"Beauty and History"

Here's an interesting trip: From Los Angeles, take Interstate 5 north to California Highway 99 to Merced. In Merced, exit Highway 99 and pick up County Road J59 north toward Lagrange. In Lagrange, take J132 east toward Coulterville. Then pick up the Priest/Coulterville Road, which zigzags its way up to California Highway 120 just three miles short of the historic gateway town of Groveland. Continue north on 120 to Evergreen Road, which takes you into the campground, with a stop at the Evergreen Lodge (shown above) and Camp Mather, where it dead-ends into Hetch Hetchy Road on the way to the Hetch Hetchy Dam. It is a lovely drive from Merced on. Be sure to stop in Groveland for gasoline (there is none in Hetch Hetchy), stretch your legs and visit the Mountain Sage Visitors Center and photographer Robb Hirsch's excellent gallery.