California State Route 127

State Route 127 (SR 127) is a California state highway that connects Interstate 15 to Nevada State Route 373, passing near Death Valley National Park. The entire length of the highway closely follows the central portion of the former Tonopah and Tidewater Railroad and loosely follows the Amargosa River.

Route description

SR 127 is part of the California Freeway and Expressway System^[2] and is eligible for the State Scenic Highway System.^[3] However, it has not been designated by Caltrans as a scenic highway.^[4]

The highway begins at I-15 in the community of Baker, the last town travelers from the Greater Los Angeles area or the Las Vegas metropolitan area see before making their trek across Death Valley. SR 127 travels through the town of Baker as Death Valley Road before turning slightly northwest and traveling along the edge of Silver Lake, a dry lake. The road parallels Salt Creek and Silurian Lake as it crosses the Valjean Valley. SR 127 soon runs along the southeastern edge of Death Valley National Park and cuts through the mountains as it is entering Inyo County.^[5]

After passing by the turnoff for Tecopa Hot Springs, SR 127 runs concurrently with SR 178 through the community of Shoshone. SR 127 continues along the eastern edge of Death Valley National Park, passing by Eagle Mountain and the Amargosa River before intersecting SR 190 at Death Valley Junction. The road ends at the California-Nevada border, where Nevada State Route 373 begins.^[6] It is the "Lost Highway" featured in David Lynch's film Lost Highway.

Major intersections

Note: Except where prefixed with a letter, postmiles were measured in 1964, based on the alignment as it existed at that time, and do not necessarily reflect current mileage. The numbers reset at county lines; the start and end postmiles in each county are given in the county column.

References

External links

• Caltrans: Route 127 highway conditions
• California Highways: SR 127