Hi All, can anyone of you give me some guidance on a scenic route taking in National Park areas and Death Valley between Salinas and Las Vegas? I'm travelling early Sept. Many thanks, Mike

Hw many days do you have for this drive? Makes a HUGE difference.

Count on 8.5 to 9 hours wheels turning from Salinas to Las Vegas. Bakersfield, Barstow and Baker are not in any way scenic. If you can't make it all the way to Las Vegas, in a day, consider staying in Primm (exit 1) in Nevada. There are several places to make day trips from Las Vegas that I consider more scenic than Death Valley.

That's why we need to know how many days you've set aside for this drive. To manage it in one day would have you going via tom's suggested route and Bakersfield, Barstow, Baker and Primm are just about the least scenic places you could imagine and Hotter than Hades in September.

Whereas if you have maybe 3 days -- you could go via Yosemite, the back side of the Sierra, Death Valley (which is even Hotter than the other places mentioned but at least it IS scenic)

If you have 4+ days you could see Yosemite, Lake Tahoe, Bodie, and Death Valley.

Thank you for your replies, we could stretch the journey to 3 days - not in a huge hurry to get to Las Vegas.

With 3 days the first night would be in El Portal or inside Yosemite if you are lucky enough to get lodging there. Second day see Yosemite before going over the Tioga Pass to the east side of the Sierras. Stay in Lone Pine. From Lone Pine go through Death Valley early in the day to avoid some of the heat on the way to Beatty and onward to Las Vegas.
The day trips from Las Vegas are to Red Rock (west out Charleston) and Valley of Fire State Park northeast of LV. There is a road from Valley of Fire that takes you on the west side of Lake Mead down to the Hoover Dam area without going back into LV.

Tom's itinerary is about the best both for scenery and practicality. The biggest problem will be the first night's lodging.

Assuming nothing is available IN Yosemite Valley, try Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal. It is a pretty large property but even it books up at this time of year. If it is full try Cedar Lodge - also in El Portal

I like tom's itinerary also. That's pretty much what I would do with 3 days to make this drive.

I would call them rather than try to book online. At the beginning if September the schools are all back so there should be slightly fewer people.

Why are you visiting Salinas? Family? It is not the nicest town.

If you take the itinerary that takes you to Owen Valley/Lone Pine in the eastern Sierras, you will be near the Manzar National Historic Site, one of the WWII internment camps for Japanese citizens. Very interesting and sobering.