High granite, alpine swims, and an otherworldly desert lake — a fast-paced mountain loop with the whole crew, dog included.
Two days, one mountain crest, and a rare open road. Here's why the timing works — and how the weekend breaks down.
Highway 120 East over Tioga Pass is open, giving us a direct line straight through Yosemite's high country to Highway 395 — cutting driving time roughly in half versus routing around the mountains.
Even better: Yosemite requires no day-use driving reservation this window, so we roll straight through the gates without a timed-entry hassle.
Tap any marker to open the story of the stop — what to do, who it's for, and Yoda's rules of engagement. Filter by day, and swap the Sunday return between Tioga and Sonora.
A 5 a.m. start beats the valley heat and the gate lines. From there it's all granite, alpine lakes, and a hard pivot into the high desert.
In late June the patios are fully open and Yoda's welcome on all of them. Every option below is steps from the Westin — no driving for the rest of the night.
Same glorious morning in the Lakes Basin either way. The choice is how you drive home — backtrack the high country, or loop north over a fresh pass.
Pack up, grab the vistas and the Basin, then cross back over Tioga in peak afternoon light. Home to the East Bay by mid-to-late evening.
Sleep in, keep the room, run the same Basin morning — then check out late and loop home north on 395 and west over the 9,624-ft Sonora crest, dodging all Yosemite gridlock.
Park once at Lake George. The crew splits by appetite for elevation — then everyone reconverges at Horseshoe Lake for Yoda's big off-leash swim.
Starts directly from the Lake George trailhead — a steep, rewarding series of switchbacks up the granite cliffs. A real hiking challenge for William, sweeping views of the entire basin from above, and a fast descent back to the car.
A completely flat, peaceful walk along the forested shoreline paths — or just relax at the water's edge under the shade of the big pines.