Five Natural Wonders of Tuolumne County (Don’t worry, there’s more than 5!)

Tuolumne County is located in Northern California.  The Northern half of Yosemite National Park is located in Tuolumne County.  In addition to Yosemite, Tuolumne County is home to Gold Rush towns, two state parks, eclectic shopping, wine tasting, fun dining, four-season recreation, a variety of excellent lodging opportunities and incredible scenery including many unique geologic formations.

Tuolumne County, Yosemite Gold Country is loaded with natural and man-made wonders.  The Tuolumne County Historical Society’s Landmark Committee set out to identify the seven wonders of Tuolumne County.  What they ended up with was 21 wonders of Tuolumne County – 10 natural and 11 man-made.  Here the focus is on five of the natural wonders, not listed in any specific order.

1. Yosemite National Park is considered one of the most beautiful locations in the world.   John Muir called it one of nature’s most majestic cathedrals and devoted his life to protecting it.  This year Yosemite celebrates the 150^th Anniversary of the signing of the Yosemite Grant Act by Abraham Lincoln.  This Act placed federal protection around this special place so that it would be an inspiration for generations.  Yosemite remains one of the most inspiration places on earth with iconic features like Half Dome, El Capitan, Tuolumne Meadows and Yosemite Falls.  Lesser known but just as spectacular locations within the park include The Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias and Hetch Hetchy Valley.

2.       Donnell Vista is located in Tuolumne County High Country just off of Highway 108.  The short walk to the scenic overlook is well worth the stop.  Visitors will see sweeping views of the Dardanelles, Donnell Lake and Niagara Creek Falls. Basalt formations which are part of the Carson Iceberg Wilderness can also be seen at this vantage point.  These formations are made up of volcanic remains of the lava flows that started at the top of Sonora Pass and flowed down the river canyon prior to the start of the Ice Age.

 3.       Trail of the Gargoyles provides visitors with a look at evidence of glaciations, with erratic boulders of grantie rock that glaciers left perched on top of younger volcanic rocks.  There are two trails – the North Rim Trail and the Couth Rim Trail.  Both are 1 ½ miles long.  Easy to get to, the Trail of the Gargoyles is located off Herring Creek Road, nine miles east of Strawberry (above Sonora) on Highway 108.

 4.       Columns of the Giants are a rare example of columnar hexagonal basalt rock finely polished by previous glacial ages.  Basalt, a hard, black volcanic rock with less than 52 percent silica, is the most common rock type in the Earth’s crust.  The low silica content allows for flow over long distances.  Crystals can form because the lava cools slowly after erupting out of a volcano, sometimes taking months or years to cool all the way through.  The Columns of the Giants are located next to Pigeon Flat Campground, 24 miles east of Pinecrest on Highway 108.

 5.       The Bennett Juniper is an 86-foot high unrivalled specimen of a Western Juniper, America’s largest.  Located near Eagle Meadows, it is estimated to be between 3,000 and 6,000 years old.  At last measurement it had a circumference of 480 inches and had a 58-foot crown spread.  On windswept meadows in the Stanislaus National Forest at 8,500 feet, the gnarled and knotted tree has withstood centuries of drought, hard winters and lightning strikes.   Visitors to the Bennett Juniper often meet up with Ken Brunges, who since 1988 has been the caretaker of the Bennett Juniper and surrounding acreage.  To get there:  There is no official signage!  Head up Highway 108, about one hour east of Sonora halfway between Strawberry and Dardanelle Resort.  Take Forest Road 5NO1 most of the way; the road is informally know as Eagle Meadow Road, although it goes far beyond Eagle Meadow.  A 4-wheel drive vehicle is recommended and a full tank of gas.  Take water and a camera and note that there are no public facilities.