Jaw-dropping nature, Instagrammable vistas, atmospheric towns that date back to the gold rush: some places were made for epic road trips. From its 3,000-year-old giant sequoias, its hiking and rafting destinations, a tucked away cidery and one-of-a-kind accommodations—glamping in a pioneer-style covered wagon, for one—California’s Tuolumne County offers outsized excitement, history and hidden gems at every turn.
The word outsized is no exaggeration. Just a couple of hours from San Francisco, Tuolumne (pronounced Too-All-O-Me) County is perfectly situated between Gold Country, the High Sierra and Yosemite, making it one of the richest regions in the U.S. for four-season adventure. Not surprisingly, it’s provided the rugged backdrop for more than 200 movies and TV shows, including Back to the Future III, Unforgiven and Little House on the Prairie.
Shielded from big-city lights, Tuolumne also boasts some of the darkest skies around. High-profile locals such as U.S. Olympian skier Keely Cashman, who was born and raised in Tuolumne, may lend some glitz to this rural, rustic destination. But they’re outpaced in the glitter department by the millions of stars visible from places like Yosemite’s Tuolumne Meadows—famed for its meteor showers—and Stanislaus National Forest in the High Sierra. Here are five must-sees for the ultimate Tuolumne County road trip.