Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
A great hands-on nature museum, the Nature Center displays explain the differences
between the park's various pinecones, rocks, animal tracks and (everyone's favorite sub-
ject) scat. Out back, don't miss an exhibit on the 1996 rock fall, when an 80,000-ton rock
slab plunged 2000ft to the nearby valley floor, killing a man and felling about 1000 trees.
Glacier Point
one of the park's most eye-popping vistas and practically puts you at eye level with Half
Dome. To the left of Half Dome lies U-shaped, glacially carved Tenaya Canyon, while be-
low you'll see Vernal and Nevada Falls. Glacier Point is about an hour's drive from
Yosemite Valley via Glacier Point Rd off Hwy 41. Along the road, hiking trails lead to oth-
via the thigh-burning
Four Mile Trail
. If you've driven up to Glacier Point and want to
get away from the madding crowd, hiking down the Four Mile Trail for a bit will net you
comparative solitude and more breathtaking views. Another way to get here is on the Gla-
cier Point Hikers' Bus. Many hikers take the bus one way and hike the other. Drivers
should go in the morning to avoid the afternoon backup from the parking lot.
IMPASSABLE TIOGA PASS
Hwy 120, the main route into Yosemite National Park from the Eastern Sierra, climbs
through Tioga Pass, the highest pass in the Sierra at 9945ft. On most maps of California,
you'll find a parenthetical remark - 'closed in winter' - printed on the map. While true,
this statement is also misleading. Tioga Rd is usually closed from the first heavy snowfall
in October to May, June or even July! If you're planning a trip through Tioga Pass in
spring, you're likely to be out of luck. According to official park policy, the earliest date the
road will be plowed is April 15, yet the pass has been open in April only once since 1980.
Other mountain roads further north, such as Hwys 108, 4 and 88/89, may also be closed
due to heavy snow, albeit only temporarily. Call 800-427-7623 for road and weather con-
ditions.
