Driving from las Vegas to San Francisco
Replies: 8 - Last Post: Dec 25, 2010 9:10 PM Last Post By: geo_nerd
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Driving from las Vegas to San Francisco
My wife and I are planning to drive from LV to SFO, via Death Valley and Yosemite in August 2011.Bing's directions seem pretty clear for the trip but accommodation is an unknown along the way. We'd like to stop over between DV and yosemite on the first night, in yosemite on the second & third nights (plenty of choices there we know) then drive to SFO on day 4. Any suggestions for the first night accomodation which won't mean a long drive (more the 4 hours) from LV to accommodation or from accommodation to yellowstone? We have read advice about doing this trip in winter but it should be more straightforward in summer. Shouldn't it??1
First--SFO is the airport. Do you need to get to the airport or are you going to the city of San Francisco? We don't refer to cities by the airport code.Any suggestions for the first night accomodation which won't mean a long drive (more the 4 hours) from LV to accommodation or from accommodation to yellowstone?
Do you mean Yosemite, not Yellowstone?You MUST book lodging reservations in Yosemite in advance. Now is not too soon for the summer of 2011.
2
Las Vegas and Death Valley will be hotter than hell in August. That should mean good deals on hotels especially midweek. Look for a big pool, great air conditioners, and plan to do your driving through the valley early in the morning before it heats up.There are lots of beautiful places to stay along highway 395, east of the Sierras, which is the route you should take.
Bishop is well located, or drive up further toward June Lakes. Do be sure to spend an hour or more walking by Mono Lake. The visitor center is just east of the park entrance and highway 120 (Tioga Road into Yosemite).
4
We stayed at a place in Lone Pine - it was fine. And it is about the right distance between Las Vegas and Tioga Pass / Yosemite NP. We drove from Las Vegas to Pahrump, and then west to Furnace Creek in Death Valley (very hot - even late September), and then up onto the 395 at Lone Pine - great trip - very scenic indeed. See the Bristlecone Pine Forest as well, if you have time. And Mammoth Lakes too.5
Any suggestions for the first night accomodation which won't mean a long drive (more the 4 hours) from LV to accommodation or from accommodation to yellowstone?
Assuming you mean "Yosemite," you'll have to understand that there will be a drive longer than 4 hours on either side, since the drive is 9+ hours. Lone Pine and Bishop are more than 4 hours away from Vegas. Anything closer to Vegas is more than 4 hours from Yosemite.
6
-You're just driving through DV, I gather, but even that will be HOT. If you're not going to see anything, just drive, there are slightly more direct routes (look at Google Maps, etc.). Maybe a side trip to the Bristlecone Pines.-What's your budget? That makes a difference, especially in Yosemite. And I will add my voice to those who say make reservations early-- like months in advance.
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Yes, I did mean Yosemite. Thanks a bunch for the useful feedback - more research on my part needed I think. Greetings from Sydney, Australia, temporary home to Oprah this week.8
Any chance you'd want to camp?If so, Mahogany Flat, FAR above DV in the Panamint Mountains, offers cool high altitude air and an awesome view of the salt flats.
Grandview campground is located along the road to the Bristlecone Forest and overlooks the Sierra range immediately to the west. It too is around 8000 ft. and is quite pleasant in the summer.
Both are free and neither has significant services.
There are numerous Forest Service campgrounds along the Jule Lake loop, in Lee Vining Canyon, and elsewhere in the general vicinity east of Yosemite. These will cost a little, and will also lack (IMO) showers, etc.
