Great Sierra Wagon Road
Encyclopedia
The Great Sierra Wagon Road was a route through the Sierra Nevada in California, built to bring supplies to the Great Sierra Mine
on Tioga Hill in the high country of what was to become Yosemite National Park
. The road was built in 1882 by the Great Sierra Silver Mining Company, extending over 56.25 miles (90.5 km), in 130 days. The mine promptly shut down, leaving the road without a purpose. In 1915 the road was purchased by Stephen T. Mather, the independently wealthy first director of the National Park Service
, who donated it to the Park Service. The Park Service opened the road to the public, calling it the Tioga Road. Designated California State Route 120
, the road traverses the park from its west to east entrances.
The portion of the road that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
on August 25, 1978 is now known as the Old Tioga Road, left behind when the Tioga Road was realigned to avoid Aspen Valley in the western part of the park. The Old Tioga Road is a park service road, not open to the public apart from a short section that provides access to private inholdings. The road preserves stone retaining walls, known as "Chinese Walls" after the Chinese laborers who built them. The service road section remains largely unchanged from its original construction.
Great Sierra Mine Historic Site
The Great Sierra Mine Historic Site preserves the site of the largest mining operation in what would become Yosemite National Park. The mine was located on Tioga Hill on the crest and eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, one of several claims intended to work the Sheepherder silver lode...
on Tioga Hill in the high country of what was to become Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
. The road was built in 1882 by the Great Sierra Silver Mining Company, extending over 56.25 miles (90.5 km), in 130 days. The mine promptly shut down, leaving the road without a purpose. In 1915 the road was purchased by Stephen T. Mather, the independently wealthy first director of the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, who donated it to the Park Service. The Park Service opened the road to the public, calling it the Tioga Road. Designated California State Route 120
California State Route 120
State Route 120 , in northern California, runs between the Central Valley near Manteca, through Yosemite National Park, and ends at U.S. Route 6 in Mono County.-Route description:...
, the road traverses the park from its west to east entrances.
The portion of the road that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on August 25, 1978 is now known as the Old Tioga Road, left behind when the Tioga Road was realigned to avoid Aspen Valley in the western part of the park. The Old Tioga Road is a park service road, not open to the public apart from a short section that provides access to private inholdings. The road preserves stone retaining walls, known as "Chinese Walls" after the Chinese laborers who built them. The service road section remains largely unchanged from its original construction.