San Francisco/Yosemite
 

Hi All,
I'm planning a very short (last minute) trip to San Francisco. I only have 3 full days in the city. Is it a little too ambitious (or even worth it) to try to head to Yosemite for one day? If not, could someone suggest a really nice state park closer to the city. I'm also trying to choose between an Alcatraz/Angel Island tour or the Alcatraz night tour. Thanks in advance for all of your suggestions.

You are talking about a 200 mile drive in each direction - it is a great trip but IT IS NOT A DAY TRIP.

Muir Woods is a popular jaunt for people in San Francisco interested in seeing some tall redwoods. The central paths are paved for wheelchair access but there are some great hikes up nearby Mount Tamelpais or over a small ridge to the seashore.

The tour buses do it in one day. You take a loooooong drive, get to the park, have 2 hours there (they warn not to take the trolley tour) and looooooong drive back. In a car, it will be the same.

Of course it's doable to Yosemite in one day, but you won't see anything there, only a tiny part of the huge park.

I was just out there for the first time, and I dunno if I'd do Yosemite day trip from SF. Maybe drive Route 1 a bit instead? Just an idea.

I would definitely not do a day trip to Yosemite. I'd take a day trip down to Monterey/Carmel or up to Muir Woods, Mt. Tam and Pt. Reyes. Or even a bike ride over the GGB to Sausalito. We loved Yosemite but it deserves more than a ride through.

We did the night tour and really liked it -- not sure what the combined tour is.

The drive to Yosemite will be 4 - 5 hrs and no one does it as a day trip - it's just too much. You'd want to spend at least 1 night there, preferably 2 nights.

You might like driving south 101 to hwy 17 to highway 9 and exploring Big Basin State Park. Nice redwoods, nice hiking.

For the Alcatraz/Angel Island tour you are looking at - are you sure that a stop on Alcatraz is part of that tour? Or is it just a bay cruise that goes past Alcatraz? I ask because as far as I know, only one company is contracted to take people out to Alcatraz (Hornblower has the contract now, I believe), but others advertise a "tour around Alcatraz" or similar wording, which is just that - a tour around without a stop.

Hornblower has a lunch tour around Alcatraz - did that 2 or 3 weeks ago. While the views were gorgeous, it's no substitute to being inside the prison. Hey, I've never been inside any prison :)

I'd book an Alcatraz tour. Not Angel Island & Alcatraz - especially if you are not absolutely sure about the tour actually touring Alcatraz.

Maybe give us a link to the tour to make sure.

As for Angel Island - you can get there on your own by ferry to Tiburon and then hoping across on a quick boat ride to the island. It is a great day out - but you may not have time for that.

You definitely don't have time for Yosemite. Yes - there are day-long bus tours. But you literally spend more time in the bus than on the ground in Yosemite Valley.

Plus - do you really want to take winding mountain roads in a 50+ passenger bus? Not fun if you are the least bit queasy.

We live 25 miles from the North entrance to Yosemite and go there often to spend a day enjoying the beauty and having a picnic, etc. BUT our drive is an hour to the valley floor and we still spend a full day. The others are right: you won't see 1% of the park if you drive up from San Francisco.

Try this.

Cross the Golden Gate Bridge. In about 45 minutes you will be in Petaluma. Take the East Washington exit and follow it through town. You will then be in the country....rolling hills and dairies.

It will lead you to the small fishing village of Bodega Bay, where parts of Alfred Hitchock's "The Birds" was filmed.

Turning north from here you will pass 10 miles of State beaches, with easy access. The last one, Goat Rock State Beach has a nice view of the Russian River entering the Pacific Ocean if you take the time to drive down there.

Shortly after that you will cross the Russian River and you should turn right on Hwy 116. In just a few miles you will be in Guerneville where you can visit Armstrong Grove Redwoods Natural Preserve.....so much larger and nicer and less crowded than Muir Woods near San Francisco.
From here you can get back on Hwy 101 and back to San Francisco, unless you want to spend more of the day, and then I would suggest taking Hwy 12 from 101 to go the 18 miles through the beautiful Sonoma wine country. At the end of this you will be in the historic town of Sonoma with its lovely 11-acre Plaza ringed by original adobes from the Mexican period, now housing reataurants and hotels and boutiques.

From here you are 45 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge.

This would take up most of one of your precious days in the City.

I would not do the Yosemite thing with your time frame, and not even my trip, necessarily. SF deserves more time.

But, save it for your next trip.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone. All of the information provided was extremely helpful. I especially loved the response from JTRandolph. Your suggestion sounds perfect!