San Fran to Yosemite - best route?

[february]

I'd be grateful for any advice on the best route to take out of San Francisco to Yosemite. We are collecting our car from union square and are staying at Yosemite view lodge at El Portal.

Thanks for any suggestions. This will be our first trip to California and our first road trip!!

Celia

 

[MickeyMancuso]

It takes about 4 hours of driving...if you have never been to North Central California-the landscape is fascinating. From oil wells to orange trees, to desert like prairie...

It is 30 minutes from the Yosemite Visitor Center to El Portal-I would stop on your way through. Here is a link to mileage and driving times-http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/mileages9-2007.pdf
Best of luck-it is beautiful!

I recently drove from Yosemite to Monterey in 3.1 hours-enjoy the scenic vistas-breaks up the driving.

 

[GrandBob]

CA 120.

More specifically, go over the Bay Bridge to Oakland. Once there, pick up I-580. Take 580 through Oakland, San Leandro, Livermore, and over the Altamont pass, all the way to Tracy. There you'll pick up I-205 for a short distance towards Manteca. Keep an eye out, and pick up CA 120. Take 120 past Manteca, through the Sierra foothill country, all the way the Yosemite Park entrance. Shortly after you enter the park, assuming you want Yosemite Valley and not the high country, you'll need to watch for Big Oak Flat Road to the Valley.

HTH. I used to take this trip all the time when I lived in SF. Yosemite is beautiful. Don't limit yourself to Yosemite Valley -- the high country is also outstanding.

-Bob

 

[february]

Thanks so much for the replies. Its exactly the info I was after. Grandbob will we hit Yosemite view lodge before the entrance you are describing and is the entrance at El Portal?

Thanks again.

Celia

 

[GrandBob]

Thanks so much for the replies. Its exactly the info I was after. Grandbob will we hit Yosemite view lodge before the entrance you are describing and is the entrance at El Portal?

No, you'll come in the Big Oak Flat entrance on 120. If your destination is Yosemite View lodge in El Portal, you'll have to drive part way into the valley, make a U turn, and drive back out the Arch Rock Entrance on 140. It's only a few miles of backtracking, and I still think it's a better route than taking 140 from Merced. I personally don't like 140 from Mariposa to El Portal, as it's very twisty and turny through the Merced River canyon. And I think the 120 route is shorter from SF, despite needing to backtrack a few miles.

Go to the NPS web site for Yosemite here - http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm - and click on "View Map" towards the top. Hit + a few times to blow up the map. On the left, you can see the Big Oak Flat entrance on 120 toward the top middle, and the Arch Rock entrance on 140 a little further south. It also shows you how close El Portal is to the Arch Rock entrance - less than a mile.

HTH,
Bob

 

[february]

Thanks again - thats great information. We will definately take your route.