Sorry!! I've changed my mind

[Timster]

Hello all,

I want to take this opportunity to say hello to all on the forum as this is my first post.

I am from the UK and found this site when doing a bit of research.

I want to do a roadtrip from Vegas to Grand Canyon late March 2007 ending up in San Francisco. I have been to them all before but as I am more into photography these days, my mind is set on a roadtrip back to these places to take some images.

What I am thinking of doing is as follows:

I was thinking of 2 days in Vegas then drive to Grand Canyon, then onto San Francisco stopping at National Parks along the way. Thinking of taking about 3 or 4 days to arrive at San Fran and then 2/3days before home.

Anyone suggest a nice route to take that will pack in a load of sights and experiences along the way??

Thanks in advance,

Tim

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

The Vegas to SF route is undoubtedly the most popular subject on the forum, so if you browse around, or do a search (on the green bar above, just under your username) you'll find lots of tips and ideas.

Keep in mind that in March, both the North Rim of the Canyon and Tioga Pass into Yosemite will be closed. So for your trip across the Sierras you will either have to cross in the south, near Bakersfield, or Go north to Lake Tahoe, go over the mountains, and then cut back south to Yosemite.

On your timetable, from the Grand Canyon, I might suggest heading all the way over to Bakersfield and then spend 2 days exploring Sequoia and Yosemite, before continuing on to SF.

[Timster]

Cheers Michael

Thats the type of route that I would like to do, thanks for your suggestions. Will post up my route when I've planned what I'm finally going to do.

Tim

[Mass Tim]

I'm looking forward to seeing some sunrise photography from the Grand Canyon.

[Timster]

OK I've worked out my trip so far this is what I got :)

Las Vegas to Grand Canyon
Grand Canyon to Death Valley National Park
Death Valley NP to Sequioa NP
Sequioa NP to Bakersfield
Bakersfield to Fresno to Monterey
Monterey to San Francisco

How does that sound???

[Timster]

Sorry but looking at the climate again a lot of the places I plan to visit dont look the best at the end of March, is this why my flight prices are cheaper as the snow is down??

Tim

[Midwest Michael]

You will not be able to go directly from Death Valley to Sequoia, as there is no road from the park to the Eastern side of the Sierras. Sequoia is also located between Bakersfield and Fresno, so I'm not really sure what you are thinking there. (Editor's Note: That road does exist....) (Midwest Michael's Note: The Editor's Suggestion does not go to the National Park)

Switch those things around, and you should be ok.

I'm not sure what you mean by the snow is down. Several of the Sierra passes will still be closed in March, and having snow fall in the mountains is certainly a possibility that time of year, but the Sierras is really the only place where it could be an issue.

[W. Larrison]

You'll go through Bakersfield before you get to Sequoia. So I'd recommend spending the night somewhere around there.

I will note the road going up the west side of the Sierras to Sequia past Moro Rock (not to be confused with Morro Bay...) is a narrow winding 2 lane mountain road. I'd recommend hitting it in the day time, particularly if you're tired and not really used to driving on the wrong side of the road.

You might consider staying the night in Visalia rather than Bakersfield -- its the last reasonably sized down before you head up into the Sierras. (And otherwise, there's nothing amazing in my experience to recommend Bakersfield, other than its a larger town with perhaps more options...)

Now, there is a chance of snow in the Sierras in March. March can be a wet month in California, and if there's a storm you can get snow in the Sierras. I went to Sequoia a couple of years ago in April, and stayed in the Wupatki Lodge in the park (discounted rates in the off season), and followed a storm up the mountain the next day. The roads were plowed and dry, and it was a really beautiful sight with around 6" of snow -- but if I had been a day earlier it would have been either chains and a low crawl up the mountain or road closed until the snowplows came through. Just don't be surprized ... it is a possibility. Same with Yosemite.

Other than that -- its a pretty good bet that taking the southernly route through Barstow to Bakersfield you won't see snow other than on the tops of the mountains. Sometimes they'll get a dusting of snow down in the high desert in December or January -- but its time on the ground is measured as a couple of hours when the sun comes up.

[Mark Sedenquist]

You will not be able to go directly from Death Valley to Sequoia, as there is no road from the park to the Eastern side of the Sierras. Sequoia is also located between Bakersfield and Fresno, so I'm not really sure what you are thinking there.

No so. It is a little known road -- but Megan and I drove it a couple of weeks ago. I will try and get the field report article published in the next couple of weeks. It takes all day -- but it is an entirely paved route between US-395 and Sequoia. The biggest problem is that is not an all-weather route and one should only attempt the road if it is summer.

Mark

[Midwest Michael]

Sherman Pass is a fine road, and I've driven it myself. In fact, it dumps out near one of my all time favorite little dispersed camping spots in all of California. Going West to East, it is also a great road for enjoying a very abrupt change from Mountain to Desert Views.

But While Sherman Pass takes you through Sequoia National Monument and the Sequoia National Forest, it does not take you into Sequoia National Park.

To get to the National Park from Sherman Pass, you still have to go all the way out to Porterville, and then take CA-65 up the East Side of the Central Valley, and then go back East to enter the National Park.