left onto Glacier Point Rd at the
Chinquapin intersection, driving
15 more miles to Glacier Point.
4 Glacier Point
In only an hour, you can
zip from Yosemite Valley
up to head-spinning
Glacier Point. Warning!
Glacier Point is closed by
snow in winter, usually
not opening again until
May. Between November
and April, the road
remains open as far as
Badger Pass ski area,
but snow tires and tire
chains may be required.
Rising over 3000ft
above the valley floor,
dramatic Glacier Point
(7214ft) practically puts
you at eye level with
Half Dome. Glimpse
what John Muir and
US President Teddy
Roosevelt saw when
they camped here in
1903: the waterfall-
strewn Yosemite Valley
below and the distant
peaks ringing Tuolumne
Meadows. To get away
from the crowds, hike
a little way down the
Panorama Trail, just
south of the crowded
main viewpoint.
On your way back from
Glacier Point, take time
out for a 2-mile hike up
Sentinel Dome or out to
Taft Point for incredible
360-degree valley views.4 p215
The Drive » Drive back
downhill past Badger Pass,
turning left at the Chinquapin
intersection and winding south
through thick forest on Wawona
Rd/Hwy 41. After almost
13 curvy miles, you’ll reach
Wawona, with its hotel, visitor
center, general store and gas
station, all on your left.5 Wawona
At Wawona, a 45-minute
drive south of the valley,
drop by the Pioneer
Yosemite History Center,
with its covered bridge,
pioneer-era buildings
and historic Wells Fargo
office. In summer you
can take a short, bumpy
stagecoach ride and
really feel like you’re
living in the past. Peek
inside the Wawona
Visitor Center (h8:30am-
5pm mid-May–late Nov)at 19th-century artist
Thomas Hill’s recreated
studio, hung with
romantic Sierra Nevada
landscape paintings. On
summer evenings, imbibe
a civilized cocktail in
the lobby lounge of the
Wawona Hotel, where
pianist Tom Bopp plays
tunes from Yosemite’s
bygone days.4 p215
The Drive » In summer, leave
your car at Wawona and take
a free shuttle bus to Mariposa
Grove. By car, follow Wawona
Rd/Hwy 41 south for 4.5 miles
to the four-way stop by the
park’s south entrance. Continue
straight ahead on Mariposa Rd
(closed in winter) for 3.5 miles
to the parking lot – when it’s full,
drivers are turned away.6 Mariposa Grove
Wander giddily around
the Mariposa Grove,
home of the 1800-year-
old Grizzly Giant and
500 other giant sequoias
that tower above your
head. Nature trails wind
through this popular
grove, but you can only
hear yourself think aboveWINTER WONDERLANDS
When the temperature drops and the white stuff falls, there are still tons of fun
outdoor activities around the Sierra Nevada’s national parks. In Yosemite, strap
on some skis or a snowboard and go tubing downhill at Badger Pass; plod around
Yosemite Valley or to Dewey Point on a ranger-led snowshoe tour; or just try to stay
upright on ice skates at Curry Village. Further south in Sequoia & Kings Canyon
National Park, the whole family can go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing among
groves of giant sequoias. Before embarking on a winter trip to the parks, check
road conditions on the official park websites or by calling ahead. Don’t forget to put
snow tires on your car, and always carry tire chains too.CENTRAL.CALIFORNIA.19
.YOSEMITE, SEqUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS