Tioga Pass

Tioga Pass, which has an elevation of over 9,900 feet, is located in the Sierra Nevada's. California State Route 120 runs through it and is a popular scenic drive taken by many visitors to the area. Tioga Pass serves as an entry point to Yosemite National Park. Tioga Pass is the highest mountain highway pass in the entire west coast. Tioga Pass is also an entry point to several trailheads that lead to the back country of Yosemite, including one of the roughest trails, Mount Dana.

The pass is named after Tioga Mine which is an Indian term for "where it forks." The pass receives harsh winter weather and is subject to closure during the winter months. Due to the high snowfall accumulations the pass is often closed from the end of October to around May. In years that have heavy snowfall the pass may only be open during the months of July- September. Tioga is the most direct path from Mammoth Lakes to Fresno and Stockton, CA.

Similar to other passes located in the Sierra Nevada, Tioga Pass has a steady incline from the west and a sharp dramatic decline to the east. Tioga drops off nearly 4,000 feet by the time the road reaches California U.S. Route 395.