National Parks and The High Sierras

4 HOURS/175 MILES

Well rested and ready for action, your first stop on Day 2 should be the Tahoe Adventure Company. Pick your poison; mountain biking, kayaking, hiking, rock climbing or specially customized adventures. Any reservations for bikes should be made at least an hour in advance, as they have a limited supply. Thirst for adventure not yet whetted, a three-hour scenic drive from Tahoe Lake Resort is the Calaveras Big Trees State Park. This state park has plenty of activities for everyone, but the spectacular South Grove is well worth a visit. This five-mile hike takes you through a grove of giant sequoias in their natural setting. The scenery and the chance for reconnecting with nature are second to none. One hour away from Calaveras is the Groveland Hotel. Located in Tuolumne, this historic hotel is based close to Yosemite. Get checked in and get ready for dinner. There are many options in the area but we would recommend the Iron Door Saloon, the oldest continually operated saloon in California.

4.2 HOURS/201 MILES

Day three is train day, of course! A short two and half hour drive from Tuolumne is the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. Founded in 1965, the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad takes passengers on an hour-long ride through mountains where lumberjacks felled mighty trees and flumes carried lumber from the mountains to the valley below. After your ride through history, it’s back in the car again for a two and half hour drive to Sequoia National Park. Before entering the park, though, we recommend a quick bite to eat. Try the Pita Kabob in Visalia. Exploring Sequoia National Park is one of those lifetime experiences you won’t forget. Walking beneath those cathedral-like trees will install within you a sense of child-like wonder. Of course, there is so much to do in Sequoia, but no trip would be complete without a visit to General Sherman, the world’s largest tree. After Sequoia National Park, it’s back to Visalia for dinner and a well-deserved sleep. There are plenty of quality hotels for you to choose from.

3.2 HOURS/139 MILES

Today you head to that iconic American park, Yosemite. With its lofty granite summits and the fairy-tale like Yosemite Valley, this scenic drive will render you speechless for its grandeur. Stop at the historic town of Wawona and the Wawona Hotel. Located near the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias it is an excellent chance to stretch your legs. After lunch and a bit of a walkabout, it’s an hour drive to Yosemite Valley before heading on to Bishop. Just before entering the Valley you’ll come to Tunnel View one of the most photographed vistas in the world. Once you enter Yosemite Valley, stop and take the free shuttle to the many Valley iconic spot such as Yosemite Falls, Half Dome Village and El Capitan. One and a half hours from the Valley is the unsurpassed Tioga Pass. With views to infinity along the backbone of Yosemite, this is a great place for photos. From here it is another one and a half hours to Bishop. Again, for a place to stay for the night, there are many quality hotels to choose from, but the Vagabond Inn is low-key with many great amenities.

1.5 HOURS/65 MILES

Start your day a little slower today with an easy breakfast in town. Try Jack’s Waffle Shop, a local breakfast icon. After your morning fuel, explore Bishop Creek Canyon. A short 20-minute drive from downtown Bishop. Fresh air, granite peaks, pristine lakes, and summer wildflowers, this is a great area to have a quick sabbatical after all your time on the road. From Bishop, plan for a 45-minute drive to Mammoth Lakes. The first thing you will want to do is grab a bite at the Eatery, inside Mammoth Brewing Company. After lunch, head to Wave Rave, a local snowboard and outdoor shop and rent an electric bike to ride the bike path network in Mammoth Lake Basin. This 5.3-mile paved multi-use path connects the North Village to Horseshoe Lake and passes many popular Mammoth Lakes attractions. Time your bike riding just right so that you can drive 30 minutes to Mono Lake to catch the sunset. Mono Lake is an oasis in the dry Great Basin and a vital habitat for millions of migratory and nesting birds. Plan to stay the night in Lee Vining. Again, Lee Vining has many places to choose from but the Yosemite Gateway is a fun place with views of the lake. 

3 HOURS/143 MILES

After breakfast, a great way to truly appreciate the unique geology of Mono Lake is to take the quick drive from Lee Vining to the South Tufa area. The South Tufa area is rich with tufa, which is formed when fresh water springs containing calcium bubble up through the carbonaterich lake water. The South Tufa area has a trail that allows you to walk among these giant spires, some reaching 30-feet tall. Ready for your ghost walk? Though the likelihood of you seeing a real-life ghost along this walk is not guaranteed, the likelihood of you getting to visit a real-life ghost town is. Just 45 minutes from Lee Vining, Bodie State Historic Park is a genuine California gold-mining ghost town. Visitors can walk down the deserted streets of a town that once had a population of nearly 10,000 people. This is a fascinating site and offers a great look into the history of the gold rush days, and what happens when the gold runs out. From Bodie head to Truckee for the night. Again, plenty of options for your stay, but we recommend the exquisitely funky and historic Redlight Historic Bunk Hotel and Speakeasy. For dinner, try the Bar of America. The place is as fun as the name suggests.

34 MINUTES/33 MILES

Get ready to experience one of the most famous and tragic incidents in American History. Located just 9 miles west of Truckee is Donner Pass, named after the ill-fated Donner Party. The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers that set out for California in a wagon train in May 1846. Departing from Independence, Missouri, they were delayed by a series of mishaps and mistakes and spent the winter of 1846–7 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada. Some of the pioneers resorted to cannibalism to survive. Directly before the pass is the Donner Memorial State Park, which is located on the site where the snowbound emigrants spent that winter. The park contains the Emigrant Trail Museum and the Pioneer Monument dedicated to the travelers of the Emigrant Trail. From Donner Pass, head back through Truckee towards Reno. This is your last day, so it’s time to relax a bit and the Reno Riverwalk District is just the place to do it. Located in the heart of Reno along the Truckee River, this area has plenty of things to keep you entertained. Want to put some money on Lady Luck instead? Reno has you covered. There is any number of sublime casinos in the area, most of which have free shuttles. Since you are flying out tomorrow, we would recommend finding a hotel near the airport, which won’t be hard to do.

Wave goodbye to the beautiful High Sierra from your plane as you fly back home!