Yosemite and Beyond - The Most Scenic Drives in America: 120 Spectacular Road Trips - page 173

competition for mates. The area's natural wonders are best appreciated along the network
of trails—such as the Pacific Crest Trail, the trail to Elizabeth Lake, and the John Muir
Trail to Cathedral Lakes—that lead from the visitor center into the depths of this remark-
able wilderness.
22. Tioga Pass
With Lembert Dome visible to the north, the route runs alongside the Dana Fork of the
Tuolumne River and climbs through forests of lodgepole pine toward Dana Meadows and
Tioga Pass.
At 9,945 feet, Tioga Pass is the loftiest highway pass in all of the Sierra Nevada. At its
summitsitstheeasternentrancetoYosemiteNationalPark.Amile-longtrailleadsthrough
forests of whitebark pine (a high-altitude tree common in these mountains) to sparkling
Gaylor Lakes to the west.
23. Lee Vining Canyon
FromTiogaPassthedrivedescendseastwardpastmeanderingcreeksthatattracttroutfish-
ermen and damp meadows that offer occasional views of rock wrens, bobcats, and yellow-
bellied marmots. The road skirts Tioga and Ellery lakes, then spirals down the dizzying
slopesofLeeViningCanyon.BetweenloftyTiogaPassandthedeserttownofLeeVining,
the road drops some 3,000 feet in about 14 miles.
To the east an impressive panorama takes in the arid landscape below, including the
Mono Craters, a chain of dormant volcanoes, and the snowcapped White Mountains in the
distance.