First ever trip in an RV - Grand Canyon, Sequoia, Yosemite - Route guidance please

Hi,

I know this has been asked and I have read as many posts as I can but each trip is different.

I am flying in to Las Vegas from London on July 19th. It's not the first time I have been to the Grand Canyon (it is for Sequoia and Yosemite) but it is the first time I have driven an RV! Having read many blogs and posts about it, I think it sounds perfectly achievable :) Although I will no doubt be nervous about driving a 28 foot vehicle for the first time, especially with my wife and 2 teenagers in tow.

So the route I have drawn up so far is:

19 July - Land in Vegas and find an overpriced hotel! That was the first learning point, I didn't realise you can't drive away in your RV the day you land!

20 July - Drive to the Grand Canyon - Should be about 5 hours to the Trailer Village RV Park.

23 July - Drive to Bakersfield - Hopefully about 8 hours. This is a wasted day, just a means of getting from the Canyon to Sequoia so I thought I'd get most of it done in one day, make an early start the next morning and have as much time in Sequoia. Need to find a good campground.

24 July 2019 - Drive to Sequoia - I'm looking at Dorst or Lodgepole campground (whichever is the easiest to get to) so that should be about 3.5 hours

26 July 2019 - Drive to Yosemite - I haven't picked a campground yet but I think the drive should be in the region of 3 Hours depending on where the campground is.

29 July 2019 - Drive to San Francisco RV Depot and treat ourselves to a few days in the city and then a few by the coast further down somewhere to recover!

What do you think? Is it do-able? Any better suggestions? I've ruled out Death Valley as I hear it's not the place to be in an RV in July, is that wrong?

Thanks in advance.

Pete

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

I think you've done an excellent job of starting your plan, and already discovering some of the challenges that come with RV travel.

The route you've come up with will certainly work, but I would rethink a couple things.

You may or may not be allowed in Death Valley with your RV, you will have to check with the specific rental policies of your rental company. If you can go I would, even if it's just to drive through, and enjoy the beauty through the RV windows.

The key thing, however, is that going that way would set you up to go over Tioga Pass and through the high country of Yosemite. That's a pretty amazing part of the park that I wouldn't want to miss. Even if it adds some miles, I would still go up US-395 to Lee Vining and cross Tioga Pass, see Yosemite, and go back down to Sequoia, rather than go through Bakersfield. There are also a couple of groves of Giant Sequoias within Yosemite where you could still see the big trees without visiting Sequoia National Park, if you feel you are getting crunched for time.

Another option would be to go from the Grand Canyon perhaps up to Zion and then cross Nevada on US-6 to head to Yosemite. You might also consider visiting the North Rim with this option, and/or potentially also seeing Bryce Canyon and/or Great Basin NPs.

Welcome to RTA!

It all looks doable. However, I need to note that you may be underestimating drive times. It's 500 miles from the GC to Bakersfield, I highly doubt that you would be able to do that in 8 hours. You aren't going to be able to drive an RV as fast as you can drive a car, and you have to allow for rest, food, and fuel stops.

I don't think the RV rental company would even let you go to Death Valley in July. If you want to see Death Valley, you could rent a car in Las Vegas and do it as a day trip before you pick up the RV.

Please note the following vehicle length restrictions in Sequoia:

https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvis...strictions.htm

You need to book your campgrounds in the parks right when the booking window opens up next year. They go fast.

It would be more like 10 hours to Bakersfield and your 3 girls might be hating on you a bit by the end of the day ! Don't think of any day as a wasted day, make each one interesting even if it is mainly about the driving. You could visit the route 66 towns of Williams, Seligman and Kingman on route and stop over around Barstow, perhaps at Calico Ghost town. Or you could leave the GC around lunchtime on the 22nd and overnight around Kingman and continue to Bakersfield the following day, or a little beyond. As said, you need to book the NP campgrounds as soon as the booking window opens, for Yosemite I would recommend one of the three 'Pines' campgrounds in the heart of the valley.

Thanks for the replies guys, all really interesting.

So I suppose my problem really breaks down as how to get to Yosemite from the South Rim, there are so many options and we don't know enough about any of them or the type of roads we will be driving through to get to them so all your opinions are really important.

The main reason for going the southern route was to visit Sequoia but looking at the link from glc it looks like that's a bad idea. I thought I'd read most things about vehicle restrictions but I think i thought it was only during the roadworks, which should be complete by the time we go, but on a second read, that's not the case.

Looking at the northern route suggested by Michael, we have stumbled upon Antelope Canyon. Funnily enough we went to Page 15 years ago (pre kids) and did the flat water raft around horseshoe bend but didn't know about antelope canyon. So much easier with the internet!

So whilst we could go straight from the South Rim to Page and then take the southern route and take in some of the areas Dave has mentioned, I think we are considering a change.

So how about this instead:

20 July - Drive to the Grand Canyon but only have 2 nights, one full day. Given we can't get down into the canyon very far, I think I fancy the bikes and cycling around the rim and then getting the 'in the canyon' experience in page.

22 July - Drive to Page - Should only be 2.5 - 3 hours. Get there by lunch time and do something in the afternoon.

23 July - Still in Page, up (reasonably) early and do a tour or something in the morning and try to be away by around 3:00 for the drive to Zion which should take no more than 2.5 hours.

24 July - in Zion

25 July - Drive to Tonopah, about 6-7 hours for an overnight stop

26 July - Away early for the drive to Yosemite, about 3.5 - 4 hours. Arrive with enough time to get set up and do something in the afternoon.

29 July to San Francisco as previously planned.

This means that we spend no more than 2 nights in any one place other than Yosemite. If you only had one place where you could spend an extra day/night would you pick Yosemite or one of the other places?

If the weather allows, book your extra day in Zion! Get reservations ASAP. Then spend the better part of the day hiking the extremely popular NARROWS walk up the Virgin River. You walk IN the water, up the narrowing canyon as the steep walls tower a couple thousand feet above you. It will likely be the highlight of your entire vacation! I've been to Yosemite, the Grand Canyon etc, yet personally find the Narrows to be the most beautiful place on earth. It is a truly surreal and personally immersive experience. But watch the weather and only do this hike if the water level is low and there is no danger of flash floods! You can walk a couple minutes or the entire day.

Here is a video with some of the sights. Unfortunately, this walk is so drop dead gorgeous that the video just cannot do it justice.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=EwZQQ52fOOs

Regarding your first RV experience, be sure to pick up a box of disposable nitrile gloves! Usually come in a box of 100. They will make the very unpleasant experience of "dumping the tanks" much less disgusting. Have you seen the movie RV?

Also, if not supplied with the RV, buy a screwdriver. I'm always amazed at how many times things such as cabinet doors get loose or even fall off! A couple toothpicks also come in handy to shove in the holes before screwing in the screws because those holes are often stripped!

And never, EVER, back up the RV without someone outside guiding you, even if you have a backup camera!

Don't know if you're using Cruise America, but even if you don't, they have some videos and other resources that you might find valuable to view ahead of time.

RVing 101 - RV Renter's Resources

Hi Travellingman,

Ok, I'll have to admit that the narrows looks amazing! Bet the water's cold :)

Good tips on what to take, they'll definitely be on the list!

I haven't seen RV but I've now seen the trailer and some clips (including the poop scene!) and I hope we have more success that they did! Can't say I'm looking forward to dumping the tanks!

In July, it's like standing in an oven so the cold water is welcome! Read up all you can on water level and flash flood forecasts. These will also be posted right at the river. Wear shoes; don't attempt to walk any distance in bare feet. Read up on it.

Also note that it could take HOURS to get your RV, including orientation and the the all-important documentation of ANY damage you find. Get it all in writing!!! I have always been meticulous about this and never had a problem, but I made sure they documented everything!

Oh, pick up cheap pliers too. Those outside cargo door locks have a habit of loosening and even falling off! Happened on every RV I've rented.

This article written by Mark Helmlinger in 2005 is still valuable and includes a checklist to take with you when you pick up a rental RV.

(That's weird, the checklist is not longer visible on this site. Looking for it now)

Greetings!

Since you're interested in Zion, the Grand Canyon, and Antelope Canyon, I'll make a suggestion. In our new guidebook, RoadTrip America: Arizona and New Mexico: 25 Scenic Side Trips, I describe a route, Scenic Side Trip #13, that might be perfect for the beginning of your trip. It starts at an exit off I-15 in St. George, Utah (a couple of hours northeast of Las Vegas), goes through Zion National Park, then takes in the NORTH rim of the Grand Canyon, before passing through Page, and ending in Flagstaff at Interstate 40. From there, you'd have an easy drive west into California. Many people who are "in the know," (including myself) prefer the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, because it only gets 10% of the crowds you'll see at the South Rim. Here's a link to an RTA Interactive Map that wil show you what Scenic Side Trip 13 looks like. You can find more information about the book here, and you should check this post in my blog, Antelope Canyon: Part 1 for the inside story on that truly fabulous geological marvel.

Good luck with your planning! You're going to have an amazing RoadTrip, regardless of which route you choose.

Rick

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The main reason for going the southern route was to visit Sequoia but looking at the link from glc it looks like that's a bad idea. I thought I'd read most things about vehicle restrictions but I think i thought it was only during the roadworks, which should be complete by the time we go, but on a second read, that's not the case.

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I would probably choose going to Zion and over Tioga Pass into Yosemite over Sequoia even though Sequoia is a fantastic place. However it's right I point out that although there are length restrictions on the Generals Highway, outside of construction times it is an advisory notice not a prohibition. I have driven it in a 30ft RV and can confirm it is twisty and narrow in places and quite a challenge, even more so in the height of summer season with a lot more traffic around. (We went in October)

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22 July - Drive to Page - Should only be 2.5 - 3 hours. Get there by lunch time and do something in the afternoon.

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You could also consider detouring to Monument valley before arriving in Page. Cameron trading post is quite a nice stop if you fancy a little shopping, or just browsing around the stores.

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Drive to Tonopah, about 6-7 hours for an overnight stop

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Just west of Tonopah is a rest area where you can park up for the night free, although there won't be much to do there, it could work if you plan to arrive late and get some sleep. Search for 'Millers Rest NV'.

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26 July - Away early for the drive to Yosemite, about 3.5 - 4 hours. Arrive with enough time to get set up and do something in the afternoon.

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I would plan to arrive later and take time to stop over the Tioga Pass take in the views around Tuolumne meadows and Tenya lake etc. You could stop at Mono Lake or at least take in the view from Vista point at the start of CA120 up past the fuel station. You can also get a decent brunch in the café there called Woah Nellie Deli.

Having extra gloves is certainly worthwhile but they usually supply a pair for dumping waste and we don't find it to be a big deal. You basically connect a hose with a bayonet fitting and pull a lever to empty. Always empty black waste first and then the grey waste which acts as a flush through for the pipe.

Thanks Rick, I'll have a good look but our first rote plan (way before I came on here) started in Phoenix and went through Flagstaff but having to fly on to Vegas instead took that off our agenda. We do want to do Yosemite so I'll probably stick with what I have but there's plenty of time now to consider each of these options.

Tioga Pass sounds interesting, I saw it as a road from A to B but I can see it’s a lot more than that. I’ll plan that in.

We’d rejected Monument Valley when we changed the route but we are looking at it again. We went there last time and it is beautiful but of course the boys haven’t seen it. If we do that we would need to drop one of our planned activities in Page, but given what we now have in Zion, that’s a possibility.

I’ll look up Millers rest although I think my wife is looking forward to a night without any of us cooking!

Glad to hear the dumping is not too bad!

So I think we are now settled on our route! The final change was to stay in Zion for an extra night rather than Yosemite. We are just now finalising the minor details of things en route and where to stay.

Thank you all for the excellent advice and any more tips, tricks, articles or checklists would be very welcome especially on how to do things in the parks to avoid the most crowded areas as well as recommendations for campgrounds or where to stay in a campground.

Oh, and apparently we are going to watch RV tonight, do it suppose I’ll learn much from that 😂😂

Cheers

Pete

The 'Watchman' campground in Zion is the place to stay, it's convenient for the lovely town of Springdale and you use the nearby free shuttle bus system to get around the park. We booked a riverside site which was very nice. I think I mentioned previously, the 'Pines' campgrounds in Yosemite are centrally located in a wooded area, really nice. Go to the nps.gov site and se when the booking window opens and be prepared to book all NP lodgings straight away it does. I can't emphasis this enough, there are limited RV spaces and they are hugely popular !! It doesn't take to much to get away from big crowds in the park but you can expect a lot of people during the height of the season. I would suggest you buy supplies before heading into the parks and 'eat at home'. The eateries often have long queues, are overpriced and pretty average, besides you can't beat some good grub around the campfire with a couple of beers. The one exception is you may enjoy an evening out in Springdale, an easy walk from the campground.

On the way to Zion there are a couple of stops along the Mt Carmel highway, Checkaboard mesa and the canyon overlook trail but both have limited parking. You will have to pay $15 to go through the tunnel and will have to wait for a little while for them to halt traffic coming the other way which is normal for larger vehicles. It's a fantastic drive but make sure you are at the tunnel before 8pm or you won't be allowed through until 8am the following morning.

Between Zion and Tonopah you will drive the 'ET highway' (NV375) where you will pass the The Little A'le'Inn which is worth a quick stop for a refreshment and to look at the 'other worldly' photos all over the walls. Where NV375 meets US6 you will see some derelict buildings immediately you turn left, which is known as Warm Springs. It's quite a cool place to stretch the legs for 20 mins or so and have a look around. You can see the old stage post coral, an old generator room, old car wrecks and a man made hot tub/pool. If you walk up the hill following the sulphur trail a little way you will come to a natural hot spring bubbling out from the mountain that feeds the pool below. If you see some dust being kicked up in the distance it will likely be the Area 51 guards patrolling the area.

As for the RV, driving is quite straight forward, just give yourself time to adjust to the extra weight and size. You will soon adapt and be much more sensitive with steering and braking input etc. The back is wider then the front with a slightly wider wheel base so you have to park alongside a large kerb carefully and you need to remember you have an overhang at the back. So when pulling away from fuel pumps, parked cars by your side etc, steer out cautiously to avoid the back swinging out and catching something. While on single lane roads, especially slow twisty ones keep an eye on the traffic behind. If you are holding up traffic try and find a pull out and let them by rather than hold them up, you will be rewarded with a friendly toot of the horn and a wave and it takes the pressure off.

Oh yeah, nearly forget. At the first park you visit purchase an annual pass for $80 at the kiosk, visiting GC, Zion and Yosemite individually will cost $100 and it saves the trouble of digging around for money at each entry point.

Good list Dave! I have contacted Watchman and will be going for Pines in Yosemite as you suggested. The stops en route and ET highway sound great so we’ll look into that, I need to stop for breaks so it’s great to have some good options.

I’m sorted on the America the Beautiful Pass, I’ll order it online just before I go, just in case I go again within the year.

As for the RV driving, I’m not thinking about it too much at the moment but I might try to find a way to get some practice in a big vehicle here before I go.

We did watch RV last night and laughed a lot, I hope we don’t have the same experience although it all worked out in the end....ah!

I have to ask, are you in the Southwest of England or is the name because that’s where you like to tour when in the States?

Purchase the pass at the first park you come to, no need to order it online and pay the shipping and handling fee.

If you are traveling from Zion to Tonopah via the E.T, take I-15 south to NV-168 to US-93 north to NV-375. Alamo is the last fuel stop available until you get to Tonopah. The Little A'le'Inn has RV spots with water and electric for $20 if you want to stay there. No dump facilities.

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I have to ask, are you in the Southwest of England or is the name because that’s where you like to tour when in the States?

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I am on the south coast in Sussex and love to tour the Southwest of both countries, although the US version covers a rather larger area and is responsible for my board name ! ;-)

Hi everyone, So Christmas is out of the way and we are back to focussing on our trip and a few more questions have come up:

- We are spending our first night in Vegas and then picking up the RV and heading to Trailer Village on the South Rim which will be at least a 5 hour drive and as it's my first day in an RV it could be slower. I've read a lot about the collection process and how detailed and slow it is and we also need to go to a supermarket after we have collected the RV. So unless we are on the road by between 1:00 and 2:00 (which looks very unlikely) I am concerned about driving to Trailer Village. So I am considering stopping somewhere like Willow Beach Campground for the first night and then getting up early on the next day and heading to the Rim. Does that sound sensible or should I just head all the way there on the first day?

- We head on to Page Lake Powell Campground and should get there before lunch so we have the opportunity to do something that afternoon and the following morning before we move on to Zion. We have looked at the walking tour of Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon and the kayak tour through the flooded portion of Antelope Canyon. We can't choose between them and might do both but I'm interested in whether anyone has experience of these or other tours.

- After Zion we are stopping overnight in Tonopah Station en route to Yosemite. I spoke to them recently and they don't reserve RV pitches, it's on a first come first served basis. Being the summer, it could be busy and she said it will most likely bye full if we arrive after 2. So we will aim to be there by lunchtime but what options would we have if it's full? Can we just park up somewhere or is that illegal?

- Presumably, in any site that has electric, we can run AC or fans at all times? In the non electric sites (Only Yosemite I think) we would be dependant on the generator but you can't use that during quiet periods. Does that make the RV unbearably warm overnight?

Thanks so much for all the help so far!

Pete

It's hard to say what time you will get on the road by as it can depend on how busy they are and how many changeovers they are dealing with. In the past we have contacted the local CA office direct and requested an early pick up time, one was no problem and the other wouldn't commit to it, so you could contact them. If you have no luck I would get there an hour or so early and you may get lucky. If your hotel is near to a store you could do a basic shop before heading to your RV depot as well. As it's your first ever RV trip, stopping earlier may remove some pressure and allow you to relax a bit more while you adjust to the driving style. However, there are RV parks a bit further on that would give you more time to adjust to the vehicle, there is a KOA in Kingman which is also a route 66 town where you could settle down and get yourself organised. Don't forget you need to make beds and stow stuff away etc as well. You could go further so it's a matter of how you feel about it.

You may think you will get to Page by Lunchtime but if you haven't already stopped along Desertview drive on the way out the east entrance you could easily spend half a day just admiring the views. There are also some native American stalls along the roadside selling their wares and the Cameron Trading post on US89 which has fascinating stores. You don't have to stop but just keep in mind that each journey between 'A' and 'B' will have lots of opportunities to discover new things.

After Tonopah there is an overnight rest area called 'Millers rest' (Google it) and is a pretty cool spot just to rest up. From Zion you could take the ET Highway and stop at the Little A'Lien Inn for a bite and to look at the 'Out of this world' alien photos.

The overnight temps will be dependent on the outside temps but you can have air vents etc open to help.

Miller's Rest was mentioned in post #12. There's overnight RV parking at the Little A'Le'Inn as I mentioned in post #18.

You can't just park up anywhere, that's generally illegal.

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Originally Posted by Redw28

We have looked at the walking tour of Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon and the kayak tour through the flooded portion of Antelope Canyon. We can't choose between them and might do both but I'm interested in whether anyone has experience of these or other tours.

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Hello again! You've got that a bit mixed up. Antelope Canyon (both Upper and Lower) are the slot canyons, and they are strictly walking tours. Horseshoe Bend is NOT a slot canyon, it's the Colorado River and you most definitely won't be walking through there! I've not done the kayak tour (of Horseshoe Bend), but I'm sure it would be fun. There's also an overlook, about half a mile from the highway, where folks commonly go just to look down on the amazing view of the 270 degree bend.

I've toured Antelope Canyon many times, and it's become so insanely popular that you can't just walk up and join a tour anymore, you need to pre-book (especially in the summer). The Upper Canyon and the Lower Canyon are seperate; (seperate admission, seperate tour companies); Upper Antelope Canyon is more popular, and more expensive, because it involves transportation to the canyon from Page, and does not require any climbing. It's a small area, and there are multiple tour companies, so it gets a bit like Times Square on New Year's Eve (with everybody taking selfies)!

The Lower Canyon has a parking lot that's walking distance from the entrance, so no transportation is required. The Lower Canyon is longer, and narrower, so the crowds are more spread out and it doesn't ever seem quite as jam-packed. The only drawback: the lower canyon requires climbing up and down steep metal ladders. Mid-day tours are best for taking pictures at either location. If you seriously want to see Antelope Canyon, reserve your spot on a tour as far ahead of time as possible.

Rick

Thanks for the quick response guys!

Dave, I did see KOA and that looks interesting but I didn't realise it was on Route 66 (might have to take a guitar!) so that looks really interesting. I am planning on talking to them about an early pick up but as you say, experience seems mixed. We have been to the Canyon before but it was before the kids were born so it's a fair point that we may well stop along the way for other options. Good thing is that if we only pick one tour in Page we have plenty of time.

Had a quick google of millers rest and that looks an interesting option.

GLC, Thanks, I thought it was illegal!

Rick, just goes to show how difficult it is without help! This is the site that is advertising the Horseshoe ben slot canyon tour, sounds like it's different to the main area?
This one is the kayaking tour. We like to kayak which is why it appealed and it looks like a different canyon to the other one.

Really appreciate all the help!

Peter

Thanks for the links--that changes just about everything I said! Looks like "Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon" is a completely different slot canyon that's in the same area as Antelope Canyon, and has nothing to do with the Horseshoe Bend on the Colorado River. The Antelope Canyon kayaking tour explores a segment of Antelope Canyon that's much closer to the lake, NOT the area with the world-famous walking tours. I'm not personally familiar with either of those excursions, so I can't yell you much more than that. If you end up doing those tours, it would be great if you could report back to us, and let us know how it went!

Rick

Of course Rick, I’ll report back on all aspects of the trip. I can’t wait!

Hi again! Thanks to all the help I received with my original post, we have a great trip planned starting in Las Vegas going around Grand Canyon, Antelope, Zion, Yosemite and in to San Francisco.

However, on the trip from Watchman, Zion to Upper Pines, Yosemite we are stopping in Tonopah for the night to break up the drive. We have three nights in Zion and only two in Yosemite, so only one full day. So I am thinking about trying to do the trip in one day to gain a valuable day in Yosemite. Is this possible? I expect it to take nearly 12 hours including breaks and I could bale out at one of the campgrounds near Lee Vining and have just 2 hours in the morning to get there and have most of the day in the park. I am assuming that whilst I can’t check in at that time I can park around Yosemite village.

What do you think? Is it worth trying?

Thanks.

Peter

moderator note: please don't create new threads to ask addition questions about this same trip.

It might be possible, but it is certainly a bad idea, and not just because it's way too far to try and travel in a day in an RV (although that's an issue too).

Under your plan, you're completely dismissing Tioga Pass and the high country as a part of Yosemite to be enjoyed, instead trying to race over it, at the end of a brutally long day on the road.

Also, it's all but guaranteed that any campground near Lee vining will be packed full long before you arrive. You could probably find a place to park and boondock, but even that will be something of a challenge, especially after 500 miles of rv travel.

Thanks Michael (and sorry for the new thread��).

I had forgotten about the recommendation for Tioga pass in my attempt to maximise time in Yosemite. I’ve had a quick look and I can see that I can make more than a day of travelling through there and stopping for walks.

Looks like Tonopah is the last proper RV site before there so parking there overnight and then driving the following morning through Tioga pass and stopping en route before arriving at upper pines (hopefully as can’t book it until 15th March) late afternoon might not only be the easiest option for me driving wise but also provide us with some amazing views on the way.

I’m definitely happy not to drive that far in a day so any tips about wher to stop on Tioga pass would much appreciated.

Ok, so I heeded the advice and booked the campgrounds as soon as they became available. However, there is a problem with Yosemite. I was online as they became available but they just disappeared as I watched. Every time i selected one, it had already gone.

But I did manage to get my 2 nights, just in 2 different pitches.

Are there any options to try to resolve this so I don't have to check out and in again? I don't want to waste any of our exploring time when we are there!

Thanks.

The best thing you can do is to frequently check back to the reservation site and look for sites that open up for 2 days because of cancellations. Grab them, and then cancel your previous reservation.

It will really be a matter of a luck of the draw, but things do open up. I've been in the same situation, and had it work out.

Worst case, you have to move. Checking in and out really isn't that much of a hassle most of the time.

Thanks Michael, good to know it’s not too difficult and I’ll check back regularly.

On the route from Watchman Campground to Yosemite, are there any food stores where we can stock up?

You will find stores along the way. There's a Walmart just west of Hurricane, Family Dollar in Tonopah and local stores in Springdale and Lee Vining plus a lot of gas stations and other small towns have provisions so you won't starve. ;-)

Are you not stopping on route ?

There is a supermarket in downtown Springdale.

Thanks guys that’s really comforting to know.

Dave, we will be stopping and have options at Tonopah and Millers Rest but if possible I’d like to get as far as June Lake so we have as much time the following day on the Tioga Pass area before we get into Yosemite proper.

That's good news, you want to enjoy Tioga pass and just wouldn't have the time if you were attempting to get into Yosemite valley. There is an RV site in Lee Vining near to Mono Lake as well, I have not stayed there and it does get mixed reviews but could do the job for a nights sleep.

I’ve found Golden Pines RV park in June Lake that looks good. Reviews look good and it’s on the lake and in town so we can get there late afternoon or early evening and stroll our for a meal and a few beers after a long day driving!

Is Tioga Pass open?????


Donna

No, but this trip isn't until July.