Yosemite - easier to get to from monterey or san francisco?
 

We are planning a holiday to california for august and plan on staying three nights in sf and three nights in monterey. We would like to visit yosemite but don't want to spend too long in the car. If we overnighted near yosemite would it be better on our way from/to monterey or as a trip from sf? Also, where would be the best place to overnight?<BR>Thanks

I would suggest a circle:<BR><BR>SF to Monterey, then drive into Yosemite from the south so that your first view of the valley is from tunnel view (awe-inspiring!!), stay IN the valley at Yosemite Lodge or Awynnee (arrrgg. SP?), then return to SF.<BR><BR>If you aren't golfers, you will probably kick yourselves for spending 3 days in Monterey and 1 in Yosemite.

Iagree with Liz--spend more time in Yosemite than Monterey and her route sounds good. Driving time/distance is not very different from either place. I believe the hotel is spelled Awahnee--pronounced Uh-WAH-nee.

There is no &quot;short-cut&quot; to Yosemite. I would estimate driving times (without stops and by most direct routes) at about 2.5 hours SF to Monterey, 3.5 hours Monterey to Yosemite, 4.5 hours Yosemite to SF. You could also drive south from Monterey to Cambria on highway 1, then across; this would add 2-3 hours, but include one of the most scenic routes in the world.<BR><BR>It is quite hard to get overnight hotel accomodations in Yosemite itself in August (it is worse since a chunk of the Yosemite Lodge rooms were removed after flooding several years ago). The next alternative would be the Fish Camp area at the south-west entrance to the park; there are a number of motels there and one nice hotel (Tenaya Lodge?). Some of the foothills towns have lodging (Sonora, Groveland, Oakhurst). The central valley (Fresno, Merced, Madeira) tend to be hot and dusty that time of year (the fruit stands are good, though).

It is really a toss up on distance. From Monterey you can get to Yosemite Valley in 200 miles. From SF it is 185 miles o Yosemite Valley. <BR><BR>Time wise it will depend on if you hit commute traffic going in or out of SF. It can be a real bummer on Friday night leaving SF and Sunday coming back to SF. Hwy 580 leaving the Bay Area is a mess every weekday around 3 P.M.<BR><BR>I would do Liz said and do a circle. SF to Monterey to Yosemite back to SF.<BR><BR>I also would cut out one day each at SF and Monterey and add it to Yosemite. They made it a NATIONAL PARK for a good reason. It's BEAUTIFUL!<BR><BR>Utahtea