Traveling from the Redwood Forest to Yosemite NP was close to 500 miles so we decided to stop for a night in Nice, California. Our campground was situated directly on Clear Lake, the largest fresh water lake in the entire state. It was surrounded by rolling hills and several different communities containing small homes up to huge mansions. We did not realize the size of the lake until we left the next morning and the road bordered the length of the lake.
Our campground was filled with quite a few full time residents. Living in an RV here would no doubt be the cheapest way to live on that lake. It is probably a very popular destination during the summer months, even though the lake level appears to be down a few feet.
I sunbathed in a chair on the beach while Darin went out paddling. The sun felt so good, but eventually we saw the smoke move in. I just can’t imagine what people do all summer when the mountain wildfires are really bad. The smell is like standing next to a campfire when the wind blows in your direction.
We didn’t leave the campground and spent our time relaxing after the many miles of hiking we had completed at the Redwoods park. It was a nice change of pace.
We headed across the valley toward Yosemite the next morning and I already wrote about our tire fiasco during that drive. If you missed my latest daily detour, you can get the details here. The flat land quickly changed to hills and mountains as we got farther east.
I don’t remember much about the Sierra Nevada Mountain range as a child going there on vacation, but they are definitely unique. The variation of colors is what makes them so striking at this time of year. I just don’t think the view would look the same if everything was green.
We had a 30 minute drive from the campground to the entrance of Yosemite National Park. We passed miles of charred trees from the most recent wildfire disaster. Some trees fell down but many of the thinner trees were left standing.
The park was very busy, even though schools are already in session. It is a very popular stop for tour buses that come from San Francisco and other big cities. Sometimes we had to drive around a while to find a parking spot near a trailhead.
The morning started with a small amount of smoke, but within a couple of hours it had cleared. It actually turned out to be a beautiful day.
The park buses were still running in the valley area and you can hop on or off at 20 different stops. This was helpful if you weren’t up to hunting for parking spaces. I can only imagine that peak summer season would be extremely crowded.
We thoroughly enjoyed the hike to mirror lake. The lake was almost dried up, but people were sitting on the sand and laying out on towels. The middle of the lake had a towering 360 degree view of several granite domes, including the half dome, which is a prestigious accomplishment for serious climbers.
Surprisingly, deer were grazing in the grassy areas without a care. They didn’t appear to be afraid of people or cars. I am sure they have more to worry about, like maybe bears.
Yes, there are bears in Yosemite. We pulled up to a picnic area to take a picture and spotted a pile of scat about 20 feet from the restrooms. It wasn’t fresh, thank goodness, but possibly a day or too old. Yikes!
From there, we walked through the woods to get closer to some rock climbers. About four were already climbing and the last two were standing at the bottom near the ropes. By the time we left the park, a lot of climbers were at various levels of their ascent. The ones climbing near El Capitan really had an audience.
Just outside our campground in Groveland we found a crystal clear river-fed pool with a waterfall. I had read that rock jumping was pretty safe here, but I wasn’t going to test that theory. The water was cold, but I am sure it is more tolerable during the heat of the summer. A local guy was panning for gold while we sat on a rock by the river.
Groveland is a small historic town that was once filled with miners. Now it is more or less a ranching community. The Iron Door Saloon claims to be the oldest continuously operating saloon in California. The structure was built in 1852, and it really does have iron doors.
Our campground, Yosemite Pines, offered a variety of overnight options for travelers. In addition to camping spaces, they rented out yurts, old school campers, and cabins of various sizes.
We spent our spare time sitting by the pool, washing clothes, and visiting the animals in the petting farm. They did a great job catering to children. I would want to camp there if I was a kid.
I am glad we chose Yosemite as our National Park number four. It was a bit crowded, but the landscape did not disappoint!