HIGHWAY 120 – ALWAYS OPEN TO YOSEMITE FROM BAY AREA

For California’s Bay Area and points north including Sacramento and the north portion of the Central Valley, Highway 120 is the shortest and perhaps the most scenic route to Yosemite National Park.  Highway 120 allows for year-round access into Yosemite Valley as the road remains open throughout the year. Highway 120 is wide open for visitors wanting to spend some time in Yosemite and also explore great destinations just outside the Park.

Not only is Highway 120 a great route to take to the Park, there are a lot of great things to do along the way:

• Tuolumne County Visitors Center, Chinese Camp:  Chinese Camp, once home to over 5000 Chinese miners, offers a Visitor Center where guests can book hotel reservations, pick up a Tuolumne County Vacation Planner  and purchase Yosemite souvenirs and guide books.  The friendly staff is available to assist visitors daily.
•  Groveland:  Visitors are pleasantly pleased by the provisions including lodging, dining, shopping, grocery store, museum, golf and horseback riding.  Mountain bike and equestrian trails round out the recreational offerings.
•  Rainbow Pool:  Easy to get to, Rainbow Pool is right off the highway.  A natural swimming hole complete with waterfall is a great spot for a picnic or a place to cool off in the summer months.
•  Rim of the World:  Located on the north side of Highway 120, Rim of the World overlooks the beautiful Tuolumne River Canyon.  In the late spring and summer months, whitewater rafting excursions provided by local outfitters offer a thrilling 18-mile ride on some of the nation’s best whitewater.  Single day or overnight trips available.
•  Hetch Hetchy and O’Shaughnessy Dam:  Continuing on Highway 120 towards Yosemite, Evergreen Road is located on the left.  Evergreen Road leads to Evergreen Lodge (a great place to stay and eat).  Continue past Evergreen Lodge on Evergreen Road, Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, the source of the water supply for the City of San Francisco. It is worth the side trip to visit this place which was once called the Twin Valley to Yosemite because of its likeness to Yosemite Valley.  At Hetch Hetchy, Wapama Falls is a sight to behold as it descends just under 1100 feet.

Tuolumne(rhymes with“follow me”) County, located 133 

miles east of San Francisco, is a pristine, scenic expanse reaching into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.   Gold was discovered in Tuolumne County in 1848, setting off the major gold rush of 1949.  The main highways leading to the picturesque drive from the San Francisco and East Bay Area are Highways 108 and 120 from the west and Highway 49 from the north.  The State Highway 120 entrance to Yosemite National Park is considered the “front door” of the park for the San Francisco Greater Bay Area.  The Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite National Park, and other surrounding areas provide natural vistas and settings for hiking, water skiing, horseback riding, rafting, camping, snowmobiling, boating, snow skiing, fishing and other outdoor activities. Seven restored historic hotels, four golf courses, numerous and varied dining establishments, historic saloons, five wineries and hard cider distillery, train rides, casino, seven museums, two state historic parks, five live theaters and many bed-and-breakfast inns are among the many other attributes that make the county a year round vacation destination. www.YosemiteGoldCountry.com