Groveland, California

Location: 24 miles (38 km) from Yosemite entrance; 36 miles (58 km) from Yosemite Valley; via Highway 120 (map)

Population 1,500; Elevation 2,844 feet (860 meters)

Groveland is modest by most standards, but it's still the largest town between Sonora and Yosemite's Big Oak Flat (northwest) entrance, and the last place you'll find a bigger-than-a-quickie-mart market before the one in Yosemite Village. There are half a dozen small inns and B&Bs tucked away in Groveland, including two notable antique hotels on the main street: the Groveland Hotel, constructed in 1849, and the Hotel Charlotte. Both are on the National Register of Historic Places. The Iron Door Saloon dates from 1852.

Pro: It's a pretty, quiet, & eminently strollable town with a short but funky antique main-street district and its very own museum.

Con: Was Groveland named for organized groups of trees, or is it a moniker mash-up of the only U.S. president to serve non-consecutive terms? It's hard to sleep well with matters like this on your mind.