of the
Walker River near
Yerington The character of the highway gradually changes descending from the foothills of the
Sierra Nevada into high desert, finally reaching the agricultural communities of
Smith and
Mason Valleys. The highway begins at a junction with US 395 in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, at the junction with Nevada highway 208, at the hamlet of
Holbrook Junction. The highway angles away from the Sierra into extreme northern Antelope Valley and through the unincorporated town of Topaz Ranch Estates before climbing several hundred feet over Jack Wright Summit (elevation 5842 MSL). It then makes a steep descent through a canyon created by the
West Walker River, flattening out into Smith Valley at the town of Wellington. Once reaching the valley, the road more or less follows the route of the river from this point on. The highway departs Smith Valley via the river, using Wilson Canyon to connect with Mason Valley, another agricultural valley in the otherwise arid deserts of Nevada. Inside Mason Valley the road forks, with route 208 serving the east side of the valley and route
339 serving the west. Shortly after the split is where the West and
East Walker Rivers merge to form the
Walker River. Both roads lead to
Yerington, straddling each side of the river. In Yerington, Route 208 serves as Main Street. The route terminates at the north end of Yerington where traffic defaults onto southbound
U.S. Route 95 Alternate. ==History==