txtraveler

I will be driving from Oakhurst to Yosemite next week. How is the drive to the Yosemite Lodge? Is it mountainous?

Thanks.

J_Correa

The drive from Oakhurst to Yosemite Lodge takes about an hour, maybe a bit longer. You go through the southern entrance to Yosemite, past the Wawona area where the famous redwood grove is.

It is definitely mountainous - 2 lane road over a pass and then down into the valley. It's a nice drive.

Just before you get into the valley, you will pass through a tunnel. As you exit the tunel there will be a vista point called Tunnel View - this is a spectacular view of Yosemite Valley and I highly recommend stopping there for a look. Watch out for other drivers because they can be overcome with the view and forget to steer their cars

ElendilPickle

You're driving through the Sierras, so you're in the mountains. The road is somewhat twisty, but you'll be on the side next to the hills as you go into Yosemite and down to the Valley.

It's a good road and you should be fine.

Lee Ann

coolandgrey

Personally, I didn't like this road. It's narrow, there are a lot of blind curves, there's lots of traffic and everyone---myself included, I suppose---was driving too fast. I kept worrying about someone crossing the centerline on one of those curves and hitting me head-on.

coolandgrey

Actually, now that I think back on it, it was only the section between about Fish Camp and the entrance to the Park that was scary. This portion of the highway is only a few miles long, and in June it will probably be so clogged with traffic that nobody will be able to speed.

ellen_griswold

Hope no one minds if i also ask this question here....

We just got our AAA Triptik for next months road trip adventure.

We will be coming from the east but AAA routed us around yosemite, N on 108 to 120 at sonora, then into yosemite from the west. Obviously 120 from lee vining is closed, anyone know why?

J_Correa

Ellen - Hwy 120 over Tioga pass closes in the winter due to snow. The park service starts plowing it in the spring time.

Here is the link to the park service web site so you can check it again closer to your trip:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/

If your trip isn't for another month, there is a good chance it will be open by then.

Last year the road opened the 3rd week in May, but this year the snow pack was really deep and there were late season snow storms up there, so it is taking longer to open the road.

Here is a link to the Caltrans road condition site:

http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo/

You might find it helpful for other portions of your trip.

utahtea

At this moment Tioga Pass (Hwy 120) though Yosemite National Park is still closed because of winter snows. The had 180+% of snow fall this winter! They are in the process of clearing and repairing the road and there is no estimated opening date. There is a good chance that the roads could be open next month so I would keep check this website for up todate info:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/conditions.htm

Here is why the pass is closed:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/tioga.htm

Utahtea

ellen_griswold

Thanks so much J_Correa and utahtea! I figured it was something like that so i'll keep checking.

Although i've had our trip mapped out for months, i always get a last minute triptik for road construction.

The biggest difference is they routed us from Yosemite to Felton via 140 thru merced, and not 120 thru sonora, as so many of you suggested. Now i'm wondering again, altho i've had ressies in groveland for months (still can't get yosemite lodge our last night).

Thoughts anyone?

utahtea

They might have you routed though Merced taking 140 to avoid the traffic. Traffic in the SF bay area is MURDER! You really don't want to be driving anywhere in the area late afternoon on a weekday!

I'd keep calling to see if you can get a last minute cancellation in Yosemite Valley. They say the 10 days before you are going to be there is the best time to find rooms.

Good Luck! Have a good trip!

Utahtea

ellen_griswold

Hi Utahtea, we'll be staying in the park at Yosemite Lodge on a thursday and friday night, and i'm still trying to get ressies for saturday night. If i can't get them, we have a ressie in groveland, leaving from there to Felton (Roaring Camp Railroad)on a sunday am.

So traffic on 120 shouldn't be quite as bad, right?

However AAA didn't know our dates and they still routed us to felton via Rt. 140. So now i'm thinking i need ressies in mariposa or merced in case yosemite lodge doesn't come through for our last night in the park.

Hope that makes sense and hope someone can help!

J_Correa

We live in San Jose, and we generally go Hwy 140 to and from Yosemite Valley. This avoids most of the Bay Area traffic because we head south a bit to Gilroy and then east on Hwy 152, and so on.

Hwy 120 is shorter distance-wise, I believe, but it is more prone to traffic - hwys 680 and 580 can be very clogged - esspecially week day evennings, friday afternoons, and sunday afternoons.

Getting back into the Bay Area on a Sunday you will run into traffic - everybody who went to the mountains for the weekend will be on their way home. Leaving earlier in the morning will help though. The bulk of the traffic will be in the afternoon, so it shouldn't be too bad taking Hwy 120/580 etc.

Coming back on 140 through Merced on Sundays we have always done fine. The only place we ever hit a slow down is on Hwy 101 between Gilroy and San Jose, although it is a lot better since they widened the road.

ellen_griswold

Hi J_Correa, as usual, thanks for your wonderful help. We're so excited about this leg of our trip, and its certainly the part most reasearched!

We'll take 120 as planned, which will hopefully be doable early on a sunday am. However, now i'm rethinking the activities of that day, not entirely realizing earlier that it's a sunday too.
It will be a full day and i have a feeling something will be slighted...
Do you think this will work?

- lunch at Phil's, Moss Landing
- Roaring Camp Railroad (1.5 hr. ride)
- a stop at Elkhorn Sough, likely to hike a little, not paddle due to time constraints
- dinner (and tour) in / around san juan bautisa mission

- stay in Monterey that night

The next few days are also in the carmel, pt lobos, big sur area (where you and so many others gave me such great help planning!) but now i'm thinking we should skip something sunday and do it later...

THoughts anyone? Ahhh, does anyone else feel the more they plan, the more confused they get??!!!

J_Correa

I don't think your plan for Sunday will work in the order you have it. There is a lot of zigging and zagging. Plus, the times that things are open might not work out.

San Juan Bautista is inland (over the hill) from the coast. I would recommend stopping before you head over to the coast. Otherwise you will do a lot of back tracking. Also, the mission and the other buildings close for tours around 4 in the afternoon. So if you do that last, you will probably get there too late. This is a real roll-the-sidewalks-up-at-5-o'clock sort of town - very small.

Phil's Fish Market is very close to Elkhorn Slough. It wouldn't make sense to go to Phil's drive up to Felton, and then back to Elkhorn Slough.

In order to make this day work, if you don't want to cut something out, this is what I would do. It will be a balls to the wall day, but I think you can do it if you want to:

Leave Yosemite around 8 am and take Hwy 140 out rather than 120. This will angle you down toward San Juan Bautista whereas if you take 120, then you will have to go through the Bay Area. At this time in the morning and with this route, traffic should not be an issue at all. If you stayed your last night in the Yosemite area in El Portal or Mariposa rather than Groveland, that would make things a bit more convinient and cut some driving time of your day.

Stop in San Juan Bautista and spend an hour or so wandering around the mission, other buildings, and the town. This will put you right about lunch time. (8am plus 3 hours driving, plus 1 hour wandering around will be noon).

Leave San Juan about 1 and head to Felton. Which ever way you go, there will probably be beach traffic through Santa Cruz, so just know it will be there. From San Juan, I would head over Hwy 152 to the coast, through Watsonville and pick up Hwy 1 north to Hwy 9 to Felton. Plan an hour and a half for this. You should arrive at Roaring Camp about 2:30. Spend 2 hours there, which puts you leaving at 4:30.

Then head back south to Moss Landing. This will be a bit of back tracking, but I don't think it can be helped. So another 45 minutes to an hour to get to Moss Landing puts you there at 5:30. You could take a walk through the slough and have dinner at Phil's at 6:30.

Then head to Monterey which is not very far - only 15-20 minutes.

FLtraveler

I just returned from Yosemite on Sunday. As utahtea posted the road to tioga road is closed and they didn't have any idea when it would open due to all the snow.

We went into the park via Hwy. 140 from El Portal. Due to reasphalting, etc. it would take us anywhere from 15-30 to get into the park. They would make us wait before entering. In the valley area they are putting in a new utiliy rd. which is causing more congestion than usual. The bus drivers were fussing about it. If you don't get stuck in a jam it usually takes 25 min from the valley to the west entrance. If you get stuck in the traffic just look at the beautiful sights and that will help you forget about the traffic. Have a great time!!

ellen_griswold

Thanks for the replies!

J_Correa, i just canceled our groveland ressie (wasn't too happy with it anyway) and made a ressie in mariposa and won't continue trying for another night at Y Lodge. Thank you SOOO very much. We will follow your itinerary to the *T* as we love *balls to the wall* days! (if by that you mean really packing it in - my motto, you can sleep when you're dead )

Also, do you think we need ressies for the roaring camp railroad?

And do you think we'll be able to fit in stops in castroville and watsonville, or will the farm markets be closed?

Thanks again!

ellen_griswold

Topping to be sure J_Correa sees my very grateful thank you! I greatly appreciate your help!

Any other thoughts? Anyone?

quimbymoy

hi ellen-
have you tried looking at yosemite west condos? they are technically not in the park, but once you are there you don't have to enter the park thru the gates (what a hassle that is with the construction!). the location is very close to the road to glacier point and about 1/2 hour (give or take on how crowded it is) to the valley. it is be my choice of lodging if i can't get into the valley.

http://www.yosemitelodging.com/

i'll also top my trip report for you as well.

tina

J_Correa

Although stops in Watsonville and Castroville are great, I don't know if you will have time. But if you do, here are some I recommend:

Outside of Watsonville is Gizdich Ranch - left at the stop sign just as you come off the mountain on Hwy 152 before you get into the town of Watsonville. There are signs. The Gizdichs are an old Watsonville family and they have a terrific farm out there.

If you only have time to stop at a produce stand, I would recommend the stand at the stoplight as you turn right off Hwy 152 and onto Holohan Rd on your way to Hwy 1 (across from the Quick Stop). I don't know what it is called, but it is a permanent stand and is right there at the intersection. You will know it by all the fruit advertisements out front

The other stop I would recommend if you have time is the giant artichoke in Castroville - it is right off Hwy 1 at Catroville, so it is practically on your way.