The best traffic-free bike rides in the Sierra Nevada

Curry Village, located in Yosemite Valley, is a popular spot for food and lodging, offering a range of options to suit different preferences and budgets. For lodging, it provides a mix of accommodations, including canvas tent cabins, wooden cabins, and a limited number of hotel-style rooms. The tent cabins, available in both heated and unheated options, are a rustic yet iconic way to experience the park, while the hard-sided cabins provide more comfort. Each accommodation style offers easy access to the stunning views and nearby trails. When it comes to food, Curry Village has several dining options to keep visitors well-fed after a day of exploring. The Pizza Deck is a favorite, serving freshly made pizzas with outdoor seating that allows you to take in the incredible surroundings. The Coffee Corner is perfect for a morning pick-me-up or a quick snack. Meadow Grill offers burgers, fries, and other casual fare in a laid-back setting, while the Curry Village Dining Pavilion provides buffet-style meals in a family-friendly environment. Seasonal food trucks also appear on occasion, adding variety to the dining scene. The field near Curry Village, officially known as Stoneman Meadow, offers stunning views of some of Yosemite Valley’s most iconic landmarks. From this open area, you can take in breathtaking vistas of Half Dome, its sheer granite face rising dramatically against the sky, especially striking at sunrise or sunset. To the west, you’ll see the towering cliffs of Glacier Point and Sentinel Rock, while the lush greenery of the meadow provides a peaceful contrast to the rugged surroundings. In the spring and early summer, wildflowers often dot the meadow, adding vibrant colors to the scene.

Curry Village, located in Yosemite Valley, is a popular spot for food and lodging, offering a range of options to suit different preferences and budgets. For lodging, it provides a mix of accommodations, including canvas tent cabins, wooden cabins, and a limited number of hotel-style rooms. The tent cabins, available in both heated and unheated options, are a rustic yet iconic way to experience the park, while the hard-sided cabins provide more comfort. Each accommodation style offers easy access to the stunning views and nearby trails. When it comes to food, Curry Village has several dining options to keep visitors well-fed after a day of exploring. The Pizza Deck is a favorite, serving freshly made pizzas with outdoor seating that allows you to take in the incredible surroundings. The Coffee Corner is perfect for a morning pick-me-up or a quick snack. Meadow Grill offers burgers, fries, and other casual fare in a laid-back setting, while the Curry Village Dining Pavilion provides buffet-style meals in a family-friendly environment. Seasonal food trucks also appear on occasion, adding variety to the dining scene. The field near Curry Village, officially known as Stoneman Meadow, offers stunning views of some of Yosemite Valley’s most iconic landmarks. From this open area, you can take in breathtaking vistas of Half Dome, its sheer granite face rising dramatically against the sky, especially striking at sunrise or sunset. To the west, you’ll see the towering cliffs of Glacier Point and Sentinel Rock, while the lush greenery of the meadow provides a peaceful contrast to the rugged surroundings. In the spring and early summer, wildflowers often dot the meadow, adding vibrant colors to the scene.

Mirror Lake is a small, seasonal lake on Tenaya Creek between North Dome and Half Dome in Tenaya Canyon. It is the last remnant of a larger glacial lake that once filled most of Yosemite Valley and is slowly disappearing due to sediment accumulation. It is fullest in spring and early summer when Tenaya Creek carries fresh snowmelt. Mirror Lake got its name from stunning reflections of the surrounding cliffs on windless days. Sings along the trail describe the lake's transformation from a lake to a meadow and the area's cultural history. By late summer, the lake is often referred to as Mirror Meadow due to water dispersing and it becoming a grassy and sandy area. Hikers should be cautious of slick conditions along the south side of the loop trail during winter and early spring.

Short water treading.

The Alabama Hills are just west of Lone Pine, California. This area is renowned for its striking, otherworldly scenery. Its vast expanse of rugged, rounded rock formations and arched boulders, that contrast dramatically with the jagged peaks of the High Sierras Nevada in the background, make it a favorite place for filmmakers and outdoors people alike. There are plenty of hiking, rock climbing, and mountain biking opportunities here, but be sure to get an early start in the warmer months because it can get very, very hot.

Above Mirror lake the route was flooded when we took it in April. But it was possible to climb above the river and bypass.

Serene Lakes are more off-the-beaten-path, so they tend to not be crowded with tourists. Historically, these were Native American fishing spots around trading routes. Obsidian arrowheads and petroglyphs have been found in this area. Mark Twain has visited these lakes, and they were a source of commercial ice blocks that were once used before refrigeration was invented.

Tahoe Mountain Trail is a hard packed dirt segment navigating through a mix of shaded forest and exposed mountain side. The trail is popular with hikers, runners, and cyclists. While a xc hard tail would be ideal, a gravel bike or really anything with larger tires would be fine.