best travel route Las Vegas to San Fran
Mar 14th, 2011, 05:23 PM
#1
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best travel route Las Vegas to San Fran
We are a family of 5 driving from Las Vegas to San Francisco in early April. We are wanting to drive through part of Death Valley to see Badwater Basin and Telescope Peak and then drive through Yosemite for a few hours, which is the best route, the fastest or most scenic. We are wanting to do this in 3 days. Any help would be great.
Mar 14th, 2011, 06:40 PM
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Sorry, I didn't see you want to squeeze Yosemite into the trip. That rules out scenic 395. Your only option from Death Valley in April is to go to Yosemite via Bakersfield, and Fresno.
However, Yosemite is not "on the road" to San Francisco and it is not the kind of place that can be seen in "a few hours."
HTTY
However, Yosemite is not "on the road" to San Francisco and it is not the kind of place that can be seen in "a few hours."
HTTY
Mar 14th, 2011, 07:48 PM
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Think about skipping Yosemite since in April it will mean a trip up the Central Valley, not scenic at all. If you do LV to Death Valley to SF, HTTY has a great route on 395. To get to that point, I'd go via Parhump to Death Valley then 190 to connect to 395. You could stop in Lone Pine and Carson City or Lake Tahoe. On 395 Seasons in Lone Pine is an exellenct restaurant. There is a Best Western Motel on the south edge of town with nice views. Haven't been through Bishop for a few months, but always enjoy the baked goods at Schats Bakery and the smoked meat, beef jerky etc at Meadow Farms on the north end of town.
Also there are many good restaurants in Mammoth Lakes.
Be sure to take time to stop at the Mono Lake Visitor's Center if open. As HTTY said it is a beautiful drive in the spring through Lee Vining, Bridgeport, Walker and into Nevada at Topaz Lake. Just south of Carson City a bit is the historic old town of Genoa, worth a quick visit.
Also there are many good restaurants in Mammoth Lakes.
Be sure to take time to stop at the Mono Lake Visitor's Center if open. As HTTY said it is a beautiful drive in the spring through Lee Vining, Bridgeport, Walker and into Nevada at Topaz Lake. Just south of Carson City a bit is the historic old town of Genoa, worth a quick visit.
Mar 14th, 2011, 08:20 PM
#5
2.5 hours from Las Vegas to Stovepipe Wells via Beaty, NV.
3 hours in Death Valley including Furnace Creek & Artist Drive.
2.5 hours to Baker, California. There are no great hotels in Baker, only the world's tallest thermometer.
From Baker to Oakhurst via Bakersfield is 6 hours. (Day 2)
Start early in the morning from Oakhurst north on Highway 41 to the South entrance of Yosemite. Turn right and spend at least 1 hour in Mariposa Grove. Stop for 15 minutes at the tunnel view.
Head on down into the Valley and spend several hours. Plan on 4 hours from ElPortal to San Francisco. Plan on a late night.
3 hours in Death Valley including Furnace Creek & Artist Drive.
2.5 hours to Baker, California. There are no great hotels in Baker, only the world's tallest thermometer.
From Baker to Oakhurst via Bakersfield is 6 hours. (Day 2)
Start early in the morning from Oakhurst north on Highway 41 to the South entrance of Yosemite. Turn right and spend at least 1 hour in Mariposa Grove. Stop for 15 minutes at the tunnel view.
Head on down into the Valley and spend several hours. Plan on 4 hours from ElPortal to San Francisco. Plan on a late night.
Mar 14th, 2011, 09:46 PM
#6
Why would anyone go via Baker? It is miles out of the way and ugly.
Stovepipe Wells > Baker > Oakhurst > Yosemite Valley is more than 10 hours of driving w/o stops. So even w/ 2 days it would be a looooong haul.
From DV going via Ridgecrest instead of Baker will cut at least an hour from your total -- but still a long/nasty drive.
So basically -- there is NO fast and NO scenic route in April. Mostly depends on how badly you want to see Death Valley and if you are willing to drive several hundred miles to get about 2 hours in YNP.
If Death Valley isn't a must -- consider dropping your rental car in Las Vegas and flying to San Francisco.
Stovepipe Wells > Baker > Oakhurst > Yosemite Valley is more than 10 hours of driving w/o stops. So even w/ 2 days it would be a looooong haul.
From DV going via Ridgecrest instead of Baker will cut at least an hour from your total -- but still a long/nasty drive.
So basically -- there is NO fast and NO scenic route in April. Mostly depends on how badly you want to see Death Valley and if you are willing to drive several hundred miles to get about 2 hours in YNP.
If Death Valley isn't a must -- consider dropping your rental car in Las Vegas and flying to San Francisco.
Mar 14th, 2011, 10:54 PM
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Thanks everyone for your suggestions. We were hoping to leave Las Vegas (Wed. 6th) drive thru Death Valley seeing a few sights on the way and sleep at Bakersfield, then leave early (Thurs. 7th)and head to Yosemite (we are really only wanting a small taste)for around 3-4 hours and then leave a sleep near perhaps Modesto, then head into San Fran. the next morning. I was just wondering if there was any way to get to Yosemite without having to go all the way to Bakersfield.
Mar 15th, 2011, 03:14 AM
#8
"I was just wondering if there was any way to get to Yosemite without having to go all the way to Bakersfield"
Nope.
But honestly -- Bakersfield is bad enough -- do you actually (truly ?? ) also want to stay in, of all places, Modesto? (Bakersfield is sometimes described as an armpit - Modesto is either the other armpit or another body part)
Yosemite Valley to Modesto takes between 2.5 and 3.5 hours (depending on if there is snow or not). Normally around 2:45-3-ish hours.
Yosemite Valley to San Francisco takes 4-4.5 hours. For that extra hour you 100% do not want to spend one minute of your vacation in Modesto
Nope.
But honestly -- Bakersfield is bad enough -- do you actually (truly ?? ) also want to stay in, of all places, Modesto? (Bakersfield is sometimes described as an armpit - Modesto is either the other armpit or another body part)
Yosemite Valley to Modesto takes between 2.5 and 3.5 hours (depending on if there is snow or not). Normally around 2:45-3-ish hours.
Yosemite Valley to San Francisco takes 4-4.5 hours. For that extra hour you 100% do not want to spend one minute of your vacation in Modesto
Mar 15th, 2011, 10:59 AM
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If you want a scenic experience, I repeat: "The drive up 395 (Eastern Sierra) is beautiful in the spring and 50 goes west toward San Francisco." You could visit Lake Tahoe (a major tourist destination) on this route.
We would like you to have a good experience in California, and that is unlikely with the routing you outline.
HTTY
We would like you to have a good experience in California, and that is unlikely with the routing you outline.
HTTY
Mar 15th, 2011, 11:49 AM
#10
My DW and I spent 1 night in Baker arriving just after sunset from DV. The "front desk" of the motel was at the end of the counter of the gas station next door. The room had a sliding glass door on the Interstate side which had a sign that told you to keep it closed since there had been snakes seen nearby.
The bed was OK but the room was quite old.
I didn't feel like driving to Barstow that night. I have stayed at a relatively good hotel in Barstow with interior corridors. I would not consider staying anywhere in Bakersfield. I still stand by my suggestion to stay at a nice hotel in Oakhurst and start early in the morning.
Save Yosemite for another trip when you have more time.
Tahoe is much easier to get to from DV and is easy to get to San Francisco. Believe HTTY.
The bed was OK but the room was quite old.
I didn't feel like driving to Barstow that night. I have stayed at a relatively good hotel in Barstow with interior corridors. I would not consider staying anywhere in Bakersfield. I still stand by my suggestion to stay at a nice hotel in Oakhurst and start early in the morning.
Save Yosemite for another trip when you have more time.
Tahoe is much easier to get to from DV and is easy to get to San Francisco. Believe HTTY.
Mar 15th, 2011, 12:16 PM
#11
Happytrailstoyou is right -- going via Tahoe wil be scenic all the way except for about 45 miles between eastern Sacramento and Fairfield. The entire rest of the drive will be scenic. But it also will be loooooong.
LV > DV > South Lake Tahoe > San Francisco is 650 miles and easily 13 hours plus stops/meals (and much more if there is snow and chains are required). So it is more than a two day trip.
This is a vast area and in April you could have glorious weather -- or heavy snow (It is snowing at Tahoe as I type this)
Which ever you choose - around through Tahoe, or around through Yosemite -- they are looooong. The Tahoe route will be scenic and long; the Yosemite route will be totally un-scenic (except for the detour into Yosemite NP) and long.
LV > DV > South Lake Tahoe > San Francisco is 650 miles and easily 13 hours plus stops/meals (and much more if there is snow and chains are required). So it is more than a two day trip.
This is a vast area and in April you could have glorious weather -- or heavy snow (It is snowing at Tahoe as I type this)
Which ever you choose - around through Tahoe, or around through Yosemite -- they are looooong. The Tahoe route will be scenic and long; the Yosemite route will be totally un-scenic (except for the detour into Yosemite NP) and long.
Mar 16th, 2011, 12:40 PM
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Gogab
You have a couple of options if you want to visit Death Valley and Yosemite and have only three days to do this in early April. The Tahoe route is really not one of them since it would require a lot more driving and you could run into some late season storms.
One option would be to visit Death Valley after leaving Vegas and spend most of the day there and then drive through the Panamint Valley and Trona to the town of Ridgecrest. There are several nice motels and a couple of good restaurants here. The town services a huge important naval air base.
The next day, drive to Oakhurst which is about a 6 hour drive. Then, on your third day, go into Yosemite in the morning and leave mid-afternoon for your drive to San Francisco. Since the Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point Road will be closed in early April, you will only be able to see the Valley and you can cover a lot in 4 or 5 hours.
The second option would be to leave Death Valley a little earlier and drive all the way to Kernville near Lake Isabella. Stay the night here - it's a nice little town on the Kern River. We stayed at the Kernville Inn last summer and would recommend it. Then, the next morning, get an early start and drive to Yosemite - about 5 hours. Enjoy the afternoon in Yosemite Valley and then drive out CA 140 to Mariposa - about 1 hour - and spend the night there and then drive to San Francisco the next morning.
There's no reason to drive to Baker and the route through Walker Pass, Lake Isabella and the Kern Canyon will be more scenic. The boring part of the drive is from Bakersfield to Oakhurst but it won't last too long.
Which option would be best really depends on what time you need to get to San Francisco on the third day. The second option would be best if you want to be there by the early afternoon.
You have a couple of options if you want to visit Death Valley and Yosemite and have only three days to do this in early April. The Tahoe route is really not one of them since it would require a lot more driving and you could run into some late season storms.
One option would be to visit Death Valley after leaving Vegas and spend most of the day there and then drive through the Panamint Valley and Trona to the town of Ridgecrest. There are several nice motels and a couple of good restaurants here. The town services a huge important naval air base.
The next day, drive to Oakhurst which is about a 6 hour drive. Then, on your third day, go into Yosemite in the morning and leave mid-afternoon for your drive to San Francisco. Since the Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point Road will be closed in early April, you will only be able to see the Valley and you can cover a lot in 4 or 5 hours.
The second option would be to leave Death Valley a little earlier and drive all the way to Kernville near Lake Isabella. Stay the night here - it's a nice little town on the Kern River. We stayed at the Kernville Inn last summer and would recommend it. Then, the next morning, get an early start and drive to Yosemite - about 5 hours. Enjoy the afternoon in Yosemite Valley and then drive out CA 140 to Mariposa - about 1 hour - and spend the night there and then drive to San Francisco the next morning.
There's no reason to drive to Baker and the route through Walker Pass, Lake Isabella and the Kern Canyon will be more scenic. The boring part of the drive is from Bakersfield to Oakhurst but it won't last too long.
Which option would be best really depends on what time you need to get to San Francisco on the third day. The second option would be best if you want to be there by the early afternoon.
Mar 16th, 2011, 01:51 PM
#13
I don't think you've ever said whether this is a rental car or your own car. The reason I ask - while Otis' suggestions are the best for seeing Yosemite in your own car, if it is a rental - there is a way to see/do it all w/o spending the best part of a day driving through just about the ugliest part of the entire state.
IF you are flying into Las Vegas and then renting a car - and have 2 nights/3 days to play w/ :
Spend an additional night in Las Vegas and do Death Valley as a day trip from there. Return the car and fly to Fresno in the early AM, collect another car and drive into Yosemite Valley from there. Spend the night either in the Valley (even when it is sold out there are often cancellations) or in El Potral or Groveland (or even Sonora or Oakdale). The next day it is an easy drive to the Bay area. You'd have 1 to 1.5 days actually in Yosemite Valley.
This would get you about the same time in Death Valley, more time in Yosemite Valley, and much more scenic/shorter drives. I'd rather spend my time IN Yosemite than driving to it.
As it is you are spending HOURS driving through crappy areas to get a short glimpse of DV and YNP.
Of course -- if you are using your own car this isn't an option . . .
IF you are flying into Las Vegas and then renting a car - and have 2 nights/3 days to play w/ :
Spend an additional night in Las Vegas and do Death Valley as a day trip from there. Return the car and fly to Fresno in the early AM, collect another car and drive into Yosemite Valley from there. Spend the night either in the Valley (even when it is sold out there are often cancellations) or in El Potral or Groveland (or even Sonora or Oakdale). The next day it is an easy drive to the Bay area. You'd have 1 to 1.5 days actually in Yosemite Valley.
This would get you about the same time in Death Valley, more time in Yosemite Valley, and much more scenic/shorter drives. I'd rather spend my time IN Yosemite than driving to it.
As it is you are spending HOURS driving through crappy areas to get a short glimpse of DV and YNP.
Of course -- if you are using your own car this isn't an option . . .
Mar 16th, 2011, 02:15 PM
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Hi, Gogab - We've done this drive a number of times; it is a long one, no matter which route you take. Yes, Hwy 395 to Tioga Pass is the most scenic, but the pass will not be open. We've encountered snow and icy roads that time of year on Hwy 395 also - without chains, a big mistake.
The fastest route is through Ridgecrest and Bakersfield. If you need to stop for food, Ridgecrest is your best bet in that remote area. Many of the "towns" on the map are pretty ramshackle and have no services. Keep plenty of water with you and fill up your gas tank in Death Valley at Furnace Creek and perhaps again in Ridgecrest.
A more scenic route from 395 to 99 is by Lake Isabella and Kernville, as someone posted above. But if your goal is to get to Yosemite, this would probably take up too much time. I understand you are just looking for a decent place to spend the night on your travels; Bakersfield would probably be fine for that purpose, also Fresno. I have never entered Yosemite from the southern entrance, so I can't address that, but leaving Yosemite, you could stay in Sonora or Oakdale if you leave by way of Groveland. If you leave Yosemite by way of El Portal, you could spend the night in Merced or Modesto. These are not particularly interesting towns, but you'll find the services you need.
The fastest route is through Ridgecrest and Bakersfield. If you need to stop for food, Ridgecrest is your best bet in that remote area. Many of the "towns" on the map are pretty ramshackle and have no services. Keep plenty of water with you and fill up your gas tank in Death Valley at Furnace Creek and perhaps again in Ridgecrest.
A more scenic route from 395 to 99 is by Lake Isabella and Kernville, as someone posted above. But if your goal is to get to Yosemite, this would probably take up too much time. I understand you are just looking for a decent place to spend the night on your travels; Bakersfield would probably be fine for that purpose, also Fresno. I have never entered Yosemite from the southern entrance, so I can't address that, but leaving Yosemite, you could stay in Sonora or Oakdale if you leave by way of Groveland. If you leave Yosemite by way of El Portal, you could spend the night in Merced or Modesto. These are not particularly interesting towns, but you'll find the services you need.
Mar 17th, 2011, 02:31 PM
#15
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Thanks for everyone's advice.
Janisj, it will be a hire car. We fly into LA on the 2nd April and then head onto Grand Canyon stopping on route to break up the driving, then head to Las Vegas for a couple of days and then I have accommodation booked in San Fran. for the 8th and 9th. I was hoping to see some of Death Valley and Yosemite. We are from Australia so we will not coming back soon. My husband has been to Death Valley before and thinks maybe we could miss that part of our trip if we can't fit it in.
Both Bakersfield and Modesto were just places to sleep for the night nothing more.
Janisj, it will be a hire car. We fly into LA on the 2nd April and then head onto Grand Canyon stopping on route to break up the driving, then head to Las Vegas for a couple of days and then I have accommodation booked in San Fran. for the 8th and 9th. I was hoping to see some of Death Valley and Yosemite. We are from Australia so we will not coming back soon. My husband has been to Death Valley before and thinks maybe we could miss that part of our trip if we can't fit it in.
Both Bakersfield and Modesto were just places to sleep for the night nothing more.
Mar 17th, 2011, 02:45 PM
#17
Since it is a hire -- just use one car for LA/LV/Death Valley. Then fly over to Fresno and collect a different car for Yosemite and to get to the Bay area. You can actually see/stay in Yosemite. Trust us, no one wants to stay in Bakersfield and/or Modesto after flying half way around the world.
"Both Bakersfield and Modesto were just places to sleep for the night nothing more."
The thing is -- you don't have to stay in either place. If you stick to driving all the way you will have a really skewed image of California. What is the dreckiest/ickiest town in your part of OZ? That would be like Modesto.
Now don't get me wrong-- I LOVE road trips and drive long distances w/o much excuse. But I'd never stay the night in Bakersfield unless it was an emergency -- and would never EVER stay in Modesto.
"Both Bakersfield and Modesto were just places to sleep for the night nothing more."
The thing is -- you don't have to stay in either place. If you stick to driving all the way you will have a really skewed image of California. What is the dreckiest/ickiest town in your part of OZ? That would be like Modesto.
Now don't get me wrong-- I LOVE road trips and drive long distances w/o much excuse. But I'd never stay the night in Bakersfield unless it was an emergency -- and would never EVER stay in Modesto.
Mar 17th, 2011, 03:06 PM
#18
Sunday, Monday, Thursday and Friday Allegiant Airlines flies from Las Vegas to Fresno. It saves a long boring drive whichever way you go. http://www.allegiantair.com/
Rent the car in Fresno and drive about an hour north on highway 41 to the town of Oakhurst. Enter Yosemite by the south entrance the next morning.
If you have to return the rental car in Fresno, you can get to San Francisco by riding the Amtrak San Joaquin train.
Rent the car in Fresno and drive about an hour north on highway 41 to the town of Oakhurst. Enter Yosemite by the south entrance the next morning.
If you have to return the rental car in Fresno, you can get to San Francisco by riding the Amtrak San Joaquin train.
Mar 17th, 2011, 03:15 PM
#19
"If you have to return the rental car in Fresno, you can get to San Francisco by riding the Amtrak San Joaquin train."
Why would one need to return the car at Fresno? even if there was a one-way surcharge, it would be less than the train fares. Plus there is no train from Fresno to SF -- it would be a combi train/bus and take much longer than driving.
Why would one need to return the car at Fresno? even if there was a one-way surcharge, it would be less than the train fares. Plus there is no train from Fresno to SF -- it would be a combi train/bus and take much longer than driving.
Mar 17th, 2011, 05:07 PM
#20
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thanks tomfuller and janisj. Flying is not really an option for us as there are 5 of us (3 being kids)and the cost would be considerable. Also, we are going on a world adventure and the US is just part of the trip, we already have 10 flights booked thru our holiday, so we were looking forward to seeing some of the country by car.
I am already reconsidering Bakersfield and Modesto as overnight stops after your comments.
Did you read my other post about ditching DV for Sequoia Nat. Pk., do you think this is a good option?
I am already reconsidering Bakersfield and Modesto as overnight stops after your comments.
Did you read my other post about ditching DV for Sequoia Nat. Pk., do you think this is a good option?
