Yosemite NP: By Car

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By Car

From San Francisco, Interstate 80 and Interstate 580 are the fastest routes toward the central Sierra Nevada, but avoid driving these routes during weekday rush hours. Through the Central Valley, Interstate 5 and Highway 99 are the fastest north-south routes, but the latter is narrower and has heavy farm-truck traffic. To get to Kings Canyon, plan on a six-hour drive. Two major routes, Highways 180 and 198, intersect with Highway 99 (Highway 180 is closed east of Grant Grove in winter). To get to Yosemite, plan on driving four to five hours. Enter the park either on Highway 140, which is the best route in inclement weather, or on Highway 120, which is the fastest route when the roads are clear. To get to Mammoth Lakes in summer and early fall (or whenever snows aren't blocking Tioga Road), you can travel via Highway 120 (to U.S. 395 south) through the Yosemite high country; the quickest route in winter is Interstate 80 to U.S. 50 to Highway 207 (Kingsbury Grade) to U.S. 395 south; either route takes six to seven hours.

Keep your tank full, especially in winter. Distances between gas stations can be long, and there's no fuel available in Yosemite Valley, Sequoia, or Kings Canyon. If you're traveling from October through April, rain on the coast can mean heavy snow in the mountains. Carry tire chains, and know how to put them on (on Interstate 80 and U.S. 50 you can pay a chain installer $20 to do it for you, but on other routes you'll have to do it yourself). Alternatively, you can rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle with snow tires. Always check road conditions before you leave. Traffic in national parks in summer can be heavy, and there are sometimes travel restrictions.

Contacts

California Road Conditions (800/427-7623. www.dot.ca.gov/hq/roadinfo). Sequoia-Kings Canyon Road and Weather Information (559/565-3341). Yosemite Area Road and Weather Conditions (209/372-0200).

Car Rentals

The car-rental outlets closest to the Southern Sierra are at Fresno Yosemite International Airport, where the national chains have outlets. If you're traveling to Mammoth Lakes and the eastern Sierra in winter, the closest agencies are in Reno.