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- Photo: Tuolumne County
USA
The High Sierra: Divine Road Tripping in Tuolumne County, California
Article and photography by Jennifer Merrick
“The Sierra should be called the Range of Light—the most divinely beautiful of all the mountain chains I have ever seen,” wrote renowned naturalist, John Muir, in 1868. These mountains, which span 400 kilometers along the eastern edge of California, captured Muir’s heart,and he championed the region, leading to the creation of Yosemite National Park.
As a lover of road trips and mountains, exploring Tuolumne County and the High Sierra was indeed ‘divinely beautiful’, and it stole my heart on an all-too-short getaway. Starting from San Francisco, I white-knuckled it on the busy freeways, as cars sped in and out of traffic. But after an hour, my grip relaxed. The scenery changed and the views of a sea of cars morphed into a rural landscape dotted with almond farms. Next, an out-of-the-world landscape of red clay hills arose out of nowhere before the road led me into the mountains. The towering pines and granite rock formations that greeted me would be my enchanting company throughout my road trip that included these heavenly moments:
Horseback Riding with Aspen Meadows in Stanislaus National Forest
Everyone’s heard of Yosemite, but lesser known is the nearby federally protected Stanislaus National Forest. Spanning almost 900,000 acres, its alpine landscape features wildflowered meadows, glacial lakes and granite peaks. Hiking on its 185 miles of developed trails, pitching a tent at one of 52 campgrounds or pulling over at its panoramic viewpoints are popular ways to enjoy Stanislaus. But if you’re looking for an adventure to remember, I suggest a trail ride excursion at Aspen Meadow Pack Station.
Our cowboy guide was passionate about the mountain wilderness that surrounded us, and he regaled us with stories of his horseback adventures and the geology and history of the Sierra. The surefooted horses carried us through the Aspen meadow plateau to the ridge, where we were treated to panoramic views of the canyon stretching out to Yosemite.
Sipping Cider at Indigeny Reserve
The 160-acre sprawling property with its picnic tables and antique farming relics among the pines and apple orchards was as much of an attraction as the cider itself. “Everything is made here,” said Rebecca as she poured a flight of cider samples. The first glass smelled of apples and tasted like traditional cider, but others were unexpectedly creative concoctions made from the 52 varieties of apples grown there. “They’re magicians,” she said. Also magical were the property’s features, like the hiking trails that led to an historic mine, Phoenix Lake and a miniature gnome garden.
Breakfasting with a View at Alicia’s Sugar Shack
Not only were the scones delicious and the coffee rich at this popular roadside bakery, but just across the way was a panoramic view to accompany them.
Frolicking at Pinecrest Lake
A favourite local summer destination, this deep blue glacial lake edged by granite and pines, has been attracting generations of families for decades. The view was Norman Rockwellish with families swimming, boating or just lounging on the beach, melting ice cream in hand. More active vacationers can hike the 6.3-mile trails around the lake. This was my intention but a quarter of the way in, I found a bench perched high on the granite slab ridge and was more than content to bask in the sunshine and take in the view of the lake, mountains and the frolickers enjoying it all.
Moseying Down Main Street, Sonora
Sonora is one of the gold-rush towns in the region that sprung up during the booming decades in the mid-1800s. Today, its historic buildings house original boutiques, eateries, artisan workshops and craft breweries. A favorite stop was Emberz, for its wood-oven pizzas and selection of Californian wines.
Living the History of the Gold Rush Era at Columbia State Historic Park
I felt as though I was walking through a western movie set, but this historic town was the real deal. Between 1850 and 1870 over a billion dollars of gold in today’s standards was mined in the area, and towns sprung up to support the industry. Most became ghost towns and disappeared, but Columbia was preserved and turned into a remarkable living history site, where you can stroll its stagecoach-only-streets and explore its churches, schoolhouse, firehouse, barbershop, ironsmith and other buildings.
Exploring the Mountain Town of Twain Harte
Named after authors Mark Twain and Bret Harte, this mountain town is touristy in the best of ways with ice cream stands, mini-golf and restaurants with outdoor seating. The double dipped fried chicken sandwich paired with an ice-cold brew at the Rock of Twain Harte, one of the town’s most popular hangouts, was an ideal ending to a day of mountain activities.
Driving the Sonora Pass
My ears popped, as I switchbacked up the mountain, trying hard to focus on the center of the road in front of me and not to the side, where no guard rails edged a rocky precipice that dropped down into deep valleys. But it was worth the sweaty palms.
The Sonora Highway, also known as Highway 108, passed through the Sierra Nevada Mountains at 9,623 feet and was a spectacularly scenic drive. Technically, the drive should have taken about two hours, but all the lookout points enroute doubled the time. The Donell Vista at 6000 feet in Stanislaus National Forest was a particularly exceptional pitstop with its panoramic views of the forested canyon and the reservoir shimmering like an emerald at the bottom.
Other stops weren’t signposted but just begged for photographs like the Dardanelles, alien-like rock formations that edged the highway, created by a series of horizontal volcanic layers jutting out from granite.
For a lover of mountains and road trips, you couldn’t get much better than this drive in Tuolumne County. Simply divine.
If you go: It’s approximately a two-hour drive from either San Francisco or Sacramento airport. My accommodation at the Black Oak Casino Resort was an ideal base to explore the region and had large, comfortable suites with jacuzzi tubs and amenities that included outdoor pool, fitness center, arcade and even a bowling alley.
