Mono County is the eastern gateway to Yosemite National Park, and a well-rounded visit to this famous destination begins or ends here. Lee Vining and the Mono Basin provide outdoor enthusiasts and families the rare opportunity to explore geologically fascinating Mono Lake and enjoy the best gas station dinner you’ve ever, ever, EVER had.  

Driving Tioga Pass into Yosemite
Drive California’s highest mountain pass, which connects Yosemite and Mono County’s town of Lee Vining. This pass, also called Hwy. 120, is a spectacular route open May through October (snowbound in winter; dates vary). 2013 summer update:

Tioga Pass is known as the site of some of Yosemite’s most exciting rock climbing ascents and home of serene Tuolumne Meadows. For a memorable adventure, hike or ride a ferry at Saddlebag Lake Resort. Visit Tioga Gas Mart for the summer concert series and Whoa Nellie Deli.

Park the car and take the bus!
YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation Service) offers bus service from Mono County into the park 4 times daily. Check out the YARTS bus schedule or click HERE for a detailed Yosemite East brochure with bus map. Your bus ticket includes gate fees! Drivers, please note, vehicle traffic into Yosemite can become heavy during the summer months. Travelers driving their own cars are advised to call 209-372-0200 (press 1, then 1) for Yosemite road conditions.

What to do and see in Tuolomne Meadows
From Lee Vining on US 395, the Tioga Pass (CA-120E) winds up to Yosemite's east entrance and one the national park's greatest wonders, Tuolumne Meadows.  This is the largest sub-alpine meadow in the Sierra, at an elevation of approximately 8,600 feet (2600 m).  Glacier-carved sawtooth peaks rise thousands of feet above wildflower-carpeted meadows and meandering streams.  Black bear, mule deer, mountain lions, golden trout (the state fish of California) and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep inhabit the area. The YARTS Express Shuttle from Lee Vining to Tuolumne Meadows runs 4X daily and your $5 round-trip bus fare includes the Park entrance fee! Could be the best $5 you ever spend.

Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center Get your bearings here! A Park Ranger is always on duty to help you decide where to hike and what to see. (Yosemite Shuttle stop #6)

Lembert Dome This 2.8 mile hike is strenuous but provides rewarding views of Tuolumne Meadows to the west. (Yosemite Shuttle stop#4)

Soda Springs / Parsons Lodge An easy 1.5 mile hike to see carbonated water percolating up from the earth. (Yosemite Shuttle stop #4)

Pothole Dome A short, easy hike along the edge of the meadow and up the dome's gentiest face with views to the east of the meadow and winding river. (Yosemite Shuttle stop #7)

Cathedral Lakes A popular, moderate 7-mile roundtrip hike which has a 1,000 foot elevation gain and awesome views of Tenaya Canyon from Lower Cathedral Lake. (Yosemite Shuttle stop #7

Tenaya Lake This picturesque High Sierra lake, surrounded by soaring granite domes, is considered the most beautiful of all Yosemite's lakes. (Yosemite Shuttle stop #9)

Olmsted Point A spectacular viewing point into Yosemite Vally and the northern side of Half Dome. One of the best vistas in Yosemite! (Yosemite Shuttle stop #12)

Yosemite Valley
Yosemite Valley is a 1.5 hour drive from Lee Vining, and well worth the trip.  Several of the world's tallest waterfalls drop into this deep, glacier-carved, u-shaped valley (best seen in early summer).  The massive monoliths Half Dome, El Capitan and Sentinel Rock are among many impressive geologic features of Yosemite Valley.  Look up with binoculars to see tiny rock climbers up high on their granite faces.  Photographs of these wonders by Ansel Adams popularized Yosemite and helped establish landscape photography as an art form.  The Ansel Adams Gallery, in Yosemite Valley, is a must stop for anyone who appreciates nature and fine art.  Visitor centers at Tuolumne Meadows and in Yosemite Valley help explain the forces that created Yosemite National Park.

Helpful Links:
Yosemite National Park (park information, ranger programs)
Yosemite Road Conditions
Yosemite Association (park field trips and programs)
The Yosemite Fund (park restoration projects)

More about YARTS (Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System)
Public transportation is available from points throughout Mono County to Yosemite National Park on YARTS.  Buses depart from Mammoth Lakes, June Lake and Lee Vining with stops in the national park at Tuolumne Meadows, White Wolf, Crane Flat, and Yosemite Valley.  YARTS has partnered with Amtrack to offer easy access from the Bay Area to Yosemite and Eastern Sierra destinations.  Operates daily, July and August; weekends, June and September.  Visit the YARTS website for schedule and fares.