janisj

YNP really isn't a long way for 2 nights (3 is better of course). I live about 4 hours door to door from Yosemite Village and a 2 night stay is not all that rushed. Especially at that time of year when the back country is closed so you are really only talking about Yosemite Valley. I personally would not count on Big Sur. If there are big winter storms it is very likely there will be some sort of damage or closures on Hwy 1 due to land slides. Some year it takes months for the full highway to re open (this year its still closed and has been for months) You can get from Monterey to Lucia, and from the south as far north as Limekiln -- but you can't drive all the way through.

Six day is a decent amount for SFO > Santa Cruz > Monterey/Carmel/Point Lobos (and maybe a skosh into the northern part of Big Sur) > Yosemite > SFO. OR another great option would be SMF > Highway 49 (Gold Rush towns, Columbia State Historic Park/Calaveras Big Trees) > YNP > SMF. TONS of stuff for the whole family going this route. (as would the Monterey option). In either case I'd try to fit in 3 nights at YNP but 2 is certainly doable.

Late April is a wonderful time in Yosemite. Not 100% sure I'd do it in a motor home though. Staying at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls or at Yosemite View Lodge right outside the west entrance to the park would be good (and likely cheaper than a week's motorhome rental. Of course you woudn't be able to do your own cooking

tom_mn

As a follow up, here's the NPS summary of typical April trail availability in Yosemite, although snow and weather is so unpredictable.

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/april.htm

Being able to hike the Mist Trail, and at least as far as the bottom of Upper Yosemite Falls on the Upper Falls Trail, and at least as far as Union Point on 4 Mile Trail would make a much more successful visit. My opinion is that the views from the valley floor are pretty meagre, especially from the roadway, with the exception of the spectacular tunnel view which is right on the road. This is not Zion NP with unrestricted canyon wall views from everywhere on the road.

On such a short trip flight efficiency matters, the convenience of the flights affects how much energy a person has left over to throw into the trip.

janisj

On your other thread you asked for warm weather destinations -- bear in mind that while daytime temps can be pleasant, Yosemite is in the mountains and it is very likely there will be at least some snow on the ground if not an actual snow storm.

janisj

. . . since you have two competing threads this may get confusing. One seems to be asking in general for warm weather destinations and this one about specific places in California.

Have you decided on California? If so, you might want to ask the moderators to close the other thread. If not, both are still valid/separate topics.

Moderator1

Your two threads have been merged.

Barbara

Generally, Southern California would be warmer than the Bay area/Yosemite.

Bear in mind that gas for an RV, which will use a lot, is more expensive in California. Right now approx $5.30 per gallon in San Diego. More in the middle of nowhere and right beside Interstate highways.

Nobody has any idea what the weather will be like in April. Our weather is not as consistent as it used to be.

jbayek15

Thanks for all the info! I didn’t realize I could only post 5 times so I haven’t been able to respond!

No, I haven’t decided on California. We are open to other destinations but they were just the possibilities that I came up with on my own.

That is why I had 2 different threads.
Like I said, very new to this and LOVE suggestions. We would like it to be somewhere on the warmer side As long as we don’t need a passport (one of the boys isn’t mine) and teenagers will be entertained. Ideally a NP or something like that.


we would like to rent a camper because we plan on traveling to multiple places that are hours apart. We rented a class c camper from RV share and it ended up being cheaper then it was to rent a car/ hotel stays. The boys really enjoyed that as well. If we did end up going Santa Monica, San diego, LA area or anywhere like that we would leave our camper parked at the campground site and get an Uber or some other public transportation to places that wouldn’t be suitable for camper driving.

mlgb

Joshua Tree and the Coachella Valley will definitely be warm in April. Could be windy, but will be warm (I has a condo in Palm Desert for about 5 years). Although there are not be groceries inside Joshua Tree National Park, there is a nice Stater Brothers in Twentynine Palms, as well as a Grocery Outlet which is great for cheap wine (for the parents) and nearly-expired snacks (for the boys). Re campsites, some people may not know about Black Rock, which is near Yucca Valley and has cell reception and flush toilets.

I'm would think that anyone who has actually visited Joshua Tree knows it is about more than the Joshua Trees. There are some nice hiking trails, https://www.nps.gov/jotr/planyourvisit/hiking.htm for more information. Lost Horse Mine is pretty interesting. And of course there is also the rock-climbing.

tomfuller

Good morning! I did look at the RVshare site and saw that the rentals are from $175 to $250 per night. They will deliver to a site of your choosing for a fee. Would it be possible to do 2 or maybe 3 rentals and not drive the class C between them? For a slightly warmer trip in late April, coastal southern California may be better than Yosemite. Ask the boys how they feel about snow. I know that coming from NH you probably will have seen enough during the winter.
My thought for southern California would be to fly to Santa Barbara or Burbank. Burbank has a new budget airline (Avelo) that has flights from locations in California, Nevada and Oregon. To get to coastal locations anywhere south of Burbank, I suggest using the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner trains which go all the way to San Diego (downtown) within walking distance of the ocean.
If you decided on the desert, (Joshua Tree, Mojave National Preserve or Death Valley), I think that renting the RV in the Las Vegas area would be best.
For going to Yosemite if the weather is great, fly to Sacramento and use the Amtrak San Joaquin route to Merced and pick up your RV there.

mlgb

I don't know if posters from out of state are aware that the entire Death Valley NP is closed due to road damage from Hilary. No word on when it will reopen other than "months".

MichelleY

Another huge festival, Stagecoach, is the last weekend in April in the Coachella Valley.

jbayek15

does anyone have any other ideas for somewhere to go? Not necessarily to a NP but in the Us that’s somewhat warm with hikes or other fun outdoor things to do with teenagers. I’m thinking San Fran and Yosemite might be a better fall trip.

it doesn’t have to be in a camper either, they just loved the road trip idea but will easily stay anywhere that has a pool.

thanks for all the info! I appreciate it

Gretchen

April in the Southeast is beautiful. You have a LOT of suggestions for the California coast. There is Arizona and New Mexico.

tom_mn

Probably not. The waterfalls are a large part of the visual appeal and they are running well in the spring and into June (usually), whereas the fall, again usually, has little flow in the waterfalls and some even go dry. Also wildfire smoke, which can now happen practically any month, is more likely in the fall, although Yosemite Valley filled with smoke this year for a few days in July.

The central California coast shines in the fall when the fog is mostly over and the crowds are down.

Gardyloo

I disagree; by the fall the risk of wildfires and smoke is much higher, and as mentioned the waterfalls in Yosemite, one of the big attractions, can be reduced to trickles or even less. It's true, however, that Yosemite is also crazy popular in the spring, with large California population centers like the Bay Area close enough to make weekend trips of it, leading to accommodation shortages (of all sorts - hotels, lodges, RV and campsites, the works.)

So where else? Partly it raises the question of what your family likes to do and see. Historical sites? Active sports? Do you or your teens have any interest in music or pop culture? Amusement parks? Some top-of-the-head ideas just to stimulate some thinking...

California mission trail. The legacy of the Spanish missions in California, running from San Diego to the Bay Area, is fascinating - good and evil, for sure, but the physical legacy is still largely visible. Start in San Diego and work your way north, including missions like San Luis Rey, the "king of the missions," San Juan Capistrano, the beautiful "queen of the missions" in Santa Barbara, gorgeous Mission San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo in Carmel, and Mission Dolores in San Francisco's Mission District (or any of 15 more.) Many are located close to other natural wonders or tourist sites, like incredible Point Lobos State Nature Reserve on the coast just south of Carmel, or the fun Beach Boardwalk amusement park not far from Mission Santa Cruz (which is also close to the Henry Cowell Redwoods.) This route would give you a fascinating historic backdrop to the glory of coastal California in the spring. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/iszuxLwnGTKU3F9K6

Founders, Skyline Drive, and the Revolutionary War. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/P8CdBo1HFiF7tFxx5 . Fly to DC and do a loop that includes Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park (amazing in the spring) along with Charlottesville (UVa, Monticello) then down to Jefferson's second home near Lynchburg. Cross back east to Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown, then end back in DC. Lots of history, beautiful country, probably warm temperatures.

Memphis, the Mississippi Delta, Vicksburg and New Orleans. If your teens are interested - or can be interested - in the troubled history of slavery, the Civil War, the civil rights movement, and the emergence of modern American music, this drive, from Memphis south through the Mississippi Delta to the Vicksburg battlefield and historic Natchez, ending at New Orleans, can be transformative. You can do it in either direction in a couple of days' driving or extend it with spur trips into the bayou country of Louisiana. See the iconic sites of Beale Street, Graceland, the Civil Rights museum and Sun Records in Memphis, then south to the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, south along the Mississippi to Vicksburg - horrifying and awesome - then Natchez, and finally New Orleans. IMO this is one of America's best short road trips. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/gp6SergsuSAu85Wg8

Waterfalls, volcanos, red rocks, Rodin and Stonehenge. My last (for now) suggestion isn't a warm-weather choice; in fact, it will probably be wet at times. But I have to mention a springtime favorite of ours, the Columbia River Gorge and north-central Oregon. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/camktjzRhtuTdWKS6 . In late April the many waterfalls along the south wall of the Columbia River Gorge will be in full flow. The orchards and vineyards in the Hood River Valley, south of Hood River, Oregon, will be in bloom, but they'll still be skiing at iconic Timberline Lodge on the side of Mount Hood, easily reached in an hour or so from Hood River. South of Mount Hood is the impressive Smith Rock State Park (google it - amazing landscape) and you could then visit the Painted Hills section of John Day Fossil Beds National Monument (along with the fossil beds themselves.) Return to Portland via the strange copy of Stonehenge at Maryhill, a couple of miles from the eclectic Maryhill Museum of Art - Rodin in the sagebrush, then back to PDX airport via the Gorge again. In late April conditions east of the Cascade crest (i.e. Hood River) ought to be sunny and comfortable - not hot by any means - but the variety of landscapes and communities will knock your socks off. Highly recommended.

I'll think of more...

rouelan

I don't see Death Valley in your list. It is a must

MichelleY

If coming to California, tie in the Central Coast. Cambria, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach.

tomfuller

If you decide against California altogether, check into flying to Albuquerque NM. Rent your RV there and go west to see Flagstaff, Sedona and the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. The second half of April is usually a good time to visit the Grand Canyon. Things to see in Flagstaff include the Riordan mansion and the Lowell Observatory. Albuquerque has petroglyphs, a good zoo, an arboretum, several good museums and the cable car up to the top of Sandia Peak.

jbayek15

Thank you all so much! I’ve looked into the campgrounds around Yosemite and most the reservations for the time frame I need don’t open until Dec 15th.

It seems as though there are several campgrounds to choose from along the coast from Santa Cruz down to Big Sur. This was my original itinerary before I questioned if it was a good April trip

San Fran
Golden Gate Bridge, Muir Woods, Golden Gate Park, Sutro Baths, pier 39, fisherman’s wharf
Santa Cruz
Pier and board walk, half moon bay
Carmel
Monterey aquarium and bay
Big Sur
Point lobos, 17 mile drive, bixby creek bridge,
Pfeiffer Beach (purple sand keyhole rock), Mcway falls
Yosemite

janisj

I personally would not attempt most of the places you've listed around San Francisco with a motor home. Some parking garages won't take them or charge extra, and parking on the street is not recommended. Driving across the bridge would be OK. Also I would forget about Muir Woods - it is a decent park but you must pre-book both entrance and parking, but mostly because there are much better elsewhere along your itinerary.

I'd look for an RV park near SF and use public transport to get around. Like Treasure Island RV Park (unfortunately NOT on Treasure Island - talk about false advertising ) in South San Francisco, which has BART and bus stops nearby -- and more importantly a Trader Joe's and a Costco right there .

Or maybe the Palmetto Ave park in Pacifica - not as close as Treasure Island but there is a bus stop right outside. It would probably take an hour to get into the city though I would 100% avoid Candlestick Park.

In the mountains just above Santa Cruz is Henry Cowell State Park which is larger than Muir Woods, is less crowded, has better stands of trees, and doesn't require booking. Plus the Roaring Camp Steam Railway.