February trip San Fran to Yosemite...
 

Hi my husband and I are taking our son to San Francisco- Golden Gate Bridge for his 30th Birthday and the plan is to travel to Yosemite to Redwoods to Crater Lake then back to San Francisco the end of February for a 10 day trip. I have been doing some searching and I am seeing reports of snow, trouble getting places....he loves hiking and doesn't mind the snow but we aren't as adventurous. We are looking to make a plan ahead so we don't wind up getting there and not being able to get places. I read that we need to rent chains for the SUV we are renting but can't get them thru the car rental place. I would really appreciate any suggestions...

>>Yosemite to Redwoods to Crater Lake then back to San Francisco the end of February for a 10 day trip<<

10 days is not enough time -- and Crater Lake (except for the visitors Center and Rim Village) will not be open. Plus if there is a winter storm -- getting north through the Siskiyou an Cascade mountains can be more than difficult.

>>We are looking to make a plan ahead so we don't wind up getting there and not being able to get places.<<

That is impossible since you will not know the weather until a few days before you travel.

>>I read that we need to rent chains for the SUV we are renting but can't get them thru the car rental place.<<

Not only can you not get them at the rental place -- the 'rental place' will not allow you to put chains on their car (if you do it will void your insurance)

Can we assume your 10 days includes time in San Francisco? SF/Yosemite/the Redwoods would totally fill 10 days. Or SF/Yosemite/Lake Tahoe.

Forget about Crater Lake - And even Yosemite/Lake Tahoe will be very weather dependent as will the Redwoods. Heavy snow is possible at Tahoe/Yosemite, winter rains in the Redwoods.

meant to add: If the snow is not extremely heavy - the road conditions in the Sierra often allow 4WD with snow tires and chains on all other vehicles. But again -- it depends on the weather on the day.

There are several places in California to see Coast Redwoods other than Redwood NP.
Muir Woods is an easy day trip from San Francisco.
It is possible to get to Yosemite from SF by taking an Amtrak bus to connect to a San Joaquin train to Merced.
From Merced there is a YARTS bus that will take you to El Portal or into Yosemite Valley if you can get a reservation.
A first time visit to Crater Lake is best in the summertime.
I have snowshoed in Crater Lake NP when there was over 3 feet of snow. I don't think you want to try that.
I do own a pair of tire chains to carry in the trunk. I have not put them on in the past 5 winters. If I get to a place where tire chains are required to be put on, I just turn around and go home.

I hate to ask, but do you have experience with winter driving? If you aren't, the Sierras are NOT a place to learn how! Even if you are, driving conditions there can deteriorate VERY badly, VERY quickly, and with little warning. Watch the weather carefully -- if you get caught in a blizzard while in the mountains, not being able to get to a national park will be the LEAST of your worries!

"Even if you are, driving conditions there can deteriorate VERY badly, VERY quickly, and with little warning."

Yes, this is absolutely true. I got caught in a spring snow storm a couple years ago - it wasn't supposed to snow, just rain a little. But it snowed... a lot. And I got stuck.

Sometimes posters get encouragement to do things that are very risky and/or foolish. I am glad you are all being honest with the OP about the weather and driving conditions. After being stuck at night, on the highway for about 12 hours due to snow and then an accident, I would never risk it in an area known for that kind of condition in winter. Where I was, I knew I was safe and help would be coming. Can't imagine if that had not been the case.

Go to Hawaii.

Thank you all for your response. We did a trip to Park City Utah last May and we couldn't do a lot of things due to closed roads which is why I am trying to figure out a better plan for this trip. Our son will be disappointed to not get to all the places he wants but I would hate to spend 10 days stuck and not get anywhere. Is there any part of our trip that you think we could still do?

When a trip plan depends on decent weather, why plan to go at a time of year when the weather may very well not cooperate? Save it for another time.

Find yourself another location if outdoor activites are the whole point of the trip. I use weatherbase.com to plan timings of trips and there are others, like timeanddate.com. It seems more than a bit pointless to not use weather as much as any other factor in making plans. You've asked the question so it seems you really do know it. Your son will be more disappointed if he spends his birthday in a tacky motel to wait out the weather.

I think San Francisco and south to Carmel & Monterey is a good area to focus on in late February. Even some time in the Sonoma & Napa wine country is nice of we get some rain this winter & the grass is green. You don't need to travel far to see redwood trees - we have about 100 in our neighborhood less that 10 mins from SFO. Three in our back yard & 5 in our neighbor's yard. Lots of redwood trees along the lovely Hwy 35 south of Hwy 92. Great views on Hwy 35 also.

https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...mendations.cfm

Stu Dudley

Go to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park to see big trees. Also, Point Lobos is fantastic, as is the drive into Big Sur, if you have good weather.

Your trip sounds great but February is not the time to do it.

Is your son wanting to go to Northern California or is he wanting a hiking trip? If he is looking for hiking the Palm Springs area is a good winter choice. No redwoods but Joshua tree is a unique area as well.

Yes our biggest problem is that he doesn't seem to care about the weather. He doesn't like sunny weather at all so he is willing to chance it. Sorry to bother any of you. We told him of all the responses we got here and he still wants to chance it. And we are doing the end of February because it is when he actually turns 30 years old, we are going on his birthday.

Maybe the solution, then, is for you to find yourself a nice hotel in San Francisco where the car is a liability and there's no end of indoor activities, give him the car keys and turn him loose.

In any case, this is all your, the parent's fault, exceedingly bad planning to have a child in February in the Northern Hemisphere. Mine was born thoughtfully in June. I suppose the best thing about it, though, is he's still interested in having your company, compensation enough, I'd say.

>>he doesn't seem to care about the weather.<<

That is totally fine . . . I don't like hot weather myself. But since you seem to have given up on us >><i>Sorry to bother any of you</i><< it may be time for some tough love.

Let your son do what he wants but don't be a party to it. Unless you want to be in a search and rescue party . . .

Now, you might end up with great luck and we are not having heavy snow or down pours/mud slides (Big Sur slid out in storms a year ago and the road is STILL not open). But even if the weather is decent, the back country of Yosemite will not be open - only the Valley floor so no hiking much there. Crater Lake will be mostly closed and no hiking there. The mountains around Lake Tahoe will be under 25-30 feet of snow so no hiking there. Just where does he plan on all these hikes???

I guess we will still start in San Francisco and make an alternate route....we have to research other places like maybe Grand Canyon, Zion, Mesa Verde...my husband have been to those spots but I don't know the weather there in February.

A 10-day trip starting from San Francisco and including Arizona, Utah, or Colorado is really not feasible. All of those places will be cold and probably snowy too.

How about a belated birthday trip to Yosemite, like mid April to early-mid May when you don't have to worry about chains, road closures and snow. Maybe make or buy him a cake, or take him out to dinner, if he does not have his head up and locked.
My wedding anniversary was end of January and except for our honeymoon (Mexico) we never celebrated it on the date due to crummy weather and/or high costs in places with good weather.

>>. . . when you don't have to worry about chains, road closures and snow.<<

In April/May the roads in the Yosemite back country (and usually Glacier Point) are still closed for the season. Again -- the hiking would mostly be limited to the valley floor.