yosemite/sek trip
 

In june my husband and i will be landing in lax then going to Yosemite then SEK.
So day one we land in lax drive to yosemite-seems like that is about a five hour drive so if we land at noon im thinking we should try to do something in la area or on the way since by the time we get the car and on the road it will be too late to do anything at yosemite anyway. ideas of what to do??(we are staying at the yosemite view lodge which is near the western entrance)
we will have two full days (day 2 and 3) in yosemeite what should be our top things to do? we are in good shape and up for long strenuous hikes.
day four we plan on waking up early and driving to sek and be there day four and five-this is where i am totally confused-it seems like a huge area with many enterences can you guys help me figure out what to do with our time there.(staying in three rivers) thanks

Since you are now arriving at LAX some of the advice wil be different . . . but just for reference here is the earlier thread https://www.fodors.com/community/uni...anyon-1649798/


>> . . . drive to yosemite-seems like that is about a five hour drive so if we land at noon im thinking we should try to do something in la area or on the way since by the time we get the car and on the road it will be too late to do anything at yosemite anyway.<<

The drive to El Portal (assuming no traffic which is a BIG if) will take at least 6 hours. Add time sorting out the car and you will need to get out of Dodge ASAP or you will run into the afternoon commute. So no, don't do anything in LA and head north right away. Plus you don't want to be driving the mountain roads after dark.

In Seq/KC -- basically devote one day to each.

Why LAX? I know of at least 3 smaller airports that you can get to Yosemite or El Portal quicker from the airport exit. Parking in some areas of Yosemite can be frustrating. Please consider riding a YARTS bus into and out of the park.

Are you saying we should fly from lax to Yosemite? We are flying to lax cause using southwest points. Seems like it would be expensive to then take s second flight

i started a new thread since most of original thread was about where we should fly into and stay. now that i have that figured out im trying to figure out what are the must do's in each park

>>Are you saying we should fly from lax to Yosemite? <<

No - I think tom means flying into somewhere else instead of LAX. (SFO, or SMF or OAK or SJC -- all southwest airports). Like on your other thread where you talked about flying in to SFO. Southwest does not charge change fees so maybe see if you can fly in to northern CA and home from LAX (or Ontario or Burbank).

For any itinerary of Yosemite followed by Seq/KC it would always be easier to fly in to Sacramento or the Bay area and home from Southern CA.

BUT - if you can't or don't want to change your flights -- then DO NOT hang around LA before driving north. Don't dawdle. From 3 or 3:30PM til about 6:30PM the traffic in the LA Basin will be ghastly and could add 1 or 2 hours to the already long drive time. And that would have you driving up the Merced river canyon in the dark which is not a good plan.

So either change your flight - OR - pick up you car and drive straight to Yosemite stopping somewhere on I-5 for a late lunch.

(the other possibility is to fly from LAX to Fresno but the fares will likely be very high and and you'd have to change terminals and the flight would not be protected if your Southwest flight is delayed so not a very good option)

Reason we ended up with lax flight is that the way the flights were scheduled total travel time was best that wAy. So we maybe driving further but had better/shorter flights.
So we will definitely get car and get out of la.

My favorite long, strenuous hike is to hike from the valley UP 4 mile trail to Glacier Point, then down Panorama trail back to the valley

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvis...rmiletrail.htm
https://www.yosemitehikes.com/glacie...rama-trail.htm

Shorter, but still strenuous would be the Mist train one day, and to the top of Yosemite Falls another.

thanks

Leaving next week but feel like i have not planned enough
coming from lax to yosemite (staying in el portal) then going to sek on third day in morning. at what point does it make sense to go to mariposa grove?
if it is still daylight should we go on the way from la? thinking of spending day two(first full day in yosemite) in yosemite valley hiking (brideveil fall, tunnel view, vernal falls, nevada falls and lower falls, glacier point). what do you suggest on second full day?
if it rains on second day (too hard to hike ) what is there to do around there in the rain? thanks-you are all the best-this forum has hepled me plan many great trips

>>at what point does it make sense to go to mariposa grove? <<

There is absolutely NO reason to fit on Mariposa Grove if you are going on to Sequoia NP. You barely have any time for Yosemite Valley as it is after that gawd awful drive up from LAX.

Agree. Since you are going to Sequoia, skip Mariposa Grove.

Thsnks so we will skip mariposa grove then we will still have two full days in the valley


any advice as to what to do if it rains too hard to hike ?

Also how far will it take to drive from three rivers to kings canyon ( I know about construction ) Should we leave Yosemite day 3 in evening, go to three rivers then go back to kings canyon day 4 ? ( then sleep in three rivers and go sequoia day five)
Or wake up in Yosemite and leave around 6 in morning day 4 and just go straight to kings canyon

>>Yosemite day 3 in evening, go to three rivers . . . <<

Just a quick note. Bad idea since you don't want to be driving those mountain roads at night.

That was my original thought and now second guessing myself so thanks for confirming

If you leave El Portal by say 8AM/8:30aM you can be in Three Rivers before noon and in Sequoia in time for lunch. Doesn't matter much if you drive via 49/41 / Oakhurst or 140 / Madera . The route forks just below Midpines. Either route will take about 3.5 hours.

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/El+P...36.4388364!3e0

Thanks we are actually going to go to kings Canyon first but it’s about the same distance.

There's construction on 198 this season so allow extra time to/from Three Rivers https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvis...nstruction.htm

I know about the three rivers construction. So going from Yosemite to kings canyon I will still be BEFORE construction area correct? Thanks