reebu

Hi , What will be the best route to Yosemite ? Going via 880/580/99 or 101/152.
Also , which will be an ideal place for a stay - mariposa or oakhurst considering restaurants and a easy drive to yosemite.

David

reebu, I would take the first route that you mentioned, with the exception that instead of taking 880 take 680 which has less traffic than 880, otherwise known as the nasty Nimitz. If you take 680 anytime before the evening commute (3-7PM) you should be okay. On 101 south of the city,in Morgan Hill, there is ongoing construction which can slow you down. Also, 152 can be a somewhat slow road.

Go to the following website for current road conditions into Yosemite.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/conditions.htm

Kay

I Agree with David-plus 152 is noted for its head on crashes.I know any highway is dangerous--just drive defensively...Yosemite will be wonderful...

reebu

Thanks for the inputs. I am planning a trip during thanksgiving weekend and I guess traffic is going to be pretty bad. Also , which approach to Yosemite is better - 140 or 41 during that time of the year. I might choose Mariposa or Oakhurst depending on which drive to choose.

David

Both 140 and 41 are open all year round however, you may be required to use chains during the winter season from October until the end of April.

J Correa

Traffic over Thanksgiving weekend will most likely be horrendous. I would choose the 101/152 route because you will get out of the traffic sooner. Hwy 101 between SJ and Gilroy will be very slow, as will Hwy 152 from Gilroy but should be ok by the time you get to Casa de Fruta. If you take the 680/580 route, you will most likely have solid stop and go traffic from San Jose to at least Tracy.

101to 152

J Correa, huh? Since when is 101 to 152 faster than 680/580/99? For one thing, as long as reebu gets on the 680 before the afternoon rush, that is assuming travel on a weekday, traffic will be no problem. If travel will be occurring on say Thanksgiving Day, Friday, or Saturday, traffic will be for the most part not that bad. Construction on 101 in Morgan Hill will most likely be crawling, at best. I remember going to a relative's house in Hollister on Thanksgiving Day and getting caught up in the bottleneck near Morgan Hill where the 101 narrows down to 2 lanes. It was horrendous. Also, 152 takes forever, and as one poster pointed out, it is known for its head on collisions.

reebu, it's best to stick to the bigger freeways 680/580/99.

J Correa

I have taken both routes many times and found 101/152 to be faster than 680/580 getting from San Jose to I-5 and beyond when traffic is an issue. Yes there is traffic on 101 getting out of San Jose. Yes there is traffic on 152 just east of Gilroy. But I have found the traffic on 680 and 580 to be worse.

reebu is going Thanksgiving weekend, so I assumed that he or she would be leaving the Bay Area on Wednesday or Thursday, returning on Sunday. Either route will be a mess. I would only take 680/580 if I could leave San Jose early Wednesday or Thurday morning.

BillJ

Reebu: Once you decide how tho get out of the bay area, definately take 140 through Merced, up through Mariposa. From there to the valley takes you through the Merced River Canyon. Imminantly more beautiful and interesting. IMHO, of course.

L

Since I live on the Monterey Peninsula, I would take the 101 to 152. I would then go from Chowchilla to Coarsegold by the county roads. This route took me 3.25 hours to get the Fishcamp. The county roads are relaxing ranch lands with granite outcroppings, rather then takeing the 99 five lane route. You would need a county map. It is not difficult. The roads are marked. It takes you around lake Henessey.