Tioga Pass is a mountain pass in the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California . State Route 120 runs through it, and serves as the eastern entry point for Yosemite National Park , at the Tioga Pass Entrance Station . It is the highest elevation highway pass in California and in the Sierra Nevada at an elevation of 9,945 ft (3,031 m). Mount Dana is to the east of the pass, and Gaylor Peak to the west.
19-654: Tioga Pass is named after Tioga Mine, whose name came from the Tioga River in New York: Tioga is an Iroquois and Mohawk term meaning "where it forks". This pass, like many other passes in the Sierra Nevada, has a gradual approach from the west and drops off to the east dramatically, losing more than 3,000 ft (910 m) by the time the road reaches U.S. Route 395 . The pass is subject to winter closure due to high snowfall, normally from around
38-469: Is a borough in Tioga County , Pennsylvania , United States. The population was 611 at the 2010 census. It is located north of Tioga and Hammond Lakes along the Tioga River . The name "Tioga" is borrowed from Native American tribes who lived in the area at the time of the arrival of European colonists; it means "at the forks". The various Iroquois tribes all had similar words for the concept:
57-405: Is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km ) (17.31%) is water. Tioga is surrounded by Tioga Township . As of the census of 2000, there were 622 people, 239 households, and 148 families residing in the borough. The population density was 1,440.0 inhabitants per square mile (556.0/km ). There were 261 housing units at an average density of 604.2 per square mile (233.3/km ). The racial makeup of
76-592: The Chemung and Susquehanna rivers, the dams are also meant to help improve water quality by decreasing the acidity of water in the Tioga River downstream of the dams; it is diluted by addition of the more neutral waters of Crooked Creek. The Tioga River's acidity is caused by acid mine drainage . The lakes also offer recreational opportunities, including camping , boating , fishing , swimming , and hiking on area trails. Tioga, Pennsylvania Tioga
95-760: The Chemung River , a tributary of the Susquehanna . The Tioga River has one major impoundment, the Tioga Reservoir , formed by a dam just before the borough of Tioga, Pennsylvania. The lake has a surface area of 498 acres (2.02 km ) and is administered by the United States Army Corps of Engineers , which built the Tioga Dam from 1973 to 1979. Built together with the adjoining Hammond Dam and Hammond Lake (on Crooked Creek),
114-670: The Oneida called it Te-ah-o-ge , the Mohawk called it Te-yo-ge-ga , the Cayuga called it Da-o-ga and the Seneca called it Da-yo-o-geh . On July 5, 2022, Officer Timothy Loehmann was sworn in as Tioga's only police officer. In 2014, Loehmann, while employed as a police officer in Cleveland , had shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice who at the time was holding a pellet gun. Loehmann
133-490: The area include birds of prey, marmots , bobcats , and occasionally bighorn sheep can be seen. Tioga River (Chemung River) The Tioga River ( / ˈ t aɪ oʊ ɡ ə / TY -o-gə ) is a tributary of the Chemung River , approximately 58 miles (93 km) long, in northern Pennsylvania and western New York in the United States. It drains a region of ridges in the northern Allegheny Plateau in
152-587: The borough government, including the mayor and councilmembers, and contradictory statements from those involved in Loehmann's hiring. Tioga is located at 41°54′23″N 77°8′8″W / 41.90639°N 77.13556°W / 41.90639; -77.13556 (41.906467, -77.135532). According to the United States Census Bureau , the borough has a total area of 0.5 square miles (1.3 km ), of which 0.4 square miles (1.0 km )
171-503: The borough was 99.04% White , 0.32% African American , 0.16% Native American , and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population. There were 239 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 10.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.7% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who
190-466: The end of October until the end of May the following year, though these dates are subject to considerable variation. In heavy snow years, the road has closed in early October, and has remained closed as late as late July. In light snow years, the road may remain open until December and open as early as April. Tioga Pass is the most direct route from Bishop or Mammoth Lakes, California to Fresno , Merced , and Stockton . There are four highway passes to
209-498: The law by failing to perform a proper background check before hiring Loehmann. An investigation by Spotlight PA later found Loehmann was properly hired, but state law concerning background checks for law enforcement hires lacked the capabilities to flag Loehmann because he had not been previously employed as a law enforcement officer in Pennsylvania. The investigation also found a string of personal disputes between members of
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#1732786913536228-656: The north, between Yosemite and Lake Tahoe , but none to the south for about 200 mi (320 km), until Sherman Pass in southern Tulare County . The pass is on the Great Basin Divide , which demarcates the Great Basin , which is the largest contiguous area of endorheic basins in North America. There are several trailheads into the Yosemite backcountry which begin at Tioga Pass, including
247-468: The southwest of the pass, inside Yosemite National Park, is Tuolumne Meadows . The Pacific Crest Trail passes through, and it crosses the highway here. Although Tioga Pass doesn't have its own weather station, Ellery Lake, which is about 6 miles west does have a station that gives the expected climate found in Tioga Pass as well. The climate type for Tioga Pass is subarctic. Some of the wildlife in
266-730: The total project cost $ 200 million. The dam projects were initially authorized by the United States Congress in the Flood Control Act of 3 July 1958 (Public Law 85-500). Construction was begun in the aftermath of the devastating floods caused by Hurricane Agnes in June 1972, which resulted in widespread damage along the rivers. A channel connects the two lakes so that Hammond Lake (which has greater storage capacity) may be used to store excess (flood) water from Tioga Lake. In addition to supporting flood control on
285-577: The trail to the Gaylor Lakes to the west/northwest, and the trail to the summit of Mount Dana. Dana Meadows is immediately south of the pass alongside the highway, as the pass itself is roughly angled north–south as opposed to east–west. Dana Meadows contains several small lakes. A popular recreation and camping area exists just north of the summit of the pass at Tioga Lake . It is in the Inyo National Forest . Less than 7 miles to
304-1009: The watershed of the Susquehanna River . In the 19th century, trees logged in the Tioga Valley were extensively used in shipbuilding . Logs were floated down the Tioga to the Chemung and on to the Susquehanna River, the Chesapeake Bay , and the shipyards of Baltimore . The Tioga River rises in the mountains of western Bradford County and flows initially southwest into Tioga County , passing through Tioga State Forest . In southern Tioga County it turns north, cutting gaps in four separate ridges while flowing past Blossburg and Mansfield , then through Tioga Reservoir. North of Tioga it receives Crooked Creek from
323-614: The west, then crosses into Steuben County, New York , near Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania . It receives the Cowanesque River from the west approximately one mile (1.6 km) north of the state line, then receives the Canisteo River from the west in southeastern Steuben County, approximately 10 miles (16 km) southwest of Corning . It joins the Cohocton River at Painted Post , just west of Corning, to form
342-450: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.23. In the borough the population was spread out, with 31.0% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 16.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 90.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males. The median income for
361-409: Was never charged with a crime, but the incident caused protests. His hiring by Tioga's borough council caused a public backlash. A week later the resignations of Loehmann, the borough council president, another council member, the borough attorney, and the borough's code enforcement officer were accepted by the borough council. According to Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro , the borough broke
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