Union Democrat

Tuolumne County

1 Table Mountain

This landform outside Jamestown is made of eroded volcanic material that flowed millions of years ago from high in what is known today as the Middle Fork Stanislaus River watershed. It’s named for its flat top, steep slopes and sheer cliffs. People who hike and rock climb here know to watch for poison oak. A trailhead is off Rawhide Road and Shell Road. A popular rock climbing area is known as The Grotto.

2 Red Hills

The 7,100-acre Red Hills Management Area outside Chinese Camp is more than 11 square miles overseen by the federal Bureau of Land Management. The area has been designated an “area of critical environmental concern,” intended to protect rare plant species, serpentine soils that provide habitat for unique flora, habitat for a rare minnow known as the Red Hills roach, and bald eagle wintering habitat. Red Hills vegetation includes foothill pine-buckbrush chaparral/woodland. Sensitive plants in the Red Hills include California ver

bena, Rawhide Hill onion, Layne’s butterweed, Congdon’s lomatium and Red Hills soaproot.

3 New Melones Dam and Reservoir

New Melones impounds waters of the Stanislaus River below the confluence of Stanislaus North, Middle and South forks. It’s owned and operated by the federal Bureau of Reclamation. It’s located west of Jamestown and Sonora and southwest of Columbia at about 1,100 feet elevation. It’s home to Glory Hole Recreation Area and Tuttletown Recreation Area, which offer fishing and boat access when water levels are adequate. Summertime campers can anticipate daytime highs warmer than 100 degrees in

July and August. New Melones provides water storage for irrigation, flood control, hydropower and recreation. It’s a unit of the federal Central Valley Project, a water management scheme devised in 1933. New Melones is the state’s fourth-largest reservoir, with a capacity of 2.4 million acre-feet.

4 Don Pedro Reservoir

Don Pedro impounds waters of the Tuolumne River south of Chinese Camp near Moccasin and La Grange. Camping, boating and swimming are allowed, and they are managed by the Don Pedro Recreation Agency Board of Control, which consists of members representing the City and County of San Francisco, Modesto Irrigation District and Turlock Irrigation District. Don Pedro is the state’s sixthlargest reservoir with a capacity of 2,030,000 acre-feet. Don Pedro is not part of the Hetch Hetchy System, but Hetch Hetchy tunnels cross under the upstream end of the reservoir. The San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which oversees Hetch Hetchy Water and Power, paid about 45 percent of construction costs for the 1971 New Don Pedro Dam. Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts have rights to Don Pedro that are senior to those of San Francisco Public Utilities Commission.

5 Stanislaus National Forest

This federally managed forest covers 898,099 acres, more than 1,400 square miles, on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Its lands are mainly in eastern Tuolumne County and in parts of southern Alpine, eastern Calaveras and northern Mariposa counties. Me-Wuk Indians lived here thousands of years before European immigrants and Gold Rush miners arrived. Recreation managed by rangers in the forest includes off-roading, dirt biking, snowmobiling, hunting, rafting, canoeing, swimming, backpacking, hiking, ice climbing and rock climbing.

6 Sonora Pass

This pass is 9,624 feet above sea level and it’s billed as the second-highest highway pass in the Sierra Nevada. Highway 108 climbs from U.S. 395 outside of Bridgeport to connect with Kennedy Meadows, Twain Harte and Sonora. It’s closed in winter due to snow and ice. The first documented emigrant traverse south of Sonora Pass appears to have been late summer 1852 by the Clark-Skidmore Party. Promoters in Sonora and Columbia advertised the route to California-bound emigrants, who were less than pleased when they found firsthand how difficult it was. The earliest emigrant crossing north of Sonora Pass is believed to be 1841 by the Bartleson-Bidwell Party.

7Emigrant Wilderness

The 113,000-acre Emigrant Wilderness is part of the Stanislaus National Forest. It’s bordered by Sonora Pass and Highway 108 on the north, Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest on the east and Yosemite National Park on the south. Watersheds drain to the Stanislaus and Tuolumne rivers. The rugged mix of volcanic landforms and glaciated granite is named for people who tried to cross the Sierra Nevada crest on foot and with wagons on trails near today’s Sonora Pass. Congress designated the Emigrant Wilderness in 1975. Most of the area was previously protected as a Forest Service Primitive Area since the 1920s. Elevations range from below 5,000 feet near Cherry Reservoir to 11,570 feet at Leavitt Peak. Some of the Emigrant Wilderness includes cattle-grazing allotments, so visitors may encounter cows and their signs from July to September.

8 Carson-Iceberg Wilderness

The 161,000-acre Carson-Iceberg Wilderness straddles the Sierra Nevada crest and is divided almost evenly between the Stanislaus and Humboldt-Toiyabe national forests. It’s home to peaks rising above 10,000 feet, broad river valleys, creeks with small waterfalls, meadowfilled valleys, and headwaters of the East Fork Carson River, the Clark Fork of the Stanislaus River, and the Mokelumne River. The wilderness is named for a granite formation called the Iceberg on its southern boundary and the Carson River, named for explorer-trapper Kit Carson. Congress designated the CarsonIceberg Wilderness in 1984. Most of the area includes cattle-grazing allotments. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail stretches more than 25 miles through Carson-Iceberg Wilderness. Human use is moderate, especially on the eastside Sierra.

9 Kennedy Meadows

This historic pack station and resort is below Sonora Pass and about 60 miles east of Sonora. Kennedy Meadows opens each spring on the last Friday in April and it closes for winter on Columbus Day each October. The resort includes a general store, restaurant, saloon, rental cabins, horseback trail rides and campgrounds and is surrounded by rivers, streams and trails.

10 Columns of the Giants

These rock formations are eroded lava that flowed millions of years ago from higher in the Stanislaus River watershed near Sonora Pass. The quarter-mile trail is off Highway 108, next to Pigeon Flat Campground, 24 miles east of Pinecrest.

11 Donnell Dam & Donnell Vista

Donnell Dam impounds Donnell Reservoir in a steep, granite-walled gorge of the Middle Fork Stanislaus River, below a developed overlook installed on Stanislaus National Forest land next to Highway 108. The dam and reservoir can be reached by driving about seven miles down unpaved Forest Road 5N09X, a narrow, winding, rock-strewn route with safe travel speeds from 5 mph to 15 mph. High-clearance two-wheel and four-wheel-drive vehicles are recommended.

12 Bennett Juniper Tree

This juniper, located at 8,400 feet elevation

near Eagle Meadows off Forest Road 5N01, may be one of the oldest and largest in the world. It’s named for naturalist Clarence Bennett, who began studying the Western Juniper in the 1890s. Back then, junipers were called shrubs, though some grew 50 to 70 feet tall, and core samples showed many to be 1,000 years old and older. The Bennett Juniper is more than 80 feet tall and it’s estimated to be 3,000 to 4,000 years old. Check with the Summit Ranger District for current road conditions.

13 Trail of the Gargoyles

This trail off Highway 108 and Herring Creek Road is billed as best during spring and summer, with Sierra Nevada wildflowers in a landscape of eroded volcanic landforms. Lupins, mule’s ears, Sierra onion, Leichtlin’s mariposa lily, spreading phlox and sulphur buckwheat can be found when conditions are right. There are two hiking trails, the North Rim Trail and the South Rim Trail. The Summit Ranger District has guide maps. Total trail distance is about 1.5 miles. Elevation at the trailhead is about 7,400 feet above sea level.

14 Pinecrest Reservoir

This reservoir on the South Fork Stanislaus River is northeast of Long Barn and it’s impounded by Strawberry Dam, first built in 1916. Pacific Gas & Electric owns and operates the reservoir. The Forest Service owns lands bordering the reservoir. The Pinecrest Permittees Association was incorporated in 1950 to provide water, sewer, garbage and firefighting services, and to supplement law enforcement. There are trails around and near the reservoir, lakefront recreation areas, and a marina for boaters when the reservoir is kept near its capacity during summer months. Fishing is popular. The normal surface area for Pinecrest is about 300 acres. Some water stored at Pinecrest is shared with Tuolumne Utilities District, the primary water agency for 44,000 Tuolumne County residents. The target elevation for Pinecrest at Labor Day is typically 5,608 feet to 5,610 feet above sea level. Total capacity is more than 18,000 acre-feet.

15 Rainbow Pool

This popular day-use and picnic area on Highway 120 at the South Fork Tuolumne River bridge just east of Rim of the World Vista is part of the Stanislaus National Forest. Crowds throng here on hot summer days. People jump off rocks into the water.

16 God’s Bath

This is a hard-to-reach, granite-clad swimming hole and cliff-jump area on the Clavey River on Cottonwood Road-Forest Road 1N04. Expect to park and walk a mile. Also expect crowds. Watch for poison oak.

17 Columbia State Historic Park

Columbia State Historic Park gives visitors a chance to turn back time to the Mother Lode’s Gold Rush days of the mid-19th century. The once-thriving town’s population boomed following the discovery of gold in 1850 by miners camped at what is now the park’s main parking lot off Parrotts Ferry Road. The community became a ghost town when the rich gold diggings played out. Columbia was established as a park in 1945. The park features an oldfashioned candy store, saloons, free public displays, picnic areas, a museum and docents donning period costumes who host special events throughout the year.

18 Railtown 1897 State Historic Park

Railtown 1897 State Historic Park in Jamestown offers an authentic railroad experience with tours, train rides and special events throughout the year, including its popular Polar Express train rides in December. Trains housed at the park, including the famous Sierra No. 3 steam locomotive, have been featured in hundreds of movies and television shows, including “Back to the Future III,” “Unforgiven,” “High Noon” and “Little House on the Prairie.”

19 Ghost Tours

Many of the Gold County’s hotels, museums and cemeteries are said to be haunted with spirits from historic times. The National Hotel in Jamestown and the Murphys Historic Hotel in Murphys both claim to have spirits roaming the halls. Flo, the National Hotel’s ghost, is thought to make appearances in the rooms. At the Murphys Hotel, rumor has it a ghost named Eleanor visits. Other places said to be haunted include Columbia Clothiers & Emporium, Wells Fargo Express, and Fallon Hotel, all in Columbia, rooms 10 and 11 in the Gunn House in Sonora and the Groveland Hotel in Groveland, where a miner named Lyle stayed in room 15 and is said to have never left despite his death in 1916. Ghost tours are held at Columbia State Historic Park on select Saturday evenings.

20 Fishing

Fishing opportunities abound in Tuolumne County thanks to the many lakes, reservoirs and rivers. Visitors can enjoy fishing from the shore, kayak or boat at any of the region’s main reservoirs, including New Melones, Don Pedro and Pinecrest. Fly fishing is also popular in the Stan

islaus National Forest and Emigrant Wilderness.

21 Hunting

Hunters will find no shortage of opportunities in Tuolumne County, just be sure to follow state regulations. When hunting in the Stanislaus National Forest, use designated U.S. Forest Service maps to avoid hunting on game refuges and private land. A hunting license must be obtained in advance through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Hunting is not allowed in Yosemite National Park.

22 Dodge Ridge/Leland Snowplay

Ski resorts and snowplay areas in Tuolumne County offer wintertime recreational activities for all ages and skill levels. Skiers and snowboarders can carve up the slopes at Dodge Ridge Ski Area about 30 miles east of Sonora, which has 67 runs on 862 acres. Leland High Sierra Snowplay, four miles east of Strawberry, has 15 acres of groomed snow for tubing, sledding and mini-snowmobile rides, along with a 4,000-square-foot lodge featuring a sun deck, fireplace and hot food snack bar with beer and wine.

23 Disc Golf

Fans of the burgeoning sport can visit Three Links Disc Golf Course, about two miles past Mi-Wuk Village off Highway 108. The 18-hole course is part of Three Links Camp in the Stanislaus National Forest. Sturdy shoes are recommended to hike through the rough Sierra Nevada foothills terrain.

24 Mountain Peaks

Numerous mountain peaks in Tuolumne County offer impressive vistas of the Sierra Nevada landscape. For information about trails in the Stanislaus National Forest or Yosemite National Park, go online to www.fs.usda.gov/main/stanislaus/home or www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm.

25 Rafting

A number of tour operators in Tuolumne County offer guided whitewater rafting trips on the rivers that flow through the Mother Lode.

Those rafting on their own can find popular whitewater and canoeing spots along the Tuolumne Wild and Scenic River and Stanislaus River. However, non-commercial rafters on the Tuolumne River are required to obtain permits through the Stanislaus National Forest’s Groveland Ranger Station.

26 Horseback Riding

Those who enjoy horseback riding will find plenty of reasons to visit Tuolumne County. Numerous stables offer trail rides, tours and equine therapeutic programs. Pack stations in the High Sierra, including Kennedy Meadows and Aspen Meadows, also offer adventures into the deep wilderness of the Stanislaus National Forest and Yosemite National Park.

27Rock Climbing/Bouldering

27 Rock Climbing/Bouldering

Those looking for a little bit of a challenge can find a number of rock climbing and bouldering opportunities in Tuolumne County. Among them, the “big walls” of Yosemite National Park have long served as a proving ground for some of the world’s most famous climbers, while bouldering is possible in more than 20 locations within the park’s Tuolumne Meadows area.

28 Hiking

Tuolumne County is a hiker’s paradise. There’s likely a trail that best suits your needs, no matter the level of difficulty. From iconic hikes beginning in Yosemite Valley to walks through the Stanislaus National Forest, hundreds of miles of trails provide ample opportunities to get some exercise and enjoy the great outdoors.

29 Snowmobiling

A favorite launching point for snowmobiling in Tuolumne County is from the Sno-Park about 40 miles east of Sonora off Highway 108. Trails offered at the park include a 12-mile groomed route to Eagle Meadow and a 13-mile route to Dardanelle Resort.

30 Running/Jogging/Bicycling

Dragoon Gulch Trail in Sonora and West Side Trail in Tuolumne are popular among joggers, runners and cyclists. Maintained by the City of Sonora, the Dragoon Gulch Trail is a 2.5mile loop that leads to an impressive view of the town. The West Side Trail follows a historic railroad grade from the east boundary of the township of Tuolumne to about four miles beyond the boundary of the Stanislaus National Forest.

31Golf

Three golf courses are located in Tuolumne County: Teleli Golf Club, Pine Mountain Lake Golf Club and Twain Harte Golf Club. All courses offer a variety of panoramic views and fun for all skill levels.

32 Farmers’ Markets

Farmers markets are held during the warm

season Saturdays in Sonora, Wednesdays in Tuolumne and Thursdays in Twain Harte and Fridays in the Standard area.In addition to produce, the markets offer locally produced honey, jams, jellies, nuts, plants, hand-crafted items and more, and many offer live music.

33 Apple Ranches/ Indigeny Reserve

Indigeny Reserve is a 160-acre hard cider distillery nestled in apple orchards on Summers Lane in Sonora. Founded by Jay and Judy Watson and opened to the public in 2012, the Indigeny Reserve offers a tasting room, hiking trails and a gift shop. Cover’s Ranch on Cherokee Road in Tuolumne includes a bakery, gift shop, petting farm, and various sweets including pies, cookies and apple cider.

34 Wineries

Tuolumne County has a relatively small but productive wine industry. Visitors can taste wines produced at Gianelli Vineyards, La Bella Rosa Vineyards, Inner Sanctum Cellars and Yosemite Cellars.

35 Miniature Golf

Twain Harte Miniature Golf, the oldest miniature golf course in the state, was established in 1953 and celebrates its 70th anniversary this year. Twain Harte Miniature Golf, located in downtown Twain Harte, features an 18-hole course with plenty of whimsical obstacles.

36 Boating

is home to many lakes and reservoirs that offer boating opportunities of all kinds. The county’s larger reservoirs — New Melones and Don Pedro — offer boat launches for speed or fishing boats, as well as a place to rent or dock a houseboat. Pinecrest Lake offers rentals of boats of all kinds — paddle, sail, party and motorboats, as well as kayaks. Other reservoirs in the area include Beardsley, Cherry, Donnell, Hetch Hetchy, Lyons, Tulloch and Relief.

37Gold Panning

The 1849 Gold Rush was not the only time to pan for gold in Tuolumne County. A good place to learn more about gold panning is Columbia State Historic Park, where the activity is offered in troughs similar to what miners used in the 1850s. Visitors can either rent a pan and do it themselves or get instructions on how to pan for gold. Other mines offer the opportunity to strike gold, including Gold Prospecting Adventures and Store, California Gold Panning in Jamestown and the Hidden Treasure Gold Mine & Matelot Gulch Supply Store in Columbia.

38 Movies under the Stars

Movies are shown at the Pinecrest Amphitheater on Lakeshore Drive in Pinecrest. Starting dates and titles of the movies vary. Popcorn, cold drinks and candy are offered for sale. Tickets go on sale one hour before show times, which begin at dusk.

39 Concerts in the Park

Along with warmer summer temperatures come Concerts in the Park. Local bands share their talents once a week in downtown Tuolumne on Wednesdays, along with a farmers market, and on Saturdays at Twain Harte’s Eproson Park. Admission is free. Bring your lawn chairs and ice chests.

40 2nd Saturday Art Night

In downtown Sonora, the second Saturday of the month brings with it live music at various venues. Musicians set up in galleries, restaurants and shops along Washington Street, and merchants stay open late.

41 Black Oak Casino Resort

Black Oak Casino Resort, owned and operated by the Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians, offers a full range of casino gaming, along with several restaurants and bars that offer everything from nachos and burgers at Kingpins to grilled filet and Maine lobster at Seven Sisters. A large arcade and bowling lanes on the bottom floor offer family friendly entertainment. The Hotel at Black Oak Casino Resort allows travelers to make a vacation out of their visit to Tuolumne.

42 Museums

Tuolumne County’s Gold Rush heritage is showcased in five museums in four historic towns. The Groveland Yosemite Gateway Museum at 18990 Highway 120, Groveland offers historical displays, many focusing on the Gold Rush era. A gift shop is also available. The Sonora Fire Museum at 125 N. Washington

St., Sonora, offers displays of local historical firefighting equipment. The Tuolumne County Museum and Patricia Herbert Rhodes History Research Center at 158 W. Bradford St., Sonora, resides in the historic Tuolumne County Jail, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. Guns, gold, information on pioneer crossings of the Sierra, historical photo

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