Tioga Pass

Guide to Tioga Pass

Yosemite National Park's Tioga Pass is at 9,941 feet elevation, on the east side of the park, six miles east of Tuolumne Meadows on CA 120.

One of the few places where you can get across the Sierras, Tioga Pass closes with the winter's first snow and opens with the spring thaw. It is usually open to vehicles from late May or early June through sometime in November. However, Tioga Pass opening and closing dates vary by year.

The drive to Tioga Pass is one of the most scenic in the Sierras, according to National Geographic magazine.

Just a few miles west of Tioga Pass, where CA 120 crosses US 395, you'll find a gas station, not so unusual as gas stations go, but legendary for the quality of the food served at its Whoa Nellie Deli, which serves everything from grilled salmon to fish tacos and hamburgers.

Tioga Pass Lodging

Just west of Tioga Pass and outside the Yosemite east entrance, you'll find Tioga Pass Resort.

Getting to Tioga Pass

From the east or west, you can get to Tioga Pass on CA 120. Tioga Pass is the highest automobile pass in the Sierras, so be sure your vehicle is up to it, and to be sure Tioga Pass is open, check the Tioga Pass road conditions.