Yosemite Sierra Country Attractions

A knowing soul once observed that "It's the journey to the destination that provides the truest satisfaction." Those famous words were more than likely penned as the author journeyed from the California heartland along Highway 41 into Yosemite National Park. Few stretches of road can boast of the character that you'll find in Madera County and this year-round southern gateway to Yosemite.

Check the drop down buttons for the many attractions in our Yosemite Sierra Country and Madera County. We think you'll be surprised at all there is to discover. Enjoy!!

Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
Ride the logger! That's right. Ride back in time as you board the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. Take a trip through the Sierra National Forest and hear tales of days gone by, when timber was king and only the roughest and toughest need apply for a job.



Zephyr Whitewater Rafting
Enhance your visit to Yosemite with a whitewater rafting trip on the Merced river, just 30 minutes from the Valley floor. Zephyr Whitewater is Yosemite's largest river rafting outfitter, and we offer 1/2-day and full-day rafting trips daily. Exciting, yet family friendly. Click their link for trip descriptions and prices.

King Vintage Museum
Imagine a place where you can catch history in a pair of ballroom slippers from 1790, where you can see 200 years of fashion and memorabilia, where you can visit your great-grandfather's closet. This place does exist in downtown Oakhurst. Individual, group tours, special events and field trips are available. Come see yesteryear, today.

Bass Lake Recreation Area
For fun-filled days and nights, visit beautiful Bass Lake, a sapphire jewel located in a picturesque mountain setting. Swim, fish, water ski, and enjoy sun-filled summer days on the beach at the recreational lake closest (16 miles) to Yosemite National Park.

Choose the accommodations that suit you best, from family campgrounds, rustic cabins and quaint chalets, to full service resorts.

Exciting events take place all year round at Bass Lake. Enjoy concerts on the lawn, arts and crafts fairs, the Smokey Bear 10k Run, the fourth of July fireworks on the lake, and seasonal festivals. In winter months cross country ski, snowmobile, or play in the snow on Beasore Road, just above Bass Lake.

The Bass Lake Bald Eagles are back!
Our eagles caused quite a stir a few years ago when the nesting pair and their one baby were discovered.

Even more exciting was the discovery that the mother had been originally fostered into a nest on Santa Catalina Island.

Years ago, eagles, once on the endangered species list, were dependent on breeding successes in different parts of the country to increase their population.

Northern California eagles were doing well, for instance, while those living on Catalina Island were not. Hence, the mother bird, as a two-week-old baby, was collected from a nest in Northern California and placed into a nest on Santa Catalina Island.

She was banded and tagged by the Institute for Wildlife Studies before leaving the nest. Scientists then lost track of her until she was spotted in Washington state in 1995. In 1998, though, she showed up at Bass Lake with another adult, adding sticks to an old osprey nest but a little late in the breeding season.

In 1999 the couple returned to the nest and successfully raised an offspring before sending it on its way. They have been returning every year since, with 2006 being no exception.

A couple of years ago, the eagle was moved from endangered status to threatened, says Ron Cummings, wildlife biologist at the Bass Lake Ranger District headquarters. Now, the plan is to have them taken off the list completely.

Madera Wine Trail

Sequestered in rural Madera County are a growing number of boutique, premium wineries making award winning wines. (Click on map for link to larger map).

For many years flagship wineries, Ficklin Vineyards and Quady Winery, have been making world-renowned wines and ports in Madera and now joining them are eight new wineries. These wineries are the best kept secret in the wine industry, but they won't be for long. The Madera County wineries, many family owned, offer visitors all the attributes of a Napa Valley wine-tasting experience. Guests relax in tasting rooms staffed with wine-knowledgeable personnel and enjoy informative walking tours. Each beautiful winery is located in the midst of the vineyards from which their grapes are harvested.

In 1985 Madera was designated an American Viticultural Area (AVA) in recognition of the unique soil types and microclimate offered by the San Joaquin River and Sierra Nevada Mountains.

The Madera Wine Trail map and contact information are included on this website to assist visitors in discovering and enjoying these wineries.

For a Madera Wine Trail brochure, more information about the wineries or the yearly events please contact the Madera County Vintners Association at 800-738-8068 or at www.maderavintners.com

Sierra Vista National Scenic Byway
California's stunning Sierra Vista National Scenic Byway directs visitors along approximately 100 miles of roadway amidst some of the most majestic scenery anywhere in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Designated on July 14, 1989 by the U.S. Forest Service, it was one of the first three Byways in California and among the first fifty in the nation. The Sierra Vista National Scenic Byway traverses ridges and meadow edges along U.S. Forest Service maintained roads connecting the communities of North Fork, Bass Lake and Oakhurst. (Click on map for a larger view).

We suggest that you start your "Byway Adventure" in the community of North Fork at the Sierra Mono Indian Museum. The fascinating heritage of the Mono people and their practical yet beautiful basketry will prepare you as you start your journey along the historic trade route to the Eastern Sierra used by past generations of the tribe. This little known and seldom visited region is referred to as the "Hidden Heart of the Sierra". The area will truly steal your heart as you progress through this educational and informative adventure.

A short 3 mile side trip down Italian Bar Road (Rd. 225) leads to the "exact center of California." A permanent survey plate and monument mark the geographic center of the "Golden State." Return to the Scenic Byway route marked by distinctive signs. Continue on to experience the Sierra Nevada in a way not done by many people. Places like Redinger Overlook, Jesse Ross Cabin, Mile High Vista, Jackass Rock, Arch Rock, Mammoth Pool, Clover Meadow, Portuguese Creek, the Balls, Globe Rock, Beasore Meadows, Cold Springs Summit, Fresno Dome, Kelty Meadow, Soquel Meadows and Nelder Grove of Giant Sequoias, may be found on the Scenic Byway map.

Campgrounds along the Byway are allotted on a first-come basis. Fees are charged at some sites. Check in with the Campground Host where appropriate. For more information and a complete guide to the Byway, contact the Sierra Vista National Scenic Byway Association, PO Box 764, North Fork, CA. 93643-0764, 559/877-7779 or the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau at 559-683-4636.

CAUTION: The Scenic Byway is a SEASONAL ROUTE with no snow removal. Please check with the U.S. Forest Service at 559/877-2218 or Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau at 559/683-4636 for road and weather conditions before starting your trip.

Click HERE for Bass Lake Campsite Information.