Photographing Yosemite: Digital Field Guide

23.2. Where Can I Get the Best Shot?

You have to hike to get into the Tuolumne Grove (see A on the map). It is a 1.5-mile downhill hike going to the grove, which means it is all uphill coming out! You hike down an old road to enter the grove and are met with a large towering tree on your left just around the corner from the sign announcing your entrance to the grove. From here, you can continue on the road or take the right-hand fork that leads you through the Tunnel Tree. As you come down through the Tunnel Tree and turn around, you get a great view of the tree in context with the surrounding forest; it is one of my favorite views in the grove.

The best location from which to photograph Tuolumne Grove: (A) near Crane Flat at the western edge of Highway 120. Other photo ops: (7) Fern Springs, (14) Merced Grove.

After passing through the Tunnel Tree, you see a trail to your right. This trail takes you through the upper portion of the grove where you can see more sequoia trees. There is a rather large fallen tree near the start of this trail. The unique thing about this tree is it has formed a tunnel, and you can actually walk or crawl your way through the interior of a sequoia tree. I like to get up close to this tree with a wide-angle lens and emphasize its length as it recedes off into the distance.