Page 143 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

INSIDER’S
»
TIP
For an intimate and unusual
exploration of MONO LAKE, rent
kayaks to paddle around the
weirdly picturesque TUFA
TOWERS and other landmarks.
calderakayak.com
Sequoia national parks. Skiers have their
choice of world-class venues, from
beginner-friendly Granlibakken to the
double-diamond chutes of Squaw Valley
and Heavenly. In summer, many of the
resorts—particularly Northstar and Mam-
moth—convert their lifts and gondolas to
carry mountain bikes.
Heritage & Culture
Native Americans, pioneer emigrants and
gold miners all left their marks on the High
Sierra—often literally. At Grinding Rock State
Historic Park near the town of Twain Harte,
Miwok Indians once ground acorns on an
outcrop of marbleized limestone. The 1,185
mortar holes they left behind constitute the
largest such collection in North America. In
the Hope Valley, just south of Lake Tahoe, you
can still see ruts in the rocks left by the
covered wagons of settlers on the Emigrant
Trail. The shafts of thousands of abandoned
mines pockmark the High Sierra. One of the
best places to see one is the Great Sierra Mine,
a short but steep hike from Tioga Pass in Yose-
mite. You’ll find the remains of old miners’
cabins, but exercise care around the shafts,
several of which remain open and unfenced.
Family Fun
If the kids aren’t yet ready for full-on cam-
ping, Lake Tahoe has two old-timey resorts
with knotty-pine cabins scattered in the
trees near the lakeshore, bike and paddle-
boat rentals and ice cream parlors. Camp
Richardson is on the west shore, near
Tahoe City; Zephyr Cove is on the south
shore, just over the border in Nevada.
camprichardson.com zephyrcove.com
2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA 141