El Portal, CA

Tucked into the Merced River canyon along Highway 140, El Portal sits right at the western doorstep of Yosemite National Park. Originally built up around mining, logging, and an old railroad line, the town has long served as the primary jumping-off point into Yosemite Valley. Living here means having the park practically in your backyard, with steep canyon walls rising on both sides and the rush of the river setting the daily backdrop.

ATTRKen Lund / CC BY-SA 2.0

Today, El Portal is a tight-knit mountain hamlet largely made up of park rangers, National Park Service staff, and local hospitality workers. Sitting at a lower elevation than the valley, it offers milder winters and easy year-round access to world-class hiking right up the road. Amenities are modest, but the close community and unmatched access to the Sierra make it a unique place to put down roots.