Don Pedro Reservoir Photos

While most park visitors drive right by this scenic reservoir in the foothills, it can be worth exploring more. It’s known for outdoor activities such as fishing, boating, waterskiing and camping. Here are a few Don Pedro Lake photos I took.

- Don Pedro Lake photos — Don Pedro Lake & SR120 / 49 Road, Winding Through Foothills

The reservoir view above also includes the windy road cut into the hillside, which takes drivers into Yosemite. While it’s clearly beautiful, this viewpoint is relatively inaccessible – and little-known. It’s at the top of the ridge at Big Oak Flat, on the way to Groveland.

Don Pedro Lake – Sunset Photos

Don Pedro Lake, sunset long exposure photos — Long exposure effect on water at sunset

I made some trips down to the water to take long exposure photos at sunset. In addition to the stunning scenery here, I also observed quite a bit of wildlife over time. Keep an eye out for fishing eagles known as ospreys. I’ve seen a mating pair with a nest high up in a tree. They were actually quite easy to spot.

Jackass Road Bridge Sunset with Pink Clouds — Colorful sky and perspective on Lake Bridge

The photo above was captured on the Jackass Road bridge. Although colorful clouds are quite common in the winter and early spring, I tried to photograph them in summer. Not a good idea – there were basically none to speak of. (I consider a cloudless sky quite boring for pictures, especially for sunsets.)

Now the clouds in this photograph, that’s more like it. This is a zoom in on SR120 road and Don Pedro Lake, with a beautiful, orange sunset overhead. Just the right amount of clouds makes all the difference.

For more related photos, visit my Sierra sunsets album. For more photos of the region surrounding the park, check out my nearby Yosemite gallery.

Looking for lodging? Check out my Yosemite Hotels page.

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About My Photos

The images on this website are available for licensing and/or sale as framed prints. If you’d like to purchase them for a blog, news article, or gift, feel free to contact me with the specifics. This way you’re supporting photographers such as me directly (as opposed to buying from a faceless stock photo corporation).

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– Nathan Allen

About Me

I’m Nathan Allen, photographer / creator of YosemiteParkPhotos.com (Yosemite Photos) and international travel site I Dreamed Of This. In truth, I lived in San Francisco, New York, & Singapore…but nothing compares to life in the mountains. I share my experiences HERE.