Page 158 - 2015 Travel Guide to California

The range is home to three national
parks, 15 state parks, two national monu-
ments 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 Mam-
moth Mountain. Streams rushing down
the range’s sheer east slope into the Owens
Valley are renowned for their fly fishing.
Geologically 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 Heav-
enly 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 inexpen-
sive lodging. In Truckee, a handsome old
railroad and lumber town between Donner
Pass and Squaw Valley, a collection of Old
West historic buildings along Commercial
Row now houses busy restaurants and
bars, some adorned with portraits of gun-
slingers and desperadoes. Farther south,
sprawling Bishop sports the Owens Valley’s
most extensive collection of lodging,
dining and resupply outlets.
156 2015 T R AV E L G U I D E TO C A L I F O R N I A
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