free2b4862

Will be flying to San Francisco for 9 days mid September, planning to head north or west (or both), add in Sonoma for a couple of days, but would like to either add YOSEMITE, Redwoods National Park, or Sequoia National Park for our first time visit. Don't want to spend too long hours driving in the car.

Can Yosemite be done in 2 days, and how far a drive from San Francisco?
Whats a nice place to stay in Yosemite, (no budget)?
How far drive is Yosemite from Sequoia Natl Park?
How far drive is Redwoods National Park from Sonoma ?

Which is better or worth the seeing , Sequoia or Redwoods?
Is September a good time to go to Yosemite or better to go in May or June to see the falls?

Any other recommended places to see from SF on the Northern Coast?


Thanks!

montereybob

The drive from SF to Yosemite is about 3.5 to 4 hours not including stops. You can see the beautiful Yosemite valley in 1-2 days once you get there. The Yosemite Lodge is a nice place to stay. The Ahwahnee Hotel is a beautiful, old classic place to stay also, but is more expensive. Check out the pictures on their websites to see which style attracts you the most. All places in Yosemite Valley get booked up months in advanced so call ASAP. Yes the falls are more "full" in the spring, but don't let that be your deciding factor on when to visit because they are spectacular in summer and fall as well. Sept. is good for avoiding the massive summer crowds.
You also might want to research Carmel, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Big Sur area.

sf7307

planning to head north or west (or both)

Note that "west" of San Francisco is the Pacific Ocean

free2b4862

sf7307-Thanks for that catch, I should have typed (EAST).
I'm from the eastcoast, so everything for me is WEST (smile).
montereybob- I have been to Carmel, Big Sur (gorgeous!) a few times, as well as southern CALIF, so looking to explore new places but never been to YOSEMITE. Wondering which is better to see for first time Redwoods natl park, or Sequoia Natl Park or maybe save these for another trip.

spirobulldog

Free2b,
The only place I have been you mention is Sequoia. We are going to the Redwoods in 3 weeks. Even though the Redwoods are considerably taller, I can't imagine them being more impressive than the Sequoia's. The base of them is what is just amazing. If you had to pick just one, I would go to Yosemite. It is the closest and probably the best.

FYI- Muir Woods, just barely north of San Fran is a nice Rainforest type setting with tall redwoods (although not nearly as big as the ones in Redwood NP or the Sequ). But still a nice place. Pt Reyes National Seashore is a cool place to go as well. We did Pt Reyes and Muir back in March along with 3 or 4 days in San Fran. Muir Woods you can do in a half day, Pt Reyes 1-3 days, depending on how much hiking you want to do. Since Yosemite has Sequoia like those in Sequoia, maybe go there since you get more bang for your buck. We went to Sequoia because we were in that area, and it does have the Largest Tree(total volume). Grizzly Giant in Yosemite is the 5th largest tree. We couldn't tell much difference in Sequoia, the really big trees all looked, well, really big. you feel like an ant standing next to them. Take the biggest tree in your neighborhood, now you have an idea of what one of the limbs of a sequoia tree looks like.

luvtogotoo

Absolutely go to Yosemite! It's one of my favorite places in the world, really, the world. It's a beautiful setting in the valley surrounded by all the high walls and waterfalls. The falls are much better in June, which is when I used to go on a regular basis. The weather is warm enough then, too. I agree with montereybob, though, don't skip it just because you'll be there in the fall. I think you will be hard-pressed to get a reservation at this time, and I would go so far as to say that if you can't stay in the valley, chose a different destination & do Yosemite another year. The Ahwahnee is expensive, but do go see it and wander the grounds. The lodge has cabins which are cheaper than the regular hotel-style rooms, and Curry Village has cheaper accommodations in their tent-cabins. Good Luck & Enjoy!

Marginal

Do Yosemite. Not enought time for Sequoia.

www.nps.gov to look for Yosemite.

Get reservations in the park to save on driving time.

montereybob

I agree with other posters: go to Yosemite and do the others on another trip. Maximize you time in Yosemite because once you get there, you won't want to leave.
IMO, there are 3 places on Earth where God has created a place to show us what Heaven is like. One is Yosemite Valley and the other 2 are Na Pali Coast of Kauai and Point Lobos on the CA coast. ( I'm sure others can add more to this list.)

Supercilious

You've gotten good advice. Go to Yosemite. Sure, the falls are best in May and June but September is great too. And you can go up into the High Country which you can't always do earlier in the year. Yosemite also has Sequoias. The Mariposa Grove rivals anything in Sequoia National Park.

So, you can see the Valley, tour the Mariposa Grove and go up to Lake Tenaya and Tuolumne Meadows. However, I don't think 2 days is enough. Three would be a minimum and four much better. If you had five, you could drive up to Lake Tahoe and then do a loop through the Eastern Sierra and then over Tioga Pass through Yosemite. This is one of the best driving trips in California.

Both Sequoia National Park and Redwood National Parks are much further drives from SF than Yosemite. Two days are not enough time to visit them if you add in the driving time. Redwood is a great destination if you are continuing up to the Oregon Coast. That is a great drive that you might consider for another trip.

If you only have two days, go to Point Reyes instead.

elnap29

Spend at least 2 nights in Yosemite. 3 would be better.