Yosemite National Park is accessible from the east and west. The shortest (and most spectacular) drive would be to head north from Vegas and cross into the park on Highway 120 – Tioga Pass. Unfortunately, it remains closed due to the heavy snows of winter. So we backtracked our trip east last week to Bakersfield.
I stopped to look closer at the Solar Electric Generating System over the California border. it is an impressive site. From there it was a repeat visit to the Mojave desert – in the opposite direction! It didn’t look much different π€£.
We stopped for the night along the Kern River in Bakersfieldβthis time in a Thousand Trails campground. If I understand it, these are more of a time-share operation. It sits alongside the Kern River which is flowing nicely. Google Maps shows it as a dry riverbed.
The next day’s journey went through the heart of the central valley growing region. Then the fun began!
We headed to the mountains and the windiest roads so far. We drove through spectacular California-style mountains, green from the winter rains. The road across the Kern River Valley was a roller-coaster ride pulling a 2-ton trailer!
The Yosemite Lakes campground was located inconveniently on Route 120 – Tioga Road – north of the Yosemite Valley. I only say this because the winter rains have damaged the entrance from this route, forcing me to drive almost 2 1/2 hours to get to the valley.
It is in a scenic area on the South fork of the Tuolumne River, very close to where we stayed. The river was full and flowing swiftly. There is a marshy area close by that we could explore – Jake could get all muddy πΆ!
We went to bed early that night to prepare for our 3 AM departure for a 2 1/2-hour drive to the Park. And boy, howdy – it would prove to be worth it!
