Tuolumne County: Surprisingly Sustainable

Tuolumne County is a small community with a large impact on sustainability and stewardship practices. With over half of Yosemite National Park, California Gold Country and the High Sierra, over 70% of Tuolumne County is public land. From sustainable business practices to tourism lead initiatives, Tuolumne County is leading the way to preserve the natural beauty of this Northern California outdoor destination.

Visit Tuolumne County (VTC) Stewardship and Sustainability Initiatives:

• VTC Clean-up Days: As a way to create a sustainable destination, VTC hosts clean-up days throughout Tuolumne County. VTC coordinates these clean up days and invites the community to come and help clean-up trash left behind. Not only is this a way to promote sustainability, it encourages the VTC staff to give back to the community.

Local Businesses Stewardship and Sustainability Initiatives:

• Rush Creek and Evergreen Lodges: Rush Creek and Evergreen Lodges at Yosemite are sister properties that are both B Certified Corporations. Evergreen Lodge was the first gray-water system property in Tuolumne County and Rush Creek Lodge has one of the largest gray-water systems in the state of California. They use some of their recycled water to maintain the growth of the surrounding landscape and forests.
• Echo Adventures Cooperative: Echo Adventures Cooperative is a local outfitter and Certified B Corporation. They offer socially and environmentally sustainable guided adventures, vacation packages and travel experiences in Yosemite National Park and throughout the Sierra. Echo was founded in 2016 and prioritizes quality guest experiences, member empowerment, environmental sustainability and community development over profits.
• Indigeny Hard Cider Reserve: Nothing at this 160-acre apple orchard goes to waste. Opened to the public since 2012 by the Watson family, Indigeny Reserve uses every last apple, apple waste and wood. The building that contains the tasting room, gift shop, cidery and distillery reflects the Watson's sustainability commitment and was constructed using harvested and repurposed cedar and oak wood that was milled on-site. And for the leftover product that is produced from the crafting the hard cider is used to make brandy and vodka.

Regional Stewardship and Sustainability Initiatives:

• Yosemite Facelift: Yosemite Facelift is an annual stewardship project started many years ago by Ken Yager, a Yosemite climber and guide. Yosemite Facelift is responsible for collecting over a million pounds of trash over the past decade. The week-long event brings in people of all ages and abilities from all over the world to contribute anything from one hour of simple trail or roadside trash collection to several days of major cleanups. Some local companies even offer initiatives like Rush Creek Lodge and Spa where Facelift patrons can trade trash for spa treatments. In 2022, Visit Tuolumne County and partners worked to expand Facelift into the Hetch Hetchy region of Yosemite National Park and Act Local to the Yosemite Gateway town of Groveland, which is now an annual part of Facelift. The 2023 Act Local: Groveland is September 9-10.

About Visit Tuolumne County:

Visit Tuolumne (“to-all-o-me”) County (VTC) is the official destination marketing organization for Tuolumne County in Northern California with a mission to increase visitation, travel spending and overnight stays. Tuolumne County is just a 2 1/2-hour drive east of the San Francisco Bay Area. The destination is known for its pristine, scenic expanse reaching into the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Gold was discovered in Tuolumne County in 1848, setting off the major gold rush of 1849. The main highways leading to the picturesque drive from the Bay Area are Highways 108 and 120 from the west and Highway 49 from the north. The State Highway 120 entrance to Yosemite National Park is considered the “front door” of the park for the Bay Area. The Stanislaus National Forest, Yosemite National Park and other surrounding areas provide natural vistas and settings for hiking, water skiing, horseback riding, rafting, camping, snowmobiling, boating, snow skiing, fishing and other outdoor activities. Seven restored historic hotels, four golf courses, numerous and varied dining establishments, historic saloons, four wineries, a hard cider distillery, train rides, casinos, seven museums, two state historic parks, two live theaters, many bed-and-breakfast inns and a variety of Airbnb accommodations are among the many other attributes that make the county a year-round vacation destination. For more information, go to VisitTuolumne.com.