FOLSOM, CA —Yosemite National Park in Northern California, one of the most loved parks in the United States, is popular year round, but in summer and autumn its popularly swells with full hotels, campgrounds and queues at entrance points.  Many visitors aren't aware of the abundance of lodging options in communities at three of the park's main entrances. 

Yosemite National Park and its surrounding Gold Country communities offer visitors easy access to iconic Park attractions such as El Capitan and Yosemite Falls, and offer insight on lesser known but equally worthwhile experiences both inside and outside the Park.  The communities to the north, west and south of Yosemite provide visitors a local perspective and helpful tips on great places to stay in and near the Park, best times to visit and other visitor services such as vacation planners and maps. 

Dispelling a major myth--cars are allowed in Yosemite National Park.  Visitors are welcome to drive to and in the park, including the Yosemite Valley.  For those who prefer not to drive, transportation companies, like Yosemite Areas Regional Transit (YARTS.com) and private tour companies provide a round trip to and from the park for visitors staying at various gateway lodging locations. In an effort to reduce entrance wait times and parking issues during peak season, the National Park Service is recommending that motorhomes use designated Park and Ride locations outside Park gates or in selected campground facilities and ride YARTS or tours into and out of the Park.  For parking and tour information, go to www.yarts.com  or www.yosemitethisyear.com/transportation.

When visiting Yosemite during the peak summer season, plan on early entry through the park's gates to avoid queues.  Head to the Yosemite Valley floor either early or later in the day (Yosemite Valley busy times are between 10 am and 2 pm mostly on weekends).  Park in the Day Use area and take advantage of the free Valley Shuttle to see all the iconic sites like Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, Merced River, Vernal Fall, Yosemite Chapel and more. 

Tuolumne County – Yosemite Gold Country, North Entrance – Highway 120

Tuolumne County is the North entrance (Highway 120) to Yosemite National Park.  Highway 120 is the shortest route to Yosemite from San Francisco and all points north.  Driving time

to the Yosemite Valley floor is approximately four hours, traffic dependent. Visitors heading to Yosemite via the Highway 120 entrance can stop by the Tuolumne County Visitors Center in Chinese Camp to the latest information on activities in around the Park as well as on Tuolumne County and the surrounding Gold Country.  The staff is also happy to help with overnight accommodations.

Continuing south from Chinese Camp on Highway 120 towards Yosemite for approximately 30 minutes is the quaint town of Groveland where travelers can grab a bite to eat or enjoy an overnight stay in a cozy bed and breakfast, vacation home on the lake or a historic hotel.  The Groveland Hotel offers comfortable accommodations with each room dedicated to a famous, and sometimes infamous, character of the past.  The Hotel's Cellar Door Restaurant offers a delightful presentation of California cuisine and has held the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence since 2011. More information on the Groveland Hotel can be found at www.groveland.com  

A stop at the Groveland Museum will give visitors great insight into the colorful past of this Gold Rush town.  Just a couple minutes south of Groveland on Highway 120 (towards Yosemite) is the popular Rainbow Pool swimming hole.  This picturesque park is the perfect place to relax and unwind. 

Many travelers love the casualness of renting a vacation home.  REMAX/Yosemite Gold has several available throughout the region, including cabins at Pine Mountain Lake overlooking the lake and golf course.  The homes can be viewed at pinemtnlake.com.

For a complete listing of accommodations and activities, visit www.YosemiteGoldCountry.com

Madera County – South Entrance, Highway 140

The south gateway to Yosemite National Park, on Highway 41 in Madera County, is the most traveled year round entrance for visitors who wish to self-drive, or sight-see on a tour bus, to experience this awe inspiring region of California.  From Los Angeles, drive time is approximately 5 hours.  Madera County offers convenient and affordable lodging options from full service resorts to local hotels/motels, vacation rental homes and bed & breakfasts.

Yosemite Gateway Inn a Best Western PLUS hotel, is one of the several hotels in Oakhurst just 15 miles from the south gate.  Most offer complimentary breakfast, free Wi-Fi, swimming pools and are in walking distance to restaurants and shops.

The Yosemite Sierra Bed & Breakfast Association makes finding unique accommodations with many personal touches easy at www.yosemitebnblodging.com  Bass Lake, voted the “West's Best Lakes” by Sunset Magazine is open year round with many cabin rentals, three resorts & marinas, dining, shopping, watersports, fishing, hiking and more.  www.BassLakeChamber.com

Plan your visit to depart Yosemite in the early afternoon and take advantage of the long summer days to explore the many south gate attractions like the popular Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad.  Ride back in time on the one-hour narrated tours that depart several times a day and enjoy the Thornberry Museum, gold panning, gift shops, and more. 

More popular south gate attractions include the Madera Wine Trail, art galleries, museums, Fossil Discovery Center and an abundance of outdoor recreation.

Yosemite Mariposa County --   West Entrance, Highway 41

This region of the Gold Country offers access to Yosemite National Park from Highway 41 through the West gate is one hour north of Fresno, and is the shortest distance to the popular Mariposa Grove, a square mile home to the Earth's largest and oldest living organisms. 

More than 500 Giant Sequoias keep the Grove cool on even summer's hottest day.  Explore the area on foot or take a 75-minute guided tram tour from May through October, with programming in English, German, Japanese, French and Spanish.  Tip:  To avoid parking lot jams, visitors may park their car at the historic Wawona Hotel and take the free Wawona-Mariposa Grove shuttle to see the Sequoias.

The town of Mariposa, first settled in 1849, is the southernmost in the Gold Rush chain of towns.  The streets follow the original street grid laid out by John C. Fremont in 1850.  Several disastrous early fires convinced settlers to rebuild with stone, brick and adobe.  Consequently, many of today's existing structures in the historic downtown had been built by the late 1850s, with most of the remaining ones completed by 1900.  Because they have always been in use, the old buildings haven't had to be restored or recreated.

The old west is historically represented on Main Street with the wooden sidewalks, a tour of the oldest court house west of the Rockies still in continuous operation since 1854 and the Mariposa Museum and History Center at 5119 Jessie Street, named one of the best small museums in America by the Smithsonian Institute, where you can see remnants of the gold rush, a Sheriff's office and miner's camp, early Miwok Indian life, early frontier furniture and player piano and one-room school house.  (Open daily year round, Adults $4, children under 18 are free.) http://mariposamuseum.com/

Ideally situated in the Sierra foothills, Mariposa wineries are thriving – and producing topnotch vintage.  The location is excellent for growing wine grapes, which ripen during hot summer days and cool in the night air from the Sierras.  Make it a fun stop along your tour by tasting premium wines, taking a stroll among picturesque vineyards, or planning a gorgeous afternoon picnic. Tastings are typically by appointment only.  For more information please visit http://www.yosemiteexperience.com/things-to-do/wine-tours

One of the most unique ways to explore the area is in an historic, original Model T automobile with the top down. Visitors may choose from a variety of models, from a 1915 Touring car to a 1929 Model A Roadster with Rumble seat for children.  http://www.driveamodelt.com/index.html

Overnight accommodations range from luxurious bed and breakfast inns with hospitable hosts, to lodges and rustic cabins, farmhouse offerings, historic AAA-rated home vacation rentals and trusted name brand hotel offerings.  The official Yosemite Mariposa Tourism Bureau's site offers an easy-to-navigate booking engine with accommodation photos and an interactive Yosemite map.  http://www.yosemiteexperience.com/tourism-bureau/

Overview of California's Gold Country

California's Gold Country, historically known for the infamous cry of “Eureka!” and the 49er Gold Rush, is about two hours east of San Francisco (100 miles/160 kilometers) and one hour from both Fresno and Sacramento.  Covering approximately 16,000 square miles, its majestic landscape stretches from the California/Nevada border of Sierra County, the northern playground of the Gold Country, with summer and winter sports, to its most southern county, Madera.

Named for the famous miners, Highway 49 spans 300 miles connecting historic places, iconic towns, mining relics and modern day sports adventures, hospitable innkeepers with locally grown delicacies, welcoming wineries, picture-perfect postcard main streets and friendly locals.

Nevada County offers one of nature's brightest autumn canvases while El Dorado County is home to Coloma, the birthplace of the Gold Rush and gold panning fun blended with golden apple-picking and wineries. Sacramento County, California's capital has a vibrant local food movement, watersports, outdoor adventures and the oldest rodeo in California while Amador County offers rich history and local wineries at a strolling pace.

Calaveras County, with its famed place in literature from Mark Twain and its annual Jumping Frog contest, is home to Calaveras Big Trees State Park and caving adventures. The Gold Country has easy access to Yosemite from the north in Tuolumne County with its year-round activities, family getaways and romantic retreats, to the west and Mariposa, called the home of Yosemite, known for its outdoor entertainment to the south, Madera County known as California's Gateway to Yosemite with its Fossils to Falls Trail.  For a visitor guide with map and driving directions, visit www.calgold.org or call toll free 800-225-3764 or direct, 916-985-5555.

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Press Contacts:

California's Gold Country - Susan Wilson, susanwilson129@gmail.com 480-824-3015

Tuolumne - Lisa Mayo, Lisa Mayo, Lisa@GoTuolumne.com  209-533-4420

Yosemite Sierra - Christi Long, Christi@yosemitethisyear.com  559-683-4636

Yosemite Mariposa – Julie Hadzega, Julieh@yosemiteexperience.com 209-742-4567