Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Northern California → Yosemite → Tioga Road

Location: Tuolomne Meadows Area, Yosemite National Park, California

Time Required: At least 1.5 hours (1.5 hours of driving if you’re starting in Yosemite Valley, plus time for stopping)

Red Tape/Notes: Open seasonally (typically late May or early June to October or November) – this is the only access road for Tuolomne Meadows and the hikes in that area

What’s Nearby?: Tuolomne Meadows, Cathedral Lakes

This road is kind of a mandatory “attraction” if you’re including Tuolomne Meadows in your Yosemite holiday, since it’s the only way to get there (unless of course you’re only visiting Tuolomne Meadows, and coming from the east side, in which case you’re still on the road but only for the short distance from Lee Vining). It’s worth including on this website, though, because if you’re trying to plan your trip, you’ll need to know that Tioga Road deserves a little extra time, since there are several worthwhile stops along it. The portion of the road you’ll likely be driving runs about 38 miles from the north end of Big Oak Flat Road to Tuolomne Meadows, and climbs high into the mountains before leveling out at Tuolomne and then continuing another 18 miles or so to Tioga Pass.

Some of the worthwhile “quick stops” are Siesta Lake, Olmsted Point, and Tenaya Lake. Siesta Lake is a picturesque alpine lake where it’s common for people to picnic. There’s a rough trail that skirts the edge of the lake, where you can almost always see ducks swimming (and apparently sometimes people).  Olmsted Point looks down on Yosemite Valley from the east, providing a different perspective on Yosemite’s iconic peaks (including Half Dome). It’s easy to clamber around on the interesting granite surface found here, and you can take a short hike about 0.2 miles for even better views of the valley. Tenaya Lake – the largest natural lake in Yosemite – is only steps from the road, and offers opportunities for fishing, kayaking, and other watery activities (although the water is really cold so if you get wet, expect it to be “refreshing”).

Epic Travel → North America → The West Coast → Northern California → Yosemite → Tioga Road