Reno to Yosemite ??

[quinnc19]

My DD and I are flying into Reno to begin our Cali/Hawaii adventure. We will be leaving about 9am (when rental car place opens) and will check into the Ahwahnee later that day. What route would you recommend? Is it possible to see a little Tahoe without a major detour? Thank you all! We are staying in Yosemite for 2 nights, in case that makes a difference.

 

[usnuzuloose]

Take I580 south to NV 431 west it is less than hour to tahoe. Hopefully no snow. You did not put dates.

Take 395 to 120 west to Yosemite. Tioga can be closed in the winter. So I would be checking the weather as your time gets closer.

 

[quinnc19]

Thank you! Trip is in early June.

 

[usnuzuloose]

You should be fine then. Enjoy your trip

 

[bcla]

Here's opening date history. If snow is heavy Tioga Road could still be closed.

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.htm

I haven't taken it, but I think an alternate route is CA108 to CA120. 108 should definitely be clear by June. However, plowing Tioga Road is a major and slow undertaking.

 

[bcla]

There are a bunch of ways you could do what you're asking. Tahoe shouldn't be more than an hour extra driving time, although you may stay longer. What part of Tahoe? I rather like going down Nevada SR431 past Mount Rose to Incline Village, and then all the way to Stateline. From there you can get back to US 395. Here's a map:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Ren...8855532ea96!2m2!1d-119.574336!2d37.746154!3e0

If Tioga Road is closed, you'll probably need an alternate route. I can't seem to force it into Google Maps right now since the road is currently closed. However, you should be able to take 108.

 

[quinnc19]

Thanks so much for the info - it never occurred to me that Tioga might be closed! Having never been to Tahoe, I'm not sure what I want to see there. On that point, having never been to Yosemite, do you think using an hour or so at Tahoe is a good idea? I do love a scenic drive!

 

[lennon2004]

Here's opening date history. If snow is heavy Tioga Road could still be closed.

This! It closed for a few days in May when DH and I went this year.

Thanks so much for the info - it never occurred to me that Tioga might be closed! Having never been to Tahoe, I'm not sure what I want to see there. On that point, having never been to Yosemite, do you think using an hour or so at Tahoe is a good idea? I do love a scenic drive!

Lake Tahoe is beautiful and definitely worth a visit, I think!

 

[bcla]

Thanks so much for the info - it never occurred to me that Tioga might be closed! Having never been to Tahoe, I'm not sure what I want to see there. On that point, having never been to Yosemite, do you think using an hour or so at Tahoe is a good idea? I do love a scenic drive!

It's a nice drive and you'll see lots of water from the highway. By June the road will be clear. You could drive down there and maybe have an early lunch in Stateline or South Lake Tahoe.

Whether or Tioga Road is closed really depends on any number of factors. The amount of snow and the progress plowing will change. They plow through slowly for the safety of the plowing crew. There are often large rocks and even boulders that are buried in the snow. There's a risk of plowing equipment falling off the side of the road. They do it very carefully because it's a dangerous task. We're actually hoping for a big snow year to help with the water shortage, but of course you probably would like to use Tioga Road. I've been through there in late June when it had just opened a week earlier.

 

[PerfessorZ]

Even without the snow, there are other issues that can slow you down, such as construction or landslide removal, so make sure to budget a couple extra hours, just in case, even if the road is open. If everything is smooth sailing, you have a couple more hours to sight-see!

The one time I drove in from Nevada over Tioga Pass, traffic was stopped for close to an hour. A friend of mine had similar issues on his trip a few years later, but with a two-hour delay.

All that said, it's a beautiful drive, so take it if you can!

 

[quinnc19]

Thanks for the helpful info! I sure hope I can take it, as that is the reason I chose to fly into Reno. On the bright side, sounds like I should definitely be able to see some of Lake Tahoe.