Hi,
My wife and I are driving to the Grand Canyon, South Rim, from Las Vegas in early February. We want to drive a scenic route over a few days from there (Grand Canyon, South Rim) to San Francisco and we think it may be nice to go through Yosemite Park, via Reno. Does that make sense to do this during winter weather, and what is the most scenic route to take? Any guidance would be appreciated. We have 7 days to get from Las Vegas to San Francisco.
Thank you
Welcome to RTA!
In February, the only access to Yosemite is from the south and the west. The eastern entrance over Tioga Pass is closed in the winter. You also may be required to have tire chains to enter Yosemite via any entrance.
The only passes over the Sierras open in the winter are considerably north and considerably south of Yosemite. To the south is CA-178 and CA-58, to the north are CA-88, US-50, and I-80. The 3 northern passes frequently have chain requirements, I don't recall seeing them on CA-58 and very seldom on CA-178.
If you take the southern option, you may want to go through Death Valley. Winter is a good time for this as it won't be brutally hot like it is during the summer.
Thank you GLC. So if I come from Bakersfield, where do I enter and where do I exit?
I read that the park rangers may ask for snow chains. That would pose a problem, because rental car operators do not like the idea of snow chains put on their rental car.
Regards
From Fresno you would take CA41 through Oakhurst and through the south entrance from Bakersfield. But always keep an eye on road and weather conditions prior to travelling. If the weather was 'kind' you could also visit Sequoia NP and as mentioned above, it's a great time to visit Death valley.