230 miles with 18,400 feet of climbing
Sonora Pass (58 miles with 7,600 feet of climbing)
Mammoth Gran Fondo (94 miles with 5,500 feet of climbing)
Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park (76 miles with 5,300 feet of climbing)
The High Sierra offers many scenic rides at altitude. This tour includes two self-supported rides, Sonora Pass, and Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park, as well as the organized Mammoth Gran Fondo.
At 9,945 feet Tioga Pass is the highest mountain pass in California, and at 9,624 feet Sonora Pass ranks second.
The best time to ride through Yosemite National Park is before Memorial Day or after Labor Day, due to traffic.
Route Profile • Sonora Pass
Cat. 1: Mile 5 and 29
Sonora Pass is a difficult out-and-back ride with some of the steepest grades anywhere. The ride starts at the intersection of Highway 395 and 108 and follows Highway 108 until Dardanelle, the halfway point. The first five miles cover rolling terrain, the next 10 miles are ascending, and the following 14 miles are descending, before turning around.
Route Profile • Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park
Cat. 1: Mile 0
Cat. 3: Mile 39
Cat. 4: Mile 28
Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park is a spectacular point-to-point ride, starting in Lee Vining and finishing in Yosemite Village (a YARTS bus is the best way to get back). The first 12 miles are ascending to the top of Tioga Pass, an entrance to Yosemite National Park (fee). The next 64 miles are descending, with some minor and two categorized climbs in between.
High Sierra • Interactive Map
High Sierra • Pictures
Sonora Pass East
Sonora Pass
Sonora Pass West
Sonora Pass West
Tioga Pass East
Tioga Lake
Tioga Pass
Tenaya Lake
Riders
Yosemite Valley (from the West)
Yosemite Valley (from the East)
El Capitan
Half Dome
By: B. Straehle
See Also: Multi-Day Rides
103 miles with 6,400 feet of climbing
Route Profile
Mammoth Gran Fondo • Climbs
Mammoth Gran Fondo • Description
The Mammoth Gran Fondo (formerly High Sierra Fall Century) is a scenic ride at altitude, leading around Glass Mountain with views of the Sierra Nevada Range in the west, Mono Lake in the north, and the White Mountain Range in the east. The ride follows a clockwise loop, which is sometimes ridden in reverse direction. It is part of the Mammoth Kamikaze Bike Games, a multi-day celebration of cycling.
The century and timed gran fondo route starts at the Village in Mammoth (shorter routes start at Whitmore Ball Fields). Navigation is simple: a left turn onto Highway 395 (follow for about 20 miles), right turn onto Mono Lake Basin Road (39 miles), right turn onto Benton Crossing Road (31 miles), right turn onto Highway 395 (5 miles), and a final left turn back up to Mammoth Lakes.
Each of the road sections of the loop includes a summit, most with gradual ascents and descents: Deadman Summit on Highway 395, Sage Hen Summit on Mono Lake Basin Road, and Wildrose Summit (steep at the end) as well as Watterson Canyon Summit on Benton Crossing Road. Sage Hen Summit is the highest point at 8,139 feet.
Event Website: Mammoth Gran Fondo
Mammoth Gran Fondo • Interactive Map
Mammoth Gran Fondo • Pictures
Mammoth Gran Fondo
Afternoon Thunderstorm
By: B. Straehle
See Also: Gran Fondos & Centuries