Must see attractions in Yosemite & the Sierra Nevada

The spectacular Ansel Adams Wilderness Area abuts Yosemite National Park, Mammoth Lakes, June Lake and Inyo National Forest. It contains some of the most…

Just off Hwy 41, immediately east of Wawona Tunnel, is the parking lot for this spectacular viewpoint where you can take in much of the valley floor,…

Spectacular views await from these falls, ricocheting 594ft as part of the 'Giant Staircase' leading the Merced River down into Yosemite Valley. Most…

Panoramic roadside pullout on the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway with soaring views of Rodger's Ridge, Spanish Mountain, Deer Ridge, Deer Canyon, Crown Rock,…

At 6.3 million acres, this is the largest national forest in the lower 48 states. Most of it is in Nevada, with a small portion around Bridgeport in…

Constituting 128,000 acres of backcountry paradise, Hoover includes the Virginia Lakes, Lundy Lake and high peaks to the west bordering Yosemite National…

A dirt road, closed to cars, dips steeply down the smallest, densest and quietest sequoia grove in the park.

Small grove of towering giant sequoias.

Tragically, Converse Basin once contained the world’s largest grove of mature sequoias, but it’s now an unsettling cemetery for tree stumps. In the late…

Built by the Sierra Club in 1903, this small, rustic, granite-and-wood lodge offers a glimpse of a relatively unknown chapter of California architecture…

Discovered in 1918 by two parks' employees who were going fishing, this unique cave was carved by an underground river and has marble formations estimated…

Chilnualna Creek tumbles around 2200ft over the north shoulder of forested Wawona Dome in an almost continuous series of cascades. The largest and most…

Said to have been described by John Muir as the ‘gem of the Sierra,’ this lush meadow is buffered by a forest of firs and giant sequoias. High grass and…

For a graphic view of the area’s geothermal power, journey south of Mammoth Lakes to where chilly Mammoth Creek blends with hot springs and continues its…

More than 15,000 sequoias cluster in Redwood Canyon, making it one of the world’s largest groves of these giant trees. In an almost-forgotten corner of…

For a primer on the intriguing ecology and history of giant sequoias, this pint-sized modern museum will entertain both kids and adults. Hands-on exhibits…

Few know about it, but original Ansel Adams photographic prints are shown at Yosemite Valley's Ansel Adams Gallery. A number of walks and classes are also…

The 20ft-high Chicago Stump is all that’s left of the once-mighty, 3200-year-old General Noble tree. The 285ft giant was cut into sections and transported…

Six miles east of Cedar Grove Village is the end of the road for cars. A seasonal ranger station issues wilderness permits, sells maps and hiking guides,…

A stroll down a hillside brings you to this out-of-the-way (though it can still get crowded) hot spring. Water emerges piping hot and cools as it trickles…