Apple Tree Inn

Yosemite Area Guide

The 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 Chief of 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.

Located at an elevation of 5,000 feet and just two miles from the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park, your visit to Fish Camp should include a ride on the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad that relives memories of long-ago logging camps in this area. Sturdy flumes once transported lumber 61 miles from Fish Camp all the way to Madera.

Your trip to Yosemite should include a visit to the historic town of Oakhurst. In the 1850s, the town was called Fresno Flats and provisioned mines and lumber companies in the area. Today, Oakhurst is home to the Fresno Flats Historical Park, where several historical buildings have been lovingly preserved and tours are provided by enthusiastic volunteers, giving you and look at what life was like a century ago. Another historic landmark not to be missed is the Little Church on the Hill, located in the center of Oakhurst at Oakhill Cemetery. First consecrated in 1894, the church is the only remaining wooden structure of its era in the entire region. If shopping is your passion, a vast array of choices awaits you in Oakhurst. Browse and buy to your heart's content at the fine art galleries, trendy apparel boutiques, gift shops, bookstores, hardware and houseware emporiums, and floral and garden supply shops. The collectibles and antique shops that abound throughout Oakhurst, as well as the annual Peddler's Fair in May and September, have made this area a very popular destination for antique aficionados.

If water sports and fishing appeal to you, then visit Bass Lake, the closest recreational lake to Yosemite.