Old Tioga Mining Road?

A place to explore the natural setting (geology, flora & fauna), people, constructed infrastructure and historical events that play and have played a part in shaping the Sierra Nevada as we know it today.
Post Reply
User avatar
InsaneBoost
Topix Regular
Posts: 265
Joined: Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:49 pm
Experience: Level 2 Backpacker
Location: Fresno

Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by InsaneBoost »

First time camping at Yosemite Creek and I noticed the sign heading in that stated something along the lines of it being the last remaining area of road of the Old Tioga Mining Road that was a sum 21 miles long?

Obviously the Yosemite Creek road is only about 2-3 give or take, so is there a way to pick back up on the road? Is there a way to hike it? I haven't been able to find much on/about it except for the history of the mining itself.

Does anyone have information on this by chance?
User avatar
jmherrell
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 2:41 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by jmherrell »

I too have been interested in the old road as I have run across sections of it over the years. I believe the general route starts at Aspen Valley to White Wolf, Yosemite Creek Campground, Porcupine Flat Campground, Snow Flat, Parsons Lodge & Soda Springs in Tuolumne Meadow, the Tuolumne Lodge and eventually on to Bennetville east of the pass. I have also wondered if the wide flat trail on the south shore of Tenaya Lake might be part of it.
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by AlmostThere »

That sounds more like the old Tioga Road.
User avatar
jmherrell
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 2:41 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by jmherrell »

I think the "Old Tioga Road" used the "Old Big Oak Flat" entrance at Carlon to Hodgdon Meadow to Tuolumne Grove and Crane Flat, then out to White Wolf, thereby bypassing Aspen Valley. After White Wolf I think the road remained unchanged until the whole thing was replaced with the present road around 1962. There must be an actual history of this somewhere.
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by AlmostThere »

There are a ton of old Yosemite books at http://www.yosemite.ca.us/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
jmherrell
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 2:41 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by jmherrell »

I found the book! I bought it long ago but never read it -- "The Tioga Road, A History 1883-1961" --still available on Amazon. I'm heading out on a backpack tomorrow so I won't get to the book until I get back. Looking at the map in the book, the history is roughly as follows:

1883 - original Great Sierra Wagon Road from Aspen Valley to White Wolf then on to Tioga Pass and the Tioga Mine at Bennetville -- almost unused and unusable

around 1915 acquired by the Park and widened for cars.

1930's a road was built from the Old Big Oak Flat Road at Gin Flat connecting near White Wolf bypassing the road through Aspen Valley

1961 the present road was built bypassing many short sections of the old road

I have hiked, skied, and biked most sections of the old road, most of it can be found and followed on the USGS maps. Most sections are present day roads and trails.

Footnote: In 1961 the Sierra Club did not want the road moved to the north shore of Tenaya Lake since it would cut through the granite slabs flowing down from Polly Dome to the lake. The Park Superintendent promised that would not be done but it was done anyway. The Sierra Club traces its somewhat adversarial relationship with the Park Service to this incident.
User avatar
Dave_Ayers
Topix Regular
Posts: 252
Joined: Mon Jun 09, 2014 10:06 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by Dave_Ayers »

I suspect you are really looking for the "Great Sierra Wagon Road" which was the precursor to the Old Tioga Road and in use from 1883-1892. That route was over 56 miles from Crocker's Station to the the Great Sierra Mine just north of Gaylor Lakes. There is some info at http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Tioga_Road_(HAER_No._CA-149" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)_written_historical_and_descriptive_data ; http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/tioga ... _road.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ; http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/ghost ... _road.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; ; and http://www.undiscovered-yosemite.com/ti ... story.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; .

The only map I've found is for the section in TM shown on page 28 at http://www.nps.gov/yose/historyculture/ ... lo-res.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; . Please let me know if you find any map showing more of the old route.
User avatar
jmherrell
Topix Acquainted
Posts: 70
Joined: Sun Jun 10, 2012 2:41 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by jmherrell »

The only map I've found is the center spread in the "The Tioga Road" book. It's a crude hand drawn map but it does show the wagon road roughly paralleling the current road from Yosemite Creek to Tioga Pass. Many of the current trails that follow the road might be part of it.
User avatar
InsaneBoost
Topix Regular
Posts: 265
Joined: Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:49 pm
Experience: Level 2 Backpacker
Location: Fresno

Re: Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by InsaneBoost »

This is the sign I was talking about.

Image
User avatar
John Dittli
Topix Expert
Posts: 479
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:38 am
Experience: N/A
Location: Crooked Creek
Contact:

Re: Old Tioga Mining Road?

Post by John Dittli »

The original (and still traceable) alignment, I believe went up the road toward May Lake and then back down to Tenaya lake, avoiding Olmstead....

The road was purchased by Steven Mather and sold to the Park Service for $1...
Walk the Sky: Following the John Muir Trail
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 6 guests