Overview
Tioga Peak sits prominently at the head of Lee Vining Canyon. As you motor up CA 120 westbound on the Tioga Pass Highway, it stands as the reddish-brownish peak almost always straight ahead. At 11,513 feet, it is dwarfed by nearby Mt. Dana and Mt. Conness, but therein lies its attraction. You can climb this peak in an hour or two, with its hiking start at 9,760+ feet elevation. No major effort is needed. Locals use this peak as a regular conditioner, and some curious peak climbers will ascend this smaller mountain. Perhaps fifty to a hundred hikers a year sign-in the register, and the climb is mostly class 1, with an indistinct use trail leading to the summit.
Getting There
Take the signed Saddlebag Lake Road north, which starts from the Tioga Pass Highway, CA 120, about two miles east of the Yosemite National Park, Tioga Pass, entrance station. It is a gravel road with slight washboard, but almost all passenger cars will be able to drive it. It turns back to pavement after a short ways, then back to gravel. About 1.5 to 2 miles up, you will come to the signed Gardisky Lake Trailhead, with room for maybe 10 cars. Park here. A mapboard and register have been placed here. Some maps are incorrect as to the placement of the Gardisky Lake Trail. It starts to the south of the lake's outlet stream.
Take the trail, directly across the road, from the designated parking spots. It climbs slightly, then crosses the creek after maybe 2-3 minutes of hiking. This creek poses no major obstacle. The trail switchbacks up the side of the hill, getting steeper, coming again by the flowing creek, through lodgepole pine forests. After several hundred feet of gain, one comes to the open basin in which lies Gardisky Lake. Leave the trail and cross the creek to the right (south). Pass through the scrubby stands of low lying trees on the northwest side of the peak. Look for a fair use trail through the rock rubble, and follow it up the WNW ridge. It ascends to the top of the peak.
Red Tape
Tioga Peak is outside the national park, and not in any wilderness area. Thus, no permits are required. There are no fees, passes, or charges to hike here. It is all in the Inyo National Forest, so the standard USFS rules apply.
When To Climb
Most will do this peak in the regular summer hiking season, from mid-June to late September. Fall ascents can be done. Tioga Pass opens and closes on a varying schedule, different from year to year. One can snow climb or try to ski this peak in winter, but all routes will have avalanche danger. The Highway CA 120 gate, well below the mountain, at maybe 7,000 feet elevation, closes the highway to vehicles when the winter snow blocks the road. CalTrans gives the updated road conditions and whether Tioga Pass is currently open.
Camping
There are a few campgrounds nearby, along the Tioga Pass Highway, CA 120. Saddlebag Lake offers some more official camping. The number of spots is highly limited. Fees apply, running maybe $15 or more a night. Warmer and slightly cheaper camping can be had toward the bottom of the grade, in Lee Vining Canyon. Watch for the signs or tent symbols along the highway. There are no huts, but lodging and more camping is available at Tuolumne Meadows, about 10 miles to the west, inside the park. The town of Lee Vining, CA, some 14 miles down east from the Pass, offers motels and food services.
More expensive, but trendy, by some, food and lodging can be had at the Tioga Pass Resort, down near the CA 120 junction with the Saddlebag Road, a few hundred yards west of it. This collection of cabins is available during winter, too, I hear, with a snowcat allowing guests a motorized ride to the site.
You might backpack to Gardisky Lake, but the distance is short. Most climbers will prefer to top Tioga Peak in an easy, half day hike.
Mountain Conditions
Please check with the Inyo National Forest or Yosemite National Park for conditions and more information. One might check the Mono Lake Live Cam for real-time conditions, but it points in the wrong direction, toward the east, showing Mono Lake. The weather can be quite different in the desert to the east of the National Park. The Yosemite National Park ten day forecast makes for some better planning for a trip ahead of time. The Virtual Yosemite Live Cam here shows the current sky over much of the Yosemite high country.
Images
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