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From the
San Francisco Bay Area, you will
travel across California's Great Basin and into the foothills
of the Sierra Nevada. Take Interstate 580 East to Interstate
205, which exits onto Interstate 5 North. Take the first exit
off I-5, which is marked "Sonora, Highway 120".
This will take you to Highway 99 North. You will see an
exit sign, "Sonora and Yosemite". Follow this into
the city of Oakdale (The Cowboy Capital of the World), the
home to the Hershey's Chocolate Factory (yes, that Hershey's).
When you come to the third stoplight in the center of town,
120 joins Highway 108. You will turn left and follow this into
The Great Unfenced. Highways 108 and 120 split at Yosemite
Junction. If you turn right, you will travel on 120 into
Groveland and Yosemite Park. If you continue on 108, you will
arrive in Sonora (about 10 miles).
From
Sacramento and Points North, there
are several ways to get to the recreational and cultural
center of California's Gold Country. You can take Interstate
80 East to Auburn and travel south on the 200-plus-mile trail
of the gold prospectors, Highway 49, or take Highway 50 East
to Placerville and then south on Highway 49.
The best way is to take Highway 99 South towards
Stockton. You can take Highway 4 East out of Stockton. When
you reach Copperopolis, turn right onto O'Byrnes Ferry Road.
This will take you by Lake Tulloch, and you will then arrive
at Highway 108/120. Turn right. A very short distance later,
Highways 108 and 120 split at Yosemite Junction. If you turn
right, you will travel on 120 into Groveland and Yosemite
Park. If you continue on 108, you will arrive in Sonora (about
10 miles).
You can also continue on Highway 4, and when you arrive
at Highway 49 in Altaville, turn right. It is about 18 miles
to Sonora. For the best route, continue south on Highway 99
until you come to the Highway 120 exit. Follow this into the
city of Oakdale (The Cowboy Capital of the World), the home to
the Hershey's Chocolate Factory (yes, that Hershey's). When
you come to the third stoplight in the center of town, 120
joins Highway 108. You will turn left and follow this into The
Great Unfenced. Highways 108 and 120 split at Yosemite
Junction. If you turn right, you will travel on 120 into
Groveland and Yosemite Park. Continue on 108 for Jamestown and
Sonora.
From
east of the Sierra Nevada:
From Lake Tahoe, there are several ways to get to
Tuolumne County. You can take Highway 50 to Placerville and go
south on Highway 49, or take Highway 89 South and turn right
on Highway 88 into Jackson and then go south on Highway 49.
You can continue on Highway 89 South to Highway 4, turn right
and continue on to Altaville, and then go south on Highway 49
to Sonora.
The famous Federal Highway 395 traverses the eastern side
of California into Nevada near Tahoe and Reno, then up to
Oregon and Washington. Highway 395 begins at Interstate 15 in
Southern California. This is the route traveled by settlers as
they searched for a pass through the Sierra Nevada. There are
two passes into Tuolumne County. These are the two highest
passes in the Sierra Nevada. The first is Highway 108 through
Sonora Pass at 9,628 feet. From 395, you turn west onto 108 at
Sonora Junction and it will take you directly into Sonora. The
other pass is Highway 120 through Tioga pass at 9,941 feet and
through Yosemite National Park through Tuolumne Meadows.
Follow Highway 120 to Jacksonville Road in Moccasin and
continue until you arrive in Jamestown, where you can then
continue to Highway 108 or any other part of The Great
Unfenced
From
Southern California,take Interstate 5
out of Los Angeles. Continue north and just after going down
the Grapevine, take State Route 99, unless going to the Bay
Area first and then continue on I-5. You will go through many
agricultural towns. This is the Heartland of California.
There are several ways to enter The Great Unfenced,
uncrowded Tuolumne County when you approach Fresno.
The first exit is in Fresno. Watch for the Yosemite
(Highway 41) exit. Highway 41 will take you to Mariposa, where
Highway 49 begins. Also known as the Golden Chain Highway,
this 200-plus-mile highway is the trail that the gold
prospectors followed from gold mine to gold mine. It is 57
miles to Sonora. This is a very curvy road but full of scenic
vistas. You can also stay on Highway 41 and, after visiting
Yosemite Valley, take Highway 120 out of the Park. You will
enter Tuolumne County 66 miles later.
The second exit off SR-99 is in Merced. Here you will see
a sign which says "Sonora, Highway 59". Take this
exit and it will save you at least a half-hour. This is a
shortcut known to locals and many repeat visitors. You will
actually be traveling on J-59 until you reach the small town
of Snelling. Just on the other side of Snelling, you will turn
left on Highway 59. Somewhere along this road, you will enter
Tuolumne County. Follow this to the end at Highway 108/120 and
turn right; it is only about 13 miles to Sonora.
The third exit off SR-99 is Modesto. Watch for the
Highway 108 exit. This route is not recommended as it travels
through the city and you are trying to get away from that kind
of stuff. Highway 108 leads directly into uncrowded Tuolumne
County.
The last exit off SR-99 is Highway 120, easier than
Highway 108. You will see an exit sign, "Sonora and
Yosemite". Follow this into the city of Oakdale (The
Cowboy Capital of the World). When you come to the third
stoplight in the center of town, 120 joins Highway 108. You
will turn left and follow this into The Great Unfenced.
Highways 108 and 120 split at Yosemite Junction. If you turn
right, you will travel on 120 into Groveland and Yosemite
Park. If you continue on 108, you will arrive in Sonora (about
10 miles).
You can also travel east of Los Angeles and up through
Cajon Pass to reach Federal Highway 395. Follow the directions
from the eastern Sierra Nevada above.
Highway 108 and 120 are
open all year. |
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