Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Tioga Road & Tuolumne Meadows
Tioga Rd (or Hwy 120 E), the only road through the park, travels through 56 miles of su-
perb high country at elevations ranging from 6200ft at Crane Flat to 9945ft at Tioga Pass.
Heavy snowfall keeps it closed from about November until May. Beautiful views await
Above the canyon's east side looms the aptly named 9926ft
Clouds Rest
. Continuing east
on Tioga Rd soon drops you at
Tenaya Lake
, a placid blue basin framed by pines and
granite cliffs.
Beyond here, about 55 miles from Yosemite Valley, 8600ft
Tuolumne Meadows
is the
largest subalpine meadow in the Sierra. It provides a dazzling contrast to the valley, with
its lush open fields, clear blue lakes, ragged granite peaks and domes, and cooler temperat-
ures. If you come during July or August, you'll find a painter's palette of wildflowers dec-
orating the shaggy meadows.
Tuolumne is far less crowded than the valley, though the area around the campground,
lodge store and visitors center does get busy, especially on weekends. Some hiking trails,
such as the one to
Dog Lake
, are also well traveled. Remember that the altitude makes
breathing a lot harder than in the valley, and nights can get nippy, so pack warm clothes.
The main meadow is about 2.5 miles long and lies on the north side of Tioga Rd
between
Lembert Dome
and
Pothole Dome
. The 200ft scramble to the top of the latter -
preferably at sunset - gives you great views of the meadow. An interpretive trail leads
Hikers and climbers will find a paradise of options around Tuolumne Meadows, which
is also the gateway to the High Sierra Camps.
The Tuolumne Meadows Tour & Hikers' Bus makes the trip along Tioga Rd once daily
in each direction, and can be used for one-way hikes. There's also a free Tuolumne Mead-
ows Shuttle, which travels between the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and Olmsted Point, in-
cluding a stop at Tenaya Lake.
