Quote:
Originally Posted by mtnlvr
I just got last minute reservations at Yosemite Park, Wawona Campground ( near the south entrance.) I’m coming from Carson City, NV. and trying to figure out my best route. I don’t really like the Tioga Pass from the east gate , but Hwy 50-W is long steep and windy thru congested South Lake Tahoe too. I haven’t done Hwy 88 in a motorhome ( not towing) either. I’m wondering if it’s better to take the longer route entering from the west side of Sierras; Hwy 120 or 140; or just take the 395 south to Tioga Pass. It’s a long way to Wawona from the east entrance, congestion unknown. Basically, I’m hoping to avoid the most severe grades & windy roads.
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I lived in the area for 32 years and did photography expeditions into Yosemite 5-6 times a year: my home was 7 miles from Hwy 120, the closest path for me to use going to Yosemite from the northwest.
Frankly, I wouldn’t take 120 to Yosemite: there’s a long, very steep road from Dom Pedro Lake (eastbound) to Groveland that is poorly suited for traffic except for SUVs with all-wheel drive: tight, hairpin turns; extreme winds; no shoulders; very steep terrain roadside, and no guard rails in places — and heavily traveled by very impatient drivers year-around from the Bay Area and Sacramento. It’s a beautiful drive once inside the Park, but after 3 or 4 years of living west of there, I refuse to ever drive 120 for any reason; lots of deer on that highway, too. Of the 4 or 5 times I had to replace my windshield, all but one of those times were the result of driving 120 to/from Groveland.
You can take 140 (from I-5) into the Park from Merced in the west to El Portal — a beautiful drive which isn’t bad, and there’s a great place to eat in Mariposa (Sugar Pine Cafe) which, living west of there, made the drive well-worth it; beautiful terrain coming in from that direction. Or, you can take 49 out of Mariposa, then 41 into the Park,
Hwy 41 out of Fresno (from the south, or taking a shortcut at Madeira on I-5 that bypasses Fresno) is excellent, goes right to Wawona campground the Park… it’s always been a favorite drive and our preferred route (although 120 and 140 were much shorter). Easy drive, beautiful, and the preferred route in my experience.
Tioga Pass is almost 10,000’ MSL and on a hot summer day, ugly for truck performance hauling anything. Went up 395 from Arizona off CA-58 to get to Tioga Pass and crawled all the way to the Park entrance at the pass (entrance is closed at night, in case you haven’t been that way before).
Hope this helps.
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