which road would be advisable, according to the directions the 120 would get us there about 20minutes quicker, but is the 140 a better road for driving i.e. straighter, maybe a little more scenic. Just a few points I've been picking up on other posts. We will be driving in October (SF to Yosemite). Another question, on both of those routes are there any halfway points to stop for lunch and break the journey a little? Cheers

lynn
We took 120 in and 140 out. We were there in May and a snowstorm pervented us from returning on 120 as they closed it. 120 wraps around a mountain and has few, if any, gaurd rails. It scared me but it was beautiful. 140 was also beautiful and not dangerous at all, perhaps a little longer to drive.

I think you will find that some prefer one, some the other. I like 120, BUT, watch the weather; it goes up over 6000 ft, and is the most likely to get snow in fall/winter/spring. Groveland or Oakdale are good stops on 120(with a bit of detour there are Jamestown, Sonora, and Columbia); there is not much beyond Groveland. I don't take 140 often, so I don't remember the stops, but there are several (again thinning out as you get into the mountains).

I prefer Hwy 140 - it's a much more relaxing drive along the Merced River. Hwy 120 is pretty steep and curvey with some sheer drop offs - riding on the passenger side of the car was a little unnerving going around some of those curves. Two things come to mind - that scene in the Long Long Trailer with Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz when they are trying to take their trailer up that mountain and the scene in the Fellowship of the Ring when Gandalf is trying to lead them over that mountain. Ok - it's not THAT bad, but you get the idea. Next time if we go over that road, I am driving - I don't want to be the passenger peering over the side of the cliff again - LOL.

The main question is how used are you to mountain driving? 120 is a little more scenic, 140 is less nerver wracking for flat landers.

Both are good roads -

janis - I learned to drive in the northern Sierras and am definitely used to mountain driving, but there is just something about Hwy 120 that I do not like. Possibly it was because I was the passenger and I am used to being the driver, I don't know, but that road made me nervous.

120 made me nervous too! I was on the passenger side and my husband kept kept saying, "Get a picture" and I kept saying "I can't move!"