Fifth stop: Mammoth Lakes back to Sac via Yosemite

a brown and white dog laying in front of now covered mountains

Allow a full day—or more, if time permits—for the long but scenic drive back to Sacramento via Highway 120 over Tioga Pass Road through Yosemite National Park. Read more.

Fourth stop: Tuckee to Mammoth Lakes

Bodie State Historic Park. Photo by Pawan Thapa.

You have a couple of options here, but the most direct route sends you back to Lake Tahoe and around the North Shore via Highway 267 to its intersection with Highway 50. Read more.

Mammoth opportunities

Dog by trees at Mammoth California in the fall

Three hours south of Tahoe and five hours northeast from Los Angeles, Mammoth Lakes beckons not just downhill skiers, but DogTrekkers vacationing with their best four-legged friends. Read more.

From wine to bristlecone pines

Eastern Sierra dogs. Photo by Visit Mammoth Lakes.

There are many ways to get to the High Sierra, all of them scenic, some a little more leisurely and winding than others. If time permits and you like lots of diversion on a road trip, follow the Golden Chain Highway (aka Highway 49) south through Amador, Calaveras, Tuolumne and Mariposa counties before cutting east through Yosemite National Park and taking Highway 20 (the Tioga Road) up and over 9,943-foot Tioga Pass. Read more.

Get off the beaten track

Sure, Tahoe is great in winter—but so are the Lost Sierra and Mammoth Lakes regions, which take longer to reach but reward with plenty of cold-weather fun. Read more.