In 2025, Tuolumne County will turn 175 years old and welcome a host of exciting new accommodations to the region offering travellers even more ways to experience California’s charming gold country and beyond.
What’s new?
2025 will see the opening of new accommodations just 10 minutes from the west entrance of Yosemite National Park. Under Canvas Yosemite will open its first glamping accommodations in Groveland, California. Set in a serene, mountainside forest surrounded by mature, Yosemite-native trees the new camp will provide luxury glamping accommodation to visitors and easy access to natural attractions from the north entrance including the magnificent Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias for gentle hiking opportunities, in addition to the popular valley floor. Prices start from £275 per night.
Gold Rush history
Tuolumne County is a treasure trove of history, the perfectly preserved gold rush towns and historic railways take visitors back in time to when gold was first discovered. From living history in Columbia and gold-panning in Jamestown, to the wooden walkways in downtown Sonora, visitors will walk in the footsteps of the original 49’ers. Columbia’s Historic State Park is dedicated to preserving history and remains frozen in time. Complete with a working blacksmiths shop, visitors can enjoy conversation with knowledgeable and friendly locals dressed in era appropriate attire, ride an authentic stagecoach, pan for gold, and enjoy old-fashioned bowling and sip on Sasparilla from St Charles Saloon. In contrast to Columbia’s historical accuracy, downtown Sonora is now home to trendy shops, galleries, and restaurants, whilst still retaining its historical features.
Iconic outdoors
As Tuolumne is the lesser-known region of the mountain destination of Yosemite, it allows visitors to experience a quieter side to the iconic National Park and Hetch Hetchy is one such hidden gem. The expansive reservoir sits within a much lesser-known, northern region of Yosemite National Park and holds almost an exclusive status to only those in the know. The geography of the granite walls and waterfalls are similar to that of the more widely known Yosemite Valley, but with a striking deep blue reservoir in the middle. With the impressive O’Shaughnessy Dam standing 430-feet-tall, wildflowers blooming, and the roaring Wapama Falls, Hetch Hetchy is a hidden gem with plenty to see and do. The Wapama Falls hike takes visitors to some of the park’s tallest waterfalls, hikers can choose from the shorter 5-mile version or take a longer 13.4 mile to take in the stunning valley scenery. Visitors here should arrive early as while no reservation is required parking is limited.
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