California State Route 178

State Route 178
Map of eastern California with SR 178 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by Caltrans
Length	166.81 mi[1] (268.45 km)
Section 1
West end	SR 99 in Bakersfield
Major intersections	SR 204 / SR 99 Bus. in Bakersfield SR 184 near Bakersfield SR 155 near Lake Isabella SR 14 at Freeman Junction US 395 near Ridgecrest
East end	Trona Road near Trona
Section 2
West end	Death Valley
Major intersections	SR 127 at Shoshone
East end	SR 372 towards Pahrump, NV
Location
Country	United States
State	California
Counties	Kern, San Bernardino, Inyo
Highway system
State highways in California Interstate US State Scenic History Pre‑1964 Unconstructed Deleted Freeways
← SR 177 → SR 180

State Route 178 (SR 178) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California that exists in two constructed segments. The gap in between segments is connected by various local roads and State Route 190 through Death Valley National Park. The western segment runs from State Route 99 in Bakersfield and over the Walker Pass in the Sierra Nevada to the turnoff for the Trona Pinnacles National Natural Landmark. The eastern segment runs from the southeasterly part of Death Valley to Nevada State Route 372 at the Nevada state line.

SR 178 serves many different purposes. It connects Downtown Bakersfield with East Bakersfield and Lake Isabella. It is one of three crossings over the Sierra Nevada south of Yosemite (SR 120, Tioga Pass Road), connecting the southern San Joaquin Valley with the upper Mojave Desert and the Owens Valley. This also provides access to Death Valley National Park. If the unconstructed portion were built, it would also provide an easy route between Ridgecrest, California and Las Vegas, via Pahrump, Nevada.