Pacheco Pass
Pacheco Pass is a mountain pass located in southern Santa Clara County, California. It is the main road over the hills separating Silicon Valley and the Central Valley. The road that traverses Pacheco Pass is California State Highway 152, which runs for 40 miles between Gilroy and Interstate 5. Pacheco Pass Road, the western section between Gilroy and the pass itself (a distance of approximately 14 miles) is single-lane in each direction and is the site of many accidents. Congestion over Pacheco Pass often forces traffic to take the longer route via the Altamont Pass. There are no major communities between Gilroy and Los Banos in the Central Valley. Where Pacheco Pass Road switches to the two-lane highway of the pass itself lies the Casa de Fruta, an extensive trading post. Originally a site devoted to selling locally produced fruit and nuts to travellers, the Casa has expanded to include a delicatessen, truckstop, RV park, and other facilities. On the eastern slope of the pass lies the San Luis Reservoir, which stores water for the Central Valley Project and the California State Water Project.
External links Casa de Fruta website San Luis Reservoir state recreational area webpage
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