After a week in Yosemite Valley, we headed to the high country of Yosemite National Park. I didn't know what to expect. I had spent so much time reading about Yosemite Valley in preparation for our trip that I hadn't had a chance to learn much about what was above the valley floor. It didn't take long for me to fall in love with the high country of Yosemite National Park. It is much less crowded than the valley and, in my opinion, even more beautiful.
For me the highlight of our week in the high country was a day trip down the Tioga Road. This 39 mile drive is one that you will not soon forget. You pass meadows, lakes, forests, giant granite domes and slabs, and the soaring Sierra Nevada. There is beauty all around you. Almost every turn in the road brings you to another gorgeous vista, and you just have to pull over to take it all in.
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| photo by dturner |
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| photo by dturner |
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| photo by dturner |
The Tioga Pass is the eastern entry/exit point for Yosemite National Park. It sits at 9945 feet and is actually the highest highway pass in California. The first day that we traveled the Tioga Road we stopped at the Tioga Pass to play in some snow that was still on the ground (in the third week of June.) The second time that we went through the Tioga Pass, which was on June 21, it was actually snowing and the wind was howling like crazy.
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| photo by dturner |
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| photo by dturner |
The beauty of the high country of Yosemite National Park is unlike anything I have ever seen. The colors of the granite are so different from one area to another. The meadows are so serene, and the mountains are mesmerizing.
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| photo by dturner |
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| photo by dturner |
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| photo by dturner |
Driving the Tioga Road is a great way to see some of the amazing scenery that the high country has to offer. A word of caution though...plan to spend a whole day driving it. You'll be getting out of the car many times to stare in amazement and to snap a few hundred pictures.
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