Distance: 24 miles out and back
Elevation gain: 3110 ft

As with all the rides in Bestrides situated along Hwy 395, I encourage you to read the “Eastern Sierra” section of our By Regions page, to put this ride in context.

This ride goes from Lee Vining on Hwy 395 to Tioga Pass via Hwy 120—from east to west, in other words. You can of course ride to the pass from the west (from Yosemite), and it’s worth doing, but it’s a much longer and less dramatic ride. The west side has Tanaya Lake, and there’s nothing to match it for beauty on our route, but I still prefer this way.

Like a lot of the rides on Hwy 395, this is a steady, long, fairly straight climb up through a dramatic rocky canyon. The climbing is essentially without interruption. It’s never killer steep, but it’s seriously moderate in pitch, and as always in this region the altitude (the pass is at 9940 ft.) makes the climbing one or two quantum leaps harder than you expect. The road is a popular route through the Sierra, so you can expect some traffic unless you’re off-season, but the upside to that is the road surface is nearly pristine—a rarity in this region of frost heaves and expansion cracks..

This is one of my favorite rides in the area, for two reasons: 1) The vista looking west from the top of the big climb (just before Ellery Lake) is jaw-dropping—you can see the 10 miles of road beneath you, snaking its way along the canyon wall (see the photo below, but it doesn’t do it justice); and 2) the road surface is good, so the return ride is a descent you can really rip—40 mph+ is a cinch. It’s not a slalom, it’s a plummet, but I still think it’s the second-best descent in the area, after Hwy 168 (in the Bristlecone Forest ride). Besides those two virtues, the ride is pretty much generic 395 stuff. The two lakes you ride by are pretty but not breath-taking. At the pass there is nothing but a small ranger kiosk taking money from the cars heading for Yosemite—I rode right through it and only knew to turn around when I noticed the road was trending steadily downhill.

As with all riding in the 395 corridor, weather matters. This road closes in winter (typically November till Memorial Day), and any late-fall or early-spring riding can run into road ice. I rode it in mid-November during a period of clear weather, and there were a few patches of ice on the road and the lakes were largely iced over. Dress for cold—when it’s a warm fall day in Lee Vining it can be in the 50’s at the top, and you’re going to be going fast on the descent.

Park in the dirt parking lot across from the legendary Whoa Nellie Deli. Before or after the ride, take the time to check out this local icon. The food at the deli is reputed to be gourmet in quality, but I’ve never found it so. Still, the place has a fun vibe.

Ride up Hwy 120 to Tioga Pass. Turn around and ride home. That’s it. You’ll pass two lakes, Ellery and Tioga. When you get to Ellery, the hard climbing is over.

Shortening the ride: Ride to Ellery Lake and turn around.

Adding miles: Continue past Tioga Pass as far as you want. Remember you have to climb back up. It’s 57 miles from the pass to the outskirts of Yosemite Valley, but there are several meaningful spots to turn around along the way, as Ben below points out: Tuolumne Meadows, Tanaya Lake, Olmstead Point.

I don’t know of any other worthwhile riding within riding distance. Virginia Lakes Rd. (discussed in the Rides by Region discussion of the Hwy 395 area) is a short drive to the north. Our June Lakes Loop ride is a short drive to the south.