As far as I’m concerned, the adjective “awesome” is greatly overused; “That cup of coffee was awesome!” If you consider that the word describes something that elicits awe, which is a feeling of wonder and amazement bordering on the divine, then for me a mere cup of coffee, however delicious, doesn’t deserve the description. What is awesome, however, is Yosemite National Park and especially if you experience it on a motorcycle.
The Sierra Nevada mountain range, which stretches 400 miles along the eastern edge of California from Bakersfield in the south to Redding in the north, boasts the tallest peak in the contiguous U.S. (Mount Whitney) and other famous landmarks like Lake Tahoe, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls and El Capitan. One of the best routes to view many of these amazing places is Tioga Road/Big Oak Flat Road/Hwy 120 that cuts through the middle of Yosemite National Park.
Before you pack your saddlebags and head out to ride in this amazing place, you need to know a few things. During the summer season – between mid-June and mid-August – you need a reservation to enter the park between 6:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. and Hwy 120 closes for the winter in November through late May or early June due to snow. Also, the park is not the place to stretch your throttle cable as the speed limits are low, and you’d miss all the amazing views if you went any faster anyway. The best way to ride a motorcycle in Yosemite is to take it slow and stop often. As we all know, you go where you look when riding a motorcycle, so if you want to really take in the park’s awesome scenery, pull over, otherwise you could become part of the scenery!
Riding at the posted speed limit, which is mostly 35 or 45 mph, rewards you with the feeling that you are actually in the environment, experiencing the subtle changes in temperature as you go up and down in elevation, through mountain tunnels, shady forests and out in open sunshine. You’ll be amazed by the towering heights and seeming fathomless canyon depths and struck by the vibrancy of the contrasting colors of blue sky, green pine, and white granite that’ll fill your eyes. All this while traversing a twisting ribbon of excellent asphalt. And that’s what I call awesome! Apart from Hwy 120, which runs from just south of Mono Lake off Hwy 395 in the east to northeast of Modesto to the west, there are other great roads in the park, such as El Porto Road and Wawona Road that drop south from Yosemite Valley. You can continue south in and out of the mountain range to enter Sequioa and Kings Canyon National Parks. Check out this great 170-mile route that takes in some of the most dramatic and beautiful places in the park:
For park and roadway information and conditions, visit the National Park Service website at: Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service). As of late summer 2025 the motorcycle fee to enter the park is $30. If you enjoy going to National Parks, consider the America the Beautiful Pass at America the Beautiful National Park Pass – US Park Pass. Enjoy!
