to
Midpines Heading east from I-5, the highway passes Gustine; it then jogs to cross the
San Joaquin River. It roughly marks the southern edge of the farmable land around
Livingston. It intersects with
State Route 99 in
Merced, which it overlaps for a few miles. Travelers coming from most regions of the
San Francisco Bay Area or other parts of Northern California to
Yosemite Valley and the southern portion of Yosemite would transfer from Highway 99 to Highway 140 at this point. For those coming from
San Jose and the rest of the
Silicon Valley, the most direct, fastest route is
State Route 152 east; then the roads of Road 9, Bliss Road, Sandy Mush Road, and Plainsburg Road to reach Highway 140 in
Planada. (Those going to the northern portion of Yosemite would have instead taken either
I-580 and
I-205 leaving the Bay Area, then
State Route 120 east through
Manteca, or
State Route 132 east through
Modesto.) After exiting Highway 99, Highway 140 continues through Planada, after which the farmland gives way to grazing land. It is quite dry in the summer due to California's
Mediterranean climate, and the dry grass gives the landscape a golden color.
Western meadowlarks,
American kestrels,
red-tailed hawks and
turkey vultures are frequently glimpsed. A few
blue oaks can be seen as the highway leaves the valley and begins to climb through the foothills of the Sierra Nevada range. They become more and more numerous as the elevation increases. As the highway passes through
Catheys Valley the vegetation begins to diversify a little.
California live oaks and
ponderosa pines intermingle with the blue oaks as it nears
Mariposa. In Mariposa, it briefly runs concurrently with
State Route 49. A ponderosa pine forest borders the highway on both sides as it passes through
Midpines. As it approaches
Briceburg, the roadway follows a steep, winding grade down to the
Merced River valley. The highway then runs alongside the Merced River for about to the
Yosemite National Park entrance, after passing through
El Portal. The upper stretch of the Merced River valley below the park, which the highway follows, is designated as
Wild and Scenic River Area. The area separates
Sierra National Forest (south) and
Stanislaus National Forest (north). Inside Yosemite, state routes are federally maintained and are not included in the state route logs, but the park may still sign these state routes at intersections. The highway continues into the park as El Portal Drive, following the Merced River to
Yosemite Valley. The road intersects with Big Oak Flat Road, providing a connection to
State Route 120. El Portal Drive then splits into a one way loop road to connect the rest of the valley, heading east as Southside Drive on the south side of the river and then looping back west as Northside Drive on the north side of the river.
State Route 41/Wawona Road intersects with Southside Drive just east of the split. SR 140 is part of the
California Freeway and Expressway System, and is part of the
National Highway System, a network of highways that are considered essential to the country's economy, defense, and mobility by the
Federal Highway Administration. SR 140 is eligible to be included in the
State Scenic Highway System; however, only the part of the road from
Mariposa to
El Portal is designated as a scenic highway. ==History==