Page 117 - 2023-2024 Travel Guide to California

OUTDOOR DINING in South Lake Tahoe, above; Squaw Valley, Sierra Nevada, right; Mono Lake, opposite.
State Historic Park near the town of Twain
Harte, Miwok Indians once ground acorns on
an outcrop of marbleized limestone. Some
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
camping, Lake Tahoe has two old-timey
resorts with knotty-pine cabins scattered in
the trees near the lakeshore, with bike,
paddleboat 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
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