Tioga Lake is a small glacial lake in California’s Sierra Nevada, in Inyo National Forest near Tioga Pass and Yosemite National Park. Set beside State Route 120 at the crest of a major mountain crossing, it occupies a striking high-country setting. Its name, uncommon in the Sierra for not honoring a person, comes through Tioga County, New York, from an Iroquois word meaning “where it forks” or “swift current.” Indigenous peoples are believed to have settled the broader area as early as 10,000 years ago. Later associated with John Muir, mining, and logging, the lake is now valued for quiet recreation, wildlife, and its less crowded setting despite rapidly changing weather.