Rising nearly 10,000 feet above the picturesque Yosemite Valley, Tioga Pass winds its way alongside the granite walls of the park offering a bird's eye view of many of the area's iconic landforms.

First utilized 10,000 years ago by the Mono Paiute and the Miwok natives, many agree that fur trapper and explorer Joseph Reddeford Walker became the first non-native to travel the pass when he crossed the Sierra Nevadas in the 1830s.

During the Mariposa Indian War in the 1850s, Lieutenant Treadwell Moore navigated through the pass in his efforts to displace local natives. While there, Lt. Moore discovered samples of gold-infused rocks, encouraging George W. "Doc" Chase to travel with a small group to "Tioga Hill" in search of more of the precious mineral. The locals named the mines, the Tioga Mines and the corresponding trail Tioga Pass. The name refers to Tioga County, New York, the hometown of many of the area's first miners, and is an Iroquois native word, meaning "where it forks," "swift current," or "a gate."

Sheep grazing also comprised a major component of the area's commerce, a practice lasting until 1984, when Inyo National Forest repealed grazing privileges due to the reintroduction of bighorn sheep to the area.

In 1914 Albert Gardisky arrived to the Tioga Pass area intent on working as a miner and trapper. He soon changed his mind, instead catering to the needs of those traveling through Tioga Pass by building four small cabins and a main lodge. The establishment, originally called Camp Tioga, is now the Tioga Pass Resort.

Today, Tioga Pass serves as the eastern entry point into Yosemite National Park established in 1916.