Hawkins Road (The Rollercoaster Road of Stanislaus County)

Hawkins Road is an approximately 4.5 mile north/south rural highway located in Stanislaus County. On paper the corridor appears to be mostly straight and uninteresting. This apparent straightness is deceiving as the roadway barrels over extremely hilly and dip filled terrain.

Hawkins Road is known to many Stanislaus County locals at the "Rollercoaster Road." The road is a favorite used by cyclists and distance runners for the purposes of an easy to access training corridor. Property records indicate Hawkins Road was constructed during the early 1950s to serve rural almond farming properties.

An overview and drive along Hawkins Road

Hawkins Road is a relatively modern corridor and was constructed during the early 1950s. Property records indicate of Stanislaus County indicate the homes along the corridor were constructed between 1955 and 1967. Most land parcels along the roadway are comprised of almond farms.

Hawkins Road first appears on the 1953 United States Geological Survey map of Montpelier.

Hawkins Road spans 4.5 miles from Keyes Road (County Route J16) north to Lake Road (formerly La Grange Road). The corridor is almost completely straight which would give one a deceptive impression about what type of roadway it is. Hawkins Road barrels over the hilly terrain through a series of large dips and is known to Stanislaus County locals as the "Rollercoaster Road." The roadway is popular amongst cyclists and distance runners for the purposes of training.

Northbound Hawkins Road begins at County Route J16/Keyes Road.

Below is the view along the extremely hilly northbound drive along Hawkins Road to Lake Road. Most of the hills along the corridor crest at an elevation of 270 feet above sea level.

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