Best and or most scenic route from Yosemite to Monterey?
 

Hello, We will be traveling from Yosemite to Monterey next Tuesday morning. Does anyone know the best and or most scenic route? Thanks for your help!

If you haven't gotten to Tunnel View during your time in the park, I would take the southern route out of Yosemite and make a stop there.

Google map will give you the most direct route.

Except for while you are still in the Park and a few miles in the foothills - there is no scenic route. As elberko says, if you haven't yet seen Tunnel View by then -- hopefully you will have -- go that way. Otherwise, just do the drive.

I agree. This isn't a scenic drive after you leave the foothills no matter how you slice it. You've got to get across the central valley, which is flat and hot. Just take the quickest route - which is Hwy 140 or 41 out of the park, and then linking up with Hwy 152. You'll be taking Hwy 152 through much of the valley, and once you cross I-5, it starts to get a bit scenic as you go through some hills. From Hwy 152, you'll take Hwy 156 to the coast and then Hwy 1 down to Monterey. Once you hit the coast, its very scenic.

140 to Merced. Then take 59 to Hwy 152. You will go over the Pacheco Pass where 152 splits off to 156. Take 156 where it will meet up with Hwy 1 at Castroville. Then on to Monterey. You could stop at San Juan Bautista to check out the Mission and town and have lunch.

If it's tomorrow, the smoke might get to you in Monterey. A friend who lives in Pacific Grove is currently a smoke refugee in San Francisco.

To somebody who lives in California, the Central Valley may be something to just get through, but to somebody from the east coast, it's interesting to see where so much of our food comes from--at least once!

>>To somebody who lives in California, the Central Valley may be something to just get through, but to somebody from the east coast, it's interesting to see where so much of our food comes from--at least once!<<

Not that part of the valley really --

And yes -- you likely will have smoke an park closures to deal with.

The air quality on the Monterey Peninsula has been mostly good since Thursday of last week. Earlier last week was a different story. Of course the wind can shift at any time. Most of the smoke is hitting Big Sur right now. Carmel Valley and Salinas Valley are getting some of it too.

Expect to take a little longer on 101 through Prunedale and 156 near Castroville as you come into the Monterey Peninsula tomorrow as both will have lane closures due to work being done.

Sorry if you mean Tuesday the 16th, then it's just the 156 that will have lane closures. Expect extra traffic due to car week though ;)