HIGH SIERRA

This stunning land provides peace, tranquility and countless recreational activities

TOP CITIES

South Lake Tahoe, Truckee, Tahoe City, Bishop, Mammoth Lakes, Oakhurst, Madera

INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY Reno-tahoe International Airport (RNO), 3 miles from Reno, Nevada city center

TOURISM WEBSITES travelyosemite.com visitinglaketahoe.com tahoesouth.com yosemitethisyear.com visitmammoth.com gotahoenorth.com bishopvisitor.com

POPULATION 600,000

Of all the mountain ranges I have climbed,” wrote John Muir, “I like the Sierra Nevada the best.” His pet name for it was “The Range of Light.” It’s not just the ethereal luminosity of the glacially polished granite that drew the renowned naturalist—and continues to draw people—to the Sierra again and again. It’s the pristine lakes and rivers, the dramatic hiking and biking trails, the contrast between the green meadows and stony battlements.

The Sierra Nevada may be one of the highest and most majestic mountain ranges in North America, but it’s also one of the most accessible and user-friendly. Stretching 400 miles from north to south, and about 70 from east to west, it’s crossed by seven highways—four of them open all year—and encompasses everything from Lake Tahoe—where you might find yourself crowding shoulder-to-shoulder around a boisterous craps table—to remote canyons in Yosemite or Kings Canyon national parks where you can spend a silent and solitary afternoon watching Muir’s favorite bird, the water ouzel, plunge into waterfalls and cascades.

In a state with no shortage of superlatives, the region has more than its share: It can boast the world’s oldest tree, the world’s most massive tree, the Old West’s largest ghost town, the nation’s highest waterfall and—until Alaska came along and rewrote the record books—the nation’s highest peak.

The range is home to three national parks, 15 state parks, two national monuments and 20 officially designated wilderness areas. Hikers get itchy feet at the mere mention of its celebrated walking paths: the John Muir Trail; the Tahoe Rim Trail; the Pacific Crest Trail; the Tahoe-yosemite Trail. At the drop of winter’s first snowflake, skiers begin making plans for the three premier ski resorts on America’s West Coast: Squaw Valley (site of the 1960 Winter Olympics), Heavenly and Mammoth Mountain. Streams rushing down the range’s sheer east slope into the Owens Valley are renowned for their fly fishing.

Geographically speaking, the mountain range is pretty much one big chunk of granite tilted like a badly placed brick in a cobblestone street: It’s gently sloped on the west side and quite steep on the east, lower in the north and higher in the south. Keep that in mind when choosing a hiking trail: for an easier amble, look to the north and west; for a challenging ascent, head south and east.

City & Town

Now connected by gondola to the Heavenly ski resort, the bustling town of South Lake Tahoe, located on the lakeshore and the Nevada border, has seen an injection of energy and interest in recent years, with new restaurants, shops and galleries. With a large inventory of hotel rooms and a cluster of hotel-casinos just a few steps over the border, it’s a good bet for inexpensive