Things to do in Sierra Nevada
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Half Dome
According to Native American legend, one of Yosemite Valley's early inhabitants went down from the mountains to Mono Lake, where he wed a Paiute named Tesaiyac. The journey back to the valley was difficult, and by the time they reached what was to become Mirror Lake, Tesaiyac had decided that she wanted to go back down to live with her people at Mono Lake. However, her husband refused to live on such barren, arid land with no oak trees from which to get acorns.
With a heart full of despair, Tesaiyac began to run toward Mono Lake, and her husband followed her. When the powerful spirits heard quarreling in Yosemite, they became angry and turned the two into stone: he became…
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Hiking Trails
With over 800 miles of hiking trails, Yosemite is a delight for trekkers of all abilities. You can take an easy half-mile stroll on the valley floor; venture out all day on a quest for viewpoints, waterfalls and lakes or go wilderness camping in the remote outer reaches of the backcountry.
Some of the park's most popular hikes start right in Yosemite Valley, including, the most famous of all, to the top of Half Dome (17-mile round-trip). It follows a section of the John Muir Trail and is strenuous, difficult and best tackled in two days with an overnight in Little Yosemite Valley. Reaching the top can only be done after rangers have installed fixed cables. Depending on sn…
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Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
Wawona, about 27 miles south of Yosemite Valley, is the park's historical center, but the main lure really is the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias the biggest and most impressive cluster of big trees in Yosemite. The star of the show - and what everyone comes to see - is the Grizzly Giant, a behemoth that sprang to life some 2700 years ago, or about the time the ancient Greeks held the first Olympic Games.
You can't miss it - it's a half-mile walk along a well-worn path starting near the parking lot. Beyond here, crowds begin to thin out a bit, although for more solitude you should arrive early in the morning or after 18:00.
The big attraction in the upper grove is the Fal…
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Glacier Point
Soaring 3200ft above the valley floor, Glacier Point (7214ft) presents 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 below 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 to Glacier Point, hiking trails lead to other spectacular viewpoints such as Dewey Point and Sentinel Dome. You can also hike up from the valley floor to Glacier Point via the thigh-burning Four Mile Trail. If you've driven up to Glacier Point and want to get away from the madding cro…
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Yosemite Falls
Yosemite's waterfalls are mesmerizing, especially when the spring runoff turns them into thunderous cataracts (most are reduced to a trickle by late summer). Yosemite Falls is considered the tallest waterfall in North America, dropping 740m (2425ft) in three tiers. A slick new trail leads to the bottom or, if you prefer solitude, you can also clamber up Yosemite Falls Trail, which puts you atop the falls after a grueling 5.5km (3.4mi).
No less impressive are nearby Bridalveil Fall and others scattered throughout the valley.
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Lake Tahoe Sleigh Ride
Varies (Departs Lake Tahoe)
by Viator
Experience an old fashioned sleigh ride around beautiful Lake Tahoe in one of several antique European sleighs! Your sleigh ride adventure will take you over th…Not LP reviewed
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Ahwahnee Dining Room
The formal ambience (mind your manners) may not be for everybody, but few would not be awed by the sumptuous decor, soaring beamed ceiling and palatial chandeliers. The menu is constantly in flux, but most dishes have perfect pitch and are beautifully presented. There's a dress code at dinner, but otherwise shorts and sneakers are OK. Sunday brunch is amazing.
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Mirror Lake
Any aspiring Ansel Adams should lug their camera gear along the 1-mile paved trail to Mirror Lake early or late in the day to catch the ever-shifting reflection of Half Dome in the still waters. The lake all but dries up by late summer.
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El Capitan
The most famous chunk of granite is, of course, the monumental El Capital, one of the world's largest monoliths and a magnet for rock climbers.
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Tuolumne Meadows
Beyond Tioga Rd, about 55 miles from Yosemite Valley, 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 temperatures. If you come in July or August, you'll find a painter's palette worth of wildflowers decorating the shaggy meadows.
Tuolumne is far less crowded than the valley, though the area around the campground, lodge store and visitors center does gets 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 …
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Hetch Hetchy
In the park's northwestern corner, Hetch Hetchy (which is Miwok for 'place of tall grass') gets the least amount of traffic yet sports waterfalls and granite cliffs that rival its famous counterparts in Yosemite Valley. The main difference is that Hetch Hetchy Valley is now filled with water, following a long political and environmental battle in the early 20th century. It's a lovely, quiet spot and well worth the 40-mile drive from Yosemite Valley, especially if you're tired of the avalanche of humanity rolling through that area.
The 8-mile long Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, its placid surface reflecting clouds and cliffs, stretches behind O'Shaughnessy Dam, site of a parking …
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Rock Climbing
With its sheer spires, polished domes and soaring monoliths, Yosemite is rock-climbing nirvana. The main climbing season runs from April to October. Most climbers, including some legendary stars, stay at Camp 4 near El Cap, especially in spring and fall. In summer, another base camp springs up at Tuolumne Meadows Campground. Climbers looking for partners post notices on bulletin boards at either campground.
Yosemite Mountaineering School offers top-flight instruction for novice to advanced rock hounds, plus guided climbs and equipment rental. All-day beginners classes are around US$120 per person if the group size is at least three people, more if there are fewer.
Climbers…
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Skiing
As the days shorten, the valley becomes a quiet, frosty world of snow-draped evergreens, ice-coated lakes and vivid vistas of gleaming white mountains sparkling against blue skies. Winter tends to arrive in full force by mid-November and whimper out in early April. Most of the action converges on the family-friendly Badger Pass Ski Area.
Cross-country skiers can explore 350 miles of skiable trails and roads, including 90 miles of marked trails and 25 miles of machine-groomed track near Badger Pass. The scenic but grueling trail to Glacier Point - 21-mile round-trip - also starts from here. More trails are at Crane Flat and the Mariposa Grove. The nongroomed trails can als…
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Heavenly Ski Resort
This gem, 5 miles south of Tahoe City, proves that bigger isn't always better. Locals and in-the-know visitors cherish the awesome lake views, laid-back ambience, smaller crowds, tree-lined slopes and open bowls (including the excellent but expert 'Quail Face'). Families love the wide, gentle slopes and free kids' tickets. This is also the best place to ski during stormy weather. Stats: 8 lifts, 1650 vertical ft, 60 runs.
The 'mother' of all Tahoe mountains boasts the most acreage, the longest run and the biggest vertical drop in the western USA. Follow the sun by skiing on the Nevada side in the morning, moving to the California side in the afternoon. Views of the lake …
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Homewood Ski Resort
This gem, 5 miles south of Tahoe City, proves that bigger isn't always better. Locals and in-the-know visitors cherish the awesome lake views, laid-back ambience, smaller crowds, tree-lined slopes and open bowls (including the excellent but expert 'Quail Face'). Families love the wide, gentle slopes and free kids' tickets. This is also the best place to ski during stormy weather. Stats: 8 lifts, 1650 vertical ft, 60 runs.
The 'mother' of all Tahoe mountains boasts the most acreage, the longest run and the biggest vertical drop in the western USA. Follow the sun by skiing on the Nevada side in the morning, moving to the California side in the afternoon. Views of the lake a…
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Hiking Emerald Bay State Park
Two trailheads lead from Emerald Bay into the Desolation Wilderness. Starting at the Eagle Falls parking lot (around US$3), the Eagle Falls Trail travels one steep mile to Eagle Lake, crossing by Eagle Falls along the way. This scenic short hike often gets choked with visitors, but crowds thin out immediately beyond the lake as the trail continues to the Tahoe Rim Trail and Velma, Dicks and Fontanillis Lakes.
From the Bayview Trailhead at the back of the Bayview Campground, it's a steep 1-mile climb to glacial Granite Lake at the foot of Maggies Peaks. The less ambitious might want to opt for the easy to moderate 1.5-mile round-trip to Cascade Falls. Vikingsholm Castle se…
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Squaw Valley High Camp
The host of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, Squaw Valley USA still ranks among the world's top ski resorts. The stunning setting amidst granite peaks, though, makes it a superb destination in any season. The village at the mountain base is about a 15- to 20-minute drive from Tahoe City or Truckee via Hwy 89 (turn off at Squaw Valley Rd).
Much of the action centers on 8200ft Squaw Valley High Camp, reached by cable car (around US$19), which has an outdoor ice-skating rink and a heated outdoor swimming pool. Your cable car ticket also includes admission to the Olympic Museum, which relives magic moments from 1960. Discounts are available for children, teens and seniors.
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Donner Lake
West of Truckee, 3-mile-long Donner Lake is a busy recreational hub. The Donner Party camped nearby during the fateful winter of 1846. Donner Summit, further west, has six downhill and cross-country ski resorts.
Cradled by mountains and the Tahoe National Forest, Truckee is a thriving town steeped in Old West history. It was put on the map by the railroad, grew rich on logging and ice harvesting and even had its brush with Hollywood during the 1924 filming of Charlie Chaplin's The Gold Rush. Today tourism fills much of the city's coffers, thanks to a well-preserved historical downtown and its proximity to Lake Tahoe and world-class ski resorts.
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Cycling
For an easy spin, take the South Lake Tahoe Bike Path. It heads west from El Dorado Beach, eventually connecting with the Pope-Baldwin Bike Path to Camp Richardson and the Tallac Historic Site.
For expert mountain-bikers, the classic Mr Toads Wild Ride, with its steep downhill sections and banked turns, should prove sufficiently challenging. Intermediate riders should steer towards the mostly single-track Powerline Trail, which traverses ravines and creeks. Anyone with good lungs might try the Angora Lakes Trail, which is steep but technically easy and rewards you with sweeping views of Mt Tallac and Fallen Leaf Lake.
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Rafting
From about late May to July, floating the Merced River from Stoneman Meadow, near Curry Village, to Sentinel Bridge is a leisurely way to soak up Yosemite Valley views.
Raft rentals for the 3-mile trip are available at Curry Village and include equipment and a tram ride back to the rental kiosk. Rafting above Yosemite Stables or below Cathedral Beach Picnic Area is forbidden.
River rats are also drawn to the fierce Tuolumne River, a classic Class IV run that plunges and thunders through boulder gardens and cascades. Both Oars and Zephyr Whitewater Expeditions run a variety of trips.
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Tioga Road
Tioga Road, the only road to traverse the park, travels through 56 miles of superb 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 after many a bend in the road, the most impressive being Olmsted Point, where you can gawp all the way down Tenaya Canyon to the backside of Half Dome. Above the canyon's east side looms the aptly named 9926ft Clouds Rest.
Continuing on Tioga Rd soon drops you at Tenaya Lake, a placid pond framed by pines and granite cliffs.
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Yosemite Museum
Places of cultural interest in the valley include the Yosemite Museum , which has Miwok and Paiute artifacts, including woven baskets, beaded buckskin dresses and dance capes made from feathers. Renowned local basket-weaver Julia Parker is often around for a demonstration and to answer questions. There's also an art gallery and, behind the museum, a reconstructed Indian village c 1870.
A self-guided interpretive trail winds past pounding stones, an acorn granary, a ceremonial roundhouse and a conical bark house.
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Mt Judah
Truckee is a great base for outdoor explorations in the Tahoe National Forest, especially in the Donner Summit area. One popular hike is to the top of 8243ft Mt Judah for awesome views of Donner Lake and the surrounding peaks. A longer and more strenuous ridge-crest hike links Donner Pass and Squaw Valley (15.5 miles, moderate to difficult) skirting the base of four prominent peaks. The TART bus takes you back to the trailhead.
For maps and further route suggestions, drop by the USFS ranger station at Truckee.
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Granite Chief Wilderness
Hikers should explore the fabulous trails of the Granite Chief Wilderness north and west of Tahoe City. For maps and trailhead directions, stop by the visitors center or the outfitters listed below. Wilderness permits are not required, not even for overnight trips.
Recommended day hikes include the moderately strenuous Five Lakes Trail (round-trip 5 miles) and the easy trek to Paige Meadows (leading on to the Tahoe Rim Trail). Paige Meadows is also good terrain for novice mountain-bikers and for snowshoeing.
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Moon Dune Beach
- Lake Tahoe, USA
- Sights › Beach
Heading northeast of Tahoe City, Hwy 28 takes you to a string of twee, low-key towns, many on superb sandy beaches, with reasonably priced motels and hotels. It rolls into Nevada at Crystal Bay and continues south along the eastern shore.
En route, Tahoe Vista has more public beaches (six) than any other lake town, including small but pretty Moon Dune Beach with firepits and picnic tables across from the Rustic Cottages and the Tahoe Vista Recreation Area with a small grassy area and marina.
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