My husband and I will be spending four nights at Yosemite in June. We have 3 nights booked at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls and 1 night at Curry Village in a Cabin. We want to do several day hikes and love to take pictures. From Yosemite we go on to Monterey for 3 nights. My question is would we be better to stay only 3 nights in Yosemite and spend our last day seeing the Mariposa Grove and whatever is at that end of the park and heading out the South Gate on our way to Monterey. This way we wouldn't have to go back up to Yosemite Village. We could stay in Mariposa or another town. Does this make sense or should I keep with my original plan?
Yosemite for four days in June
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If you have the reservation at Curry Village, I say keep it rather than risk something much less desirable in Mariposa or elsewhere. If you do Mariposa Grove last and exit the south gate, turn right in Oakhurst and go back through Mariposa to get to Merced. Either way, you will go through Mariposa, Merced, Los Banos and Gilroy to get to Monterey.
The problem is we have Yosemite at the Falls for two nights, then we go to Curry Village for one night and back to Yosemite at the Falls for the last night so we have to move anyhow. I'm still watching the Yosemite booking sight to try to link up our four nights and either stay two nights at each or all at Yosemite at the Falls. As I was able to get these nights all within the last month I think I have a good chance. My other thought was that by doing the Mariposa Grove last and staying somewhere on the way to Monterey we'd have a shorter drive the next day.
Either way would work. I'd still keep looking for openings at the Lodge - you're right, you have a good chance of finding an open room.
It really depends on how much you think you'd enjoy seeing Mariposa Grove vs. another day in the valley as well as how much you'd like to break up the drive to Monterey.
No matter what you decide (I'd stay the extra time in Yosemite myself) - there is no reason at all to stop over enroute between Yosemite and the coast. No reason and no decent places.
If it was me, I'd stay that last night in the Lodge,leave really early in the AM, drive down to Mariposa Grove and then across to Monterey. Oakhurst to Monterey is less than 4 hours so you could spend several hours at Mariposa Grove and still get to Monterey before dinner time.
Thanks! I'll stick with our original plan and spend the four nights in Yosemite.
walkinglaurie,
If you have all the nights you need but with that break at Curry, call them up and throw yourself at their mercy.
They keep some rooms just for things like that.
Also, try to get your room in a building other than the one right opposite the office. We were there and you can't park in your lot from 8AM to 8PM as it's reserved for tour buses. The rangers will ticket you. Parking was an absolute pain and then had to walk to our room.
Make sure you spend part of a day on Glacier Road. It's part way to Mariposa Grove. The only problem is that if you do one you won't get parking at the other.
You might want to change your last day reservation to Wawona Hotel. It is a historic site and an experience in itself.
Incidentally a change from Curry to the lodge or even the Ahwahnee is usually a stop at the desk at check out on the day of the move (if they can't do it before.) I frequently book Curry and check the Ahwahnee on my way into the park. I am seldom disappointed although I prefer Curry to the Lodge.
I would stay that last night in Wawonna Lodge by Maripossa.
I like your idea of visiting the valley and north end of the park while staying at the Lodge at the Falls then for your last night staying in Fish Camp, visiting Wawona & Mariposa Grove of Redwoods then on getaway day exiting the park on 41 to 145 to 99 north to 152 west, etc to Monterey. We have done that visit many times and it is a great way to see all parts of teh park without so much driving.
You absolutely should not go back along 49 to Mariposa to Merced. That is just adding extra miles and like 30 more minutes.