Tuolumne County

This part of California marries Gold Rush towns, High Sierra landscapes and some of Yosemite National Park’s most spectacular pockets. The best way to tackle it is by car on a spectacular, leisurely road trip

There’s no doubt that Tuolumne County is best explored by car. Trailheads to mirror-clear alpine lakes unfurl along pine-studded highways, leading to quaint mountain outposts. Follow this 10day itinerary to discover the best of this region from the road.

DAY ONE

GROVELAND

Make your base in Gold Rush town Groveland, which springs from the pines along Highway 120. It’s the perfect primer for the Old West history to come: prospectors struck gold here in the mid-19th century and the main street seems to have been plucked from a Western film, with its classic falsefront architecture and faded swinging signs. Make time for a sundowner at Iron Door Saloon; the storied watering hole is said to be the oldest of its kind in the state. History also awaits at the Groveland Hotel, which was built in 1849.

DAYS TWO–THREE

OFFBEAT YOSEMITE — TUOLUMNE GROVE

AND HETCH HETCHY RESERVOIR

Tuolumne County lays claim to a great swathe of Yosemite National Park. Beyond county borders, headliners like El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall draw crowds to Yosemite Valley

— but there’s a rawer, quieter beauty in Tuolumne. Push east from Groveland along Highway 120, then north on Tioga Road, and you’ll reach the Tuolumne Grove trailhead. The 2.5-mile round-trip route beats a path through firs and pines to a copse of cloud-scraping sequoias.

Spend ample time in the park’s Hetch Hetchy Valley area, an hour’s drive north. Here, granite peaks thrust skyward around a vast reservoir and paths snake through rugged terrain. Wapama Falls — a soaring cascade reached via a five-mile round-trip hike — is the star act. Ease back west down Evergreen Road and along Highway 120 each night, checking in at Evergreen Lodge, rustic log cabin-style huts.

DAY FOUR

OFFBEAT YOSEMITE — TUOLUMNE MEADOWS

Savour the hour-and-a-half drive eastward to Tuolumne Meadows, with pinch-yourself views along Tioga Road. Tuolumne Meadows is Yosemite’s most underrated region, open seasonally from May-November before the snow sets in. The Tuolumne River carves up subalpine meadows, which are hemmed in by a forest of granite peaks. Get to the region’s heart on a day hike: the two-mile Gaylor Lakes trail rewards trekkers with glittering high country vistas. Rest your head at nearby Groveland Hotel, with its plush, old world charm.

DAY FIVE

JAMESTOWN

Retrace your steps with a 40-minute drive west towards Jamestown, the first place gold was found in Tuolumne County. Now, its 19th-century buildings house restaurants and atmospheric lodgings. The town’s big-ticket attraction is the Railtown 1897 State Historic Park, where you can chug through Jamestown’s surrounding wilderness on a steam locomotive. Next, set your sights on the Jamestown Walk of Fame, which highlights the 200-plus movies and TV shows that have been filmed here with a series of bronze medallions.

DAYS SIX–SEVEN

SONORA AND COLUMBIA STATE HISTORIC PARK

Take a quick jaunt along Highway 49 for more Gold Rush history. Sonora is Tuolumne’s county seat and the region’s buzziest city, packed with art galleries and one-off shops. It’s known for its top-notch tipples, too. Sip craft beers at the Sonora Tap Room, or take the short trip out to the Indigeny Reserve cidery. Set aside the best part of a day to visit Columbia State Historic Park, just out of town. A collection of Gold Rushera buildings have been spruced up and brought back to life, with shops filled with candy and curios and living history demos from people in period costume. Don’t miss the working blacksmith shop, as well as a traditional stagecoach ride.

DAY EIGHT

TWAIN HARTE AND PINECREST LAKE

Go north on Highway 108 for the promise of High Sierra adventures. Make a pitstop in cute-as-a-pin mountain town Twain Harte before settling in at Pinecrest Lake in the Stanislaus National Forest. A four-mile hiking trail wiggles around the 300-acre lake, but the best way to see it is by swimming, fishing or boating. Campsites abound here.

DAY NINE

TRAIL OF THE GARGOYLES AND DONNELL VISTA More jewels of the High Sierra await as you head north along Highway 108. The 1.5-mile Trail of the Gargoyles reveals fascinating, twisted rock formations and, in summer, wildflowers like lupins and mariposa lilies also join the show. Another must is Donnell Vista, farther north on Highway 108. This trail and lookout offers some of the region’s finest views, over a tree-flecked canyon and the mighty Donnell Reservoir.

DAY TEN

KENNEDY MEADOWS

Kennedy Meadows makes for a dazzling finale. This place is sheer unfettered wilderness, with pancake-flat meadows ringed by craggy granite peaks. Plenty of hiking trails route through the landscapes, but there’s no better way to experience them than on horseback. Stay at the rustic Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station and join one of their guided rides.

Visitors should fly into San Francisco International Airport, where car rental companies are easy to find. It’s then a two-and-a-half-hour drive east on Interstate 580 and Highway 120 to reach Groveland.