| This file describes leaving Hwy 99 at Madera, one way to get to Chiquito and Clover. | ||||||||
| Driving Directions | > | Central Valley | > | Chiquito Pass and Clover Meadow | ||||
| Chiquito Pass via Quartz Mountain | ||||||||
| Waypoints are plotted in several images to clarify the text below. | ||||||||
Click here for GPS waypoints in Waypoint+ format (NAD83, decimal degrees) with descriptive comments, in a popup window.
The Chiquito Pass trailhead is northeast of Madera sort of near Bass Lake and Oakhurst. The driving directions to Clover Meadow Ranger Station, the Isberg Pass Trailhead, and the Mammoth Trailhead, are basically the same - just continue past this trailhead as noted below.
From the north, take Hwy 99 to Madera and take Hwy 145 to Hwy 41 north. From the south, take Hwy 99 to Fresno and take Hwy 41 north. Either way you go through "Four Corners" (waypoint 4CRNRS), a stop light where Hwy 145 (going east from Madera to Prather) crosses Hwy 41 (going north from Fresno to Yosemite). For more context, see the Central Valley page.
From southbound Hwy 99, exiting at Madera:
If you leave Hwy 99 at the official Hwy 145 exit, you will probably get lost and will certainly waste time in the Madera business district. Instead, follow the MADERA 4CORNERS route waypoints, as described here:
Bypass downtown Madera by exiting at Cleveland (waypoint 099CLV), which is marked as the turn for 'Millerton Lake'. Stay on Cleveland by following green-and-white signs through several quick turns, continuing for two miles where you angle right (at waypoint CLVLND) and the immediately turn left at a well marked intersection with Hwy 145 (a stop sign at waypoint 145CLV, marked for Millerton Lake). Stay on Hwy 145 as it bears east at the town named Sue (waypoint 145SUE). 16 miles from waypoint 145CLV you turn left at Four Corners (waypoint 4CRNRS), onto Hwy 41.
Here is a detailed view of waypoints in Madera near the Hwy 99 exit:
From northbound Hwy 99, exiting at Fresno:
Exit Hwy 99 onto Hwy 180 freeway east, then take the Hwy 41 north exit. Stay on Hwy 41 through Pinedale to Four Corners (waypoint 4CRNRS). Simple! Follow the signs, or follow the FRESNO 4CORNERS route waypoints.
Here is an overview of Fresno, Madera, and Four Corners:
Continuing north from Four Corners to Chiquito Pass and Clover Meadow:
See 4CORNERS CHIQUITO or 4CORNERS CLOVER route waypoints.
Take Hwy 41 north from Four Corners (waypoint 4CRNRS) through Coarsegold to the junction with Hwy 49 in Oakhurst (waypoint OAKHST). In Oakhurst, you can pick up permits at the Yosemite Visitor Center (waypoint YOSVIS) during business hours, or if you call ahead they may tape them to the door around the side by the Coke machine. If you don't have a GPS, the visitor center is across the highway from the Shilo Inn.
About 3.5 miles north of Oakhurst, Road 222 (which is actually labelled Bass Lake Road) turns southeast toward Bass Lake at Yosemite Forks (waypoint YOSFRK). Signs should be prominent, but if you see Sugar Pine you've gone way too far up Hwy 41. Another 3.5 miles later you turn left on Road 274 (waypoint 222274, where you might not even notice the intersection as the main road changes name and the road you were on angles off to the right).
Continue southeast to the north shore of Bass Lake (while 222 continues on the south shore) for 2.4 miles. On the north side of the lake, you turn left on Beasore Road (waypoint 274BEA) which is marked with a green sign that says Clover Meadow. The road now gets seriously narrow and winding as you go north past several small turnoffs including Cold Springs (waypoint COLDSP) and Beasore Meadows (waypoint BEAMDW).
Here is an overview of the rest of the drive:
Beasore Road actually goes to the Chiquto Pass trailhead (about 20 miles northwest from where you get on it), continuing to Clover Meadow puts you on the McCreary Cutoff (a fact that may escape you because the main road changes name when you don't turn off). Good maps will show a significant loop through McCreary Meadow over to Minarets Road / Mammoth Road. If you see McCreary or Clover Meadow, you've gone about 10 miles past the Chiquto Pass trailhead!
Chiquito Pass Trailhead:
See 4CORNERS CHIQUITO route waypoints.
As you drive up Beasore, you're looking for Globe Rock (waypoint GLOBRK). Just before this turnoff there is a "pavement ends" sign, but the pavement doesn't actually end for almost two miles - it goes right past the Chiquito Pass turnoff to the Upper Chiquito Campground. At GLOBRCK, you north turn off what appears to be the main route and stay on Beasore Rd 2.5 miles north to the trailhead (waypoint CHIQTH).
Beasore is the red line going north to waypoint CHIQTH on the maps above and below. The main route (McCreary Cutoff)is shown in blue, heading east to the Clover Meadow Ranger Station (waypoint CLOVERS). It's comforting to have a GPS with waypoint GLOBRK pre-entered so you can't miss the turnoff.
Just a bit past Globe Rock is Upper Chiquito Campground, where you could spend the night. On the other hand, the camping situation at the trailhead is excellent, with a few fire rings and tons of parking in among the big trees. No fees, no facilities. This is national forest, not a park, so the rules are a lot looser. 3 miles up the trail from CHIQTH is Chiquito Pass, where you enter Yosemite without the crowds.
NOTE: 6 miles beyond Globe Rock are the Jackass Flat (waypoint JACKAS) and Norris Lake (waypoint NORRIS) trailheads, which head north to the south side of Madera Peak and might provide a good alternate approach to Gale and Sing peaks (normally climbed via Chiquito Pass).
Clover Meadow Ranger Station:
See 4CORNERS CLOVER route waypoints.
If you drive 13 miles past Globe Rock (waypoint GLOBRK), staying on what appears to be the main route (shown in blue on the map above), you'll actually be taking the McCreary Cutoff to the Clover Meadow Ranger Station (waypoint CLOVRS).
Here is the drive from Globe Rock to Clover Meadow:
NOTE: 6 miles beyond Globe Rock are the Jackass Flat (waypoint JACKAS) and Norris Lake (waypoint NORRIS) trailheads, which head north to the south side of Madera Peak and might provide a good alternate approach to Gale and Sing peaks (normally climbed via Chiquito Pass). Beyond that is the intersection with Minarets Road (waypoint MINJCT) and finally the Clover Meadow Ranger Station (waypoint CLOVRS), which is about 2.5 hours drive from Madera. If you keep going as described below, you come to the Isberg Pass (waypoint ISBERG) and Mammoth (waypoint MAMOTH) trailheads.
This ranger station is only open in the summer (?). It is where you pick up wilderness permits for all area trailheads.
Mammoth and Isberg Pass Trailheads:
See 4CORNERS CLOVER route waypoints.
It's about 6 miles from the ranger station to the Mammoth trailhead (waypoint MAMOTH). The road is fine for passenger cars but is not paved.
Drive to the Clover Meadow Ranger Station (waypoint CLOVRS) as described above. From there, the road goes north past the Granite Creek Campground turnoff (waypoint GCCAMP, where some mapping software shows the road going right but in fact the road goes left). Follow the sign for Isberg Pass and Mammoth trailheads. From the campground turnoff you'll go a northwest and then northeast before crossing the West Fork of Granite Creek and turning right (east) at another well-marked junction (waypoint WGCJCT). (My notes show the sign here says it's 2 miles to the Isberg trailhead and 4 miles to the Mammoth trailhead, but that may be measured from the campground.)
Less than a mile from the west fork junction, the real road diverges sharply from the road shown on the 7.5' topo maps. There is no sign and no junction, and my GPS track log is plotted on the map below. The road is in the trees, so the track log may not be perfect! The current road skirts Soldier Meadow and Indian Meadow on the north, staying high and dry (probably to avoid an area that washed out).
The Isberg Pass trail crosses the road just west of the East Fork of Granite Creek, at about 7100' (waypoint ISBERG), where there is trailhead parking with no facilities. This trail comes from the Granite Creek campground and goes north to Isberg Pass on the southern edge of Yosemite. You can use it to climb peaks near Red or Gray, but most people come this way to climb Foerster, Electra, and Rodgers. Hemlock Crossing features a beautiful waterfall and pool, and continuing up-canyon from there gets you to a stunning valley between Mt Davis and Rodgers Peak, or a western approach to Ritter and Banner via Lake Catherine.
The Mammoth Trailhead is where 4 trails converge on the 7.5' topo map (waypoint MAMOTH). There are no facilities, it's dusty, and two of the trails are apparently open to 4WDs (to Green and Cattle Mtn) so you can expect a less than perfect trailhead experience during hunting season. The trailhead sign is 50 yards from the parking area, on the ridge, with a sign indicating Reds Meadow and Sheep Crossing. A good trail drops east to Sheep Crossing on your way to Iron Mountain, Granite Staircase, etc.
Useful Links: