SR 28. The highway scales the Carson Range, a spur range of the Sierra Nevada, until reaching a meadow that is used as an access for the Mount Rose Wilderness. Along the western ascent is a view area with directional markers pointing to several notable peaks in the Sierra Nevada range that surround Lake Tahoe. The highway crests the Carson Range at Mount Rose Summit. The Nevada Department of Transportation has claimed in several places this is the highest summit open year-round in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, 8,911 feet (2,716 m).[2] Both the east and west approach to the summit feature hairpin curves.
On the eastern approach to the summit, the highway passes by the Mount Rose Ski Area and features overlooks with views of both Reno and the Washoe Valley. After several serpentine bends the highway arrives at an area of Reno called Galena. In Galena, the highway has a junction with Interstate 580 and US 395. It terminates at a junction with US 395 Alt. and SR 341, which continues towards Virginia City.
The road has existed at least as far back as 1950 as an access to the ski areas of Mount Rose. At that time it was a dirt road only passable by automobile in the summer months.[3]
Approximately 20 miles (32 km) of SR 431 was designated as the Mount Rose Nevada Scenic Byway by the Nevada Department of Transportation on June 27, 1996.[4]
Rapid growth in the Reno area has put strain on the corridor served by the highway. This has prompted environmentalists to push for restrictions on future development along the corridor.[5]
The entire route is in Washoe County.
| Location | mi[1][6] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Incline Village | 0.0 | 0.0 | SR 28 – Crystal Bay, Carson City | Western terminus | |
| 3 | 4.8 | Country Club Drive | |||
| 8.06 | 12.97 | View area – Lake Tahoe | |||
| | 9 | 14 | Mount Rose Wilderness access | ||
| | 10 | 16 | Mount Rose Ski Resort | ||
| | 11 | 18 | Slide Mountain Road (SR 878 south) – Mount Rose East Bowl | ||
| | 17 | 27 | Joy Lake Road | ||
| Reno | 23 | 37 | I-580 / US 395 – Carson City, Reno, Susanville | I-580 exit 24 | |
| 24.4 | 39.3 | US 395 Alt. (S. Virginia Street) – Reno, Washoe City | Eastern terminus; former SR 430/US 395 | ||
 SR 341 south (Geiger Grade) – Virginia City | Continuation beyond eastern terminus | ||||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
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- Nevada Department of Transportation (January 2017). "State Maintained Highways of Nevada: Descriptions and Maps". Retrieved April 10, 2017.
- "Mount Rose Scenic Byway". United States Department of Transportation – National Scenic Byways Program. Archived from the original on 2008-01-03. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
- "History — Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe". Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe. Retrieved August 20, 2016.
- "Nevada's Scenic Byways". Nevada Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on November 29, 2011. Retrieved October 13, 2011.
- "Mt. Rose Scenic Corridor". Keep Washoe Wild. Retrieved February 17, 2008.
- Integer miles derived from: Nevada Road and Recreation Atlas (Map). 1:250000. Benchmark Maps. 2003. ISBN 0-929591-81-X. Archived from the original on 2020-03-03. Retrieved 2020-04-16.
