Tioga Pass Entrance Station
Also known as: Tioga Pass Ranger Station and Restroom; Buildings 3201; 3203
Why it's listed
At the summit of Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park stands a small group of stone structures built by the National Park Service in the early 1930s. A ranger station went up in the summer of 1931, about 28 feet square, with heavy stone walls, adzed wooden lintels, log rafters, a shingled roof and a stone fireplace. In 1934 a tiny stone comfort station and a pair of log entrance gates, hung from stone piers, were added. The gates have since been removed, though the piers remain. The buildings reflect the park service's "rustic" approach, using native materials and hand-worked details so that the structures match the color and texture of the surrounding granite and sparse timberline conifers. The ranger station was the first stone building of this type in the Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Pass area. Civilian Conservation Corps workers, providing unskilled labor to assist stone masons and carpenters, contributed to the construction, which adds to the complex's local importance.
Significance in brief: The complex is considered locally significant for its "rustic" National Park Service design, using native stone, heavy logs and shingles to blend with the high Sierra setting. The ranger station was the first stone building of this style in the Tuolumne Meadows/Tioga Pass area. It is also locally significant for its association with Civilian Conservation Corps labor during the Great Depression.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78000372, listed December 14, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | SW of Lee Vining in Yosemite National Park, Lee Vining |
|---|---|
| County | Tuolumne County |
| Listed | December 14, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000372 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900- (specific dates 1931 - present) |
| Architect / builder | National Park Service |
| Architectural style | NPS "rustic" style |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in excellent condition and occupied, with public ownership and park use. The gates were removed, but the buildings and stone piers remain essentially unchanged. |
| Acreage | 0.2 |
| Coordinates | 37.91081, -119.25838 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78000372.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7808709
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.