We left Fresno about 8:30 AM and headed north on Highway 41. Once in the foothills, you turn right onto Road 200 and drive to North Fork. We wanted to check out the Sierra Mono Indian Museum in North Fork, but it wasn't open. I guess we'll have to save that visit for another trip.
The Byway starts just outside North Fork where you take Road 225 (also known as Minarets Road or Mammoth Pool Road) eastbound out of town. After a few miles you will see the road to Redinger Lake. We turned off onto that road to visit the exact geographic center of California. They have a nice marker and a place to park off the road so you can check it out. The marker is up on a hillside, so they have a nice set of stairs to reach it.
Here's Sami standing in the exact center of California!
We returned to the Byway and stopped at the Redinger Overlook, which overlooks the area we had just been at. It's a beautiful view and worth the stop.
Our next stop was at Ross Cabin. This cabin was built in 1860 by Jessie Blakey Ross and is one of the oldest standing log cabins in the area. He came here from the East to avoid the impending Civil War. It was originally located about a half-mile from where it now stands. It was moved from private to public land several years ago so anyone could visit. It has been restored, but still contains about 75% of its original material. Inside, you can see the old wallpaper covering one area and old newspapers covering another part of the wall.
We stopped to have our picnic lunch at the Rock Creek Campground. We used to camp here a lot when I was just a kid... so I told the girls I'd have to bring them to camp here sometime soon. It's a beautiful campground right on the creek. We saw several fish in the creek and watched a little boy fishing on the other side catch his first fish!
Mile High Vista was our next stop. The views here are amazing! You get a great view of the higher peaks in the area, several over 12,000 feet in altitude.
Mammoth Mountain is the bald mountain in the center-right part of this photo.
We detoured off the Byway down the turn-off to Mammoth Pool. We stopped at Wagner's Resort for a cool drink. It's about the only place along the Byway to buy something. They have a cafe and a small store. They also have a campground, showers, gasoline, and some interesting-looking small cabins you can rent.
Returning to the Byway, our next stop was at Arch Rock. There is a short trail from the road that leads down to a viewing platform that was built as an Eagle Scout project. This interesting formation was created by wind and water erosion.
Sami and some wildflowers along the trail.
I thought this was an interesting growth on this young pine tree.
The next few miles are a gorgeous drive with terrific views, especially of the peaks to the east. You're driving up above the tree line, so there are great exposed granite areas you are driving right through. After a few miles, you come to a T in the road and the Byway continues by turning left onto Beasore Road. The nice, paved road ends here and you'll now be driving on a mixture of formerly-paved (which means there are blocks of pavement with six-inch-deep potholes in what remains) and gravel roads. This also means you'll want to visit a car wash when you return from this trip.
Portuguese Creek was our next stop. There is a terrific view to the south from here. You can walk a few yards east of the parking area to check out Portuguese Creek. I looked all over for the Sopas, but couldn't find it anywhere.
The next stop was at Globe Rock. This is most interesting! I'll just let the picture speak for itself.
Holes where the Mono Indians ground their acorns.
Dried snowflowers near Globe Rock.
The road to the next stop is nicely paved. At Cold Springs Summit, you have reached the high-point of the drive, 7,308 feet in altitude. There is a restroom and it makes for a nice rest stop. A short trail from the parking area will take you down to Cold Springs Meadow, which you have seen glimpses of on your left as you came down Beasore Road.
From the Cold Springs Summit parking area, you can turn left to continue down the paved Beasore Road to Bass Lake and onto Highway 41 and Oakhurst. Or, you can continue on the Byway by going directly across Beasore Road onto the dirt road towards Fresno Dome.
Fresno Dome is a few miles down the dirt road. A short walk from the parking area takes you to a viewing area to see this spectacle of a peak.
Continuing down the dirt road will take you to the turn-off to Nelder Grove. It is about a two mile drive back to the grove... make sure you turn left at the sign directing you to the campground. We missed it and continued down the road and had to find a place to make a u-turn. But, it was worth it, as we got to ford a creek that had a nice little waterfall next to the road.
Nelder Grove is an interesting historical area. There aren't many Giant Sequoia trees left near the parking area, but you can hike from there to see some. There are a couple of cabins built about 1900, some nice educational and informational displays, and a docent was there to tell us about the area. There are several large stumps left over from when the area was logged years ago.
Back to the Byway you will find paved road which will return you to Highway 41 just north of Oakhurst. We reached Oakhurst about 7:30 PM and stopped at Me N Ed's for pizza for dinner. Two ten-buck pizzas made for a terrific end of a fun-filled day!
This was a terrific day trip I would highly recommend taking. The wildflowers and butterflies were amazing, along with terrific views of the Sierra Nevada mountains. Pack your picnic lunch and head for the hills!
You can download a PDF file with information about the Byway at the Sierra National Forest website, which is great to take along on the trip, along with this map:
