Tuolumne Meadows is a broad subalpine meadow landscape along the Tuolumne River in eastern Yosemite National Park, known for open grasslands ringed by granite domes and peaks. Snowmelt, shallow groundwater, and streams create a shifting mosaic of wet and dry ground that supports varied plant communities and summer wildflower displays. The area is a major recreation center, serving as a base for hikes, backcountry travel, and climbing on smooth granite domes. Access comes by Tioga Pass Road, whose current route through the meadows was laid out in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps; a surviving rustic building group was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.