Road from Bryce Canyon to Yosemite

Hi guys,

we are planning a short road trip, and we would like to go directly without overnight from Bryce to Yosemite. I saw on google map that there are different possibilities. The shorter is going through Cedar City, Caliente and Tonopah in 8 hours and half (Is it true?). Do you think it is a good idea? or it is better to go through Los Vegas? We just need a safe road and gas station. No need of scenic views, just a way to earn time. Thank you in advance for your recommandations guys!

Have a beautiful day.

Regards,

Fred

Welcome to RTA!

Exactly when are you planning on taking this trip?

Hello and welcome to the RTA forums!!

When will your trip take place ? As it's in Fall and Winter road trips you have to take into consideration the status of the Tioga pass into Yosemite valley (CA120) which typically closes for the winter anytime from late October onwards, through to May/June the following year. If it's open, going through Tonopah makes sense. However there is no way of doing the journey in 8.5 hours, it's likely to be closer to 11 hours and would be a real stretch for a day. If you can, I would take more time and think about stopping overnight around Tonopah and continuing on the next day. To get into Yosemite valley via the Tioga pass is slow going and big part of the Yosemite experience, you will want to stop and enjoy the views. Lee Vining should be the furthest you head for which sets you up right on the doorstep of Yosemite via Tioga pass and will likely take 9.5 hours to drive to. Again, this will only work if the Tioga pass is open. If you show us what your trip looks like, we might be able to help piece things together.

When I was younger, a drive of a bit over 500 miles would be a walk in the park. Now, not so much. I need to stop more often to walk a bit and give my back a break. Then you'll also have to factor in the time needed for gas/food/pit stops. As the other respondents have pointed out the time needed to complete your trip will largely depend on if Tioga Pass is open. If it's not this is a two day trip at best.

Most mapping routines are pretty good at finding the 'best' routes and often will suggest other alternatives as well. But the thing you have to remember is that 'best' as defined by computer algorithms means shortest and/or quickest. Also, in the absence of any other information, they will assuming that you will be travelling at the sp0eed limit, will see no stop lights or other traffic. Some will note if there is known construction going on, but it's up to you to make corrections to your time in the road. I typically add about 10% to the predicted time to account for traffic. I usually do better than that, but I'd rather arrive earlier than expected than later. And don't forget to add in the time for any sight-seeing, exercise, or meal breaks you'll be taking.

So bottom line, I'd make two plans, one for if Tioga Pass is open (9+ hours via Cedar City, Crystal Springs, Tonopah and Benton; and a second that continues north on US-395 along the western shore of Mono Lake and then over the mountains using CA-108 before hooking back in to Yosemite on CA-120. The latter route would take close to 13 hours (plus stops) and so is not doable in a single day.

AZBuck

If Tioga Pass is closed, odds are that CA-108 will also be closed, as will be CA-120 between Benton and Lee Vining. The closest pass that is kept open in the winter is CA-88. If this is a winter trip, the most reasonable way would be I-15 through LV to Barstow, then CA-58 to Bakersfield, then CA-99 to Fresno to CA-41 to the south entrance of Yosemite. This is over 700 miles and is a full 2 day trip but most of it is on freeway quality roads.

If all the passes are still open, then the Tonopah route is the quickest. There are not a lot of gas stations along that route, keep an eye on your fuel gauge. FILL up in Tonopah, that's the last gas before California prices.