Drive from Las Vegas to Yosemite??
Aug 21st, 2000, 01:30 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Drive from Las Vegas to Yosemite??
Hi! My wife and I are going to Las Vegas in September, and I was wondering how long a car trip to Yosemite was. We've visited quite a few of the national parks outwest, but I've always wanted to see Yosemite valley! Please respond as soon as possible so I can plan accordingly. Thanks so much!
Aug 21st, 2000, 04:36 PM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
Which way do you plan on going to Yosemite? And when are you going?
If it is before Oct 15, I suggest taking the route from Vegas through Tonopah, and on to Lee Vining. Cross into Yosemite from the east over Tioga Pass.
Depending on how you drive, you can make the trip to the Pass from Vegas in about 6 hours or less. It is about 300 miles with nothing much in the way but tumble weeds and sand.
If it is before Oct 15, I suggest taking the route from Vegas through Tonopah, and on to Lee Vining. Cross into Yosemite from the east over Tioga Pass.
Depending on how you drive, you can make the trip to the Pass from Vegas in about 6 hours or less. It is about 300 miles with nothing much in the way but tumble weeds and sand.
Aug 21st, 2000, 05:00 PM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
According to Mapquest.Com, it's over nine hours from Las Vegas just to Lee Vining. There are things to see between the two places, including Death Valley (watch the heat!), a view of Mount Whitney, Bodie State Park (best ghost town in the US), Mono Lake (unique tufa formations), Manzanar Nat Historic Site, Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest (trees 1000 years older than the sequoias).
Drive to Yosemite along the west side of the Sierras, and you'll get a chance to spend a day in Sequoia Nat Park.
Drive to Yosemite along the west side of the Sierras, and you'll get a chance to spend a day in Sequoia Nat Park.
Aug 22nd, 2000, 04:48 AM
#4
Guest
Posts: n/a
We did that journey in early May and we took the route on the west side of the Sierras. It took longer than we'd expected to drive to Yosemite but there are things to see on the way. Death Valley and Sequoia N.P are a must.
If you just do straight driving you should be able to get to Yosemite in 10 hours but I'd recommend that you do the drive with a 1 night stopover on the way. That way you don't have to rush by everything there is to see. The Tioga Pass on the east side of the Sierras was closed at the time of our visit,otherwise we might have choosen that route as it's been recommended to us.
If you just do straight driving you should be able to get to Yosemite in 10 hours but I'd recommend that you do the drive with a 1 night stopover on the way. That way you don't have to rush by everything there is to see. The Tioga Pass on the east side of the Sierras was closed at the time of our visit,otherwise we might have choosen that route as it's been recommended to us.
Aug 22nd, 2000, 06:17 AM
#5
Guest
Posts: n/a
I don't know what kind of route Car whatever is thinking about from Vegas to Tioga Pass via Lee Vinig, but 9 hours is ridiculous. Here are the milage figures:
From Vegas to Tonopah 208
From Tohopah to the state line 74
From line to Lee Vining 58
Lee Vining to Tuolome Meadows 17
Tuoleme Meadows is beyond
Tioga Pass. These figures add up to
357 miles. At a very conservative 51 mph it would take 7 hours.
Given that there is virtually nobody along the road, I think a 60 mph average is easily achieved. Most people drive those roads like bats out of hades -
70 - 85 mph being common.
This route of course goes nowhere near Death Valley. Now if you stop to gamble along the way, that is a different story.
From Vegas to Tonopah 208
From Tohopah to the state line 74
From line to Lee Vining 58
Lee Vining to Tuolome Meadows 17
Tuoleme Meadows is beyond
Tioga Pass. These figures add up to
357 miles. At a very conservative 51 mph it would take 7 hours.
Given that there is virtually nobody along the road, I think a 60 mph average is easily achieved. Most people drive those roads like bats out of hades -
70 - 85 mph being common.
This route of course goes nowhere near Death Valley. Now if you stop to gamble along the way, that is a different story.
Aug 22nd, 2000, 09:23 AM
#6
Guest
Posts: n/a
Just an alternative suggestion and someone will immediately say "you're going south to go north" and they are correct, but a quick way to get to Yosemite would be
Las Vegas to Barstow via I 15 (very fast freeway--80 mph not unusual)
Pick up 395 north and drive straight north. You'll come close to Sequoia if you want to stop, through Bishop, very close to Mammoth Lakes, see Mono Lake and end up in Lee Vining.
From Lee Vining you enter Yosemite Park via the Tioga Pass, very high and very pretty but closed usually sometime in November because of snow. I would "guessitmate" about 7 hours depending on your speed to Lee Vining.
Of course, after all of this, I'm going to suggest that you look into airfares to Fresno or Sacramento.
Las Vegas to Barstow via I 15 (very fast freeway--80 mph not unusual)
Pick up 395 north and drive straight north. You'll come close to Sequoia if you want to stop, through Bishop, very close to Mammoth Lakes, see Mono Lake and end up in Lee Vining.
From Lee Vining you enter Yosemite Park via the Tioga Pass, very high and very pretty but closed usually sometime in November because of snow. I would "guessitmate" about 7 hours depending on your speed to Lee Vining.
Of course, after all of this, I'm going to suggest that you look into airfares to Fresno or Sacramento.
