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Hi Can anyone tell me how accessable Highway 50 is in January. We wish to travel from San Francisco to Yellowstone. Would this be the best route?
Regards Linda
Highway 50 in January
Hi Can anyone tell me how accessable Highway 50 is in January. We wish to travel from San Francisco to Yellowstone. Would this be the best route?
Regards Linda
Depends on the weather
I know this sounds like a dumb statement -- but it really depends on the weather. During heavy snowstorms, two-lane routes like US-50 will have less snow-removal resources than the interstate highways. But, if you make sure you check with the highway departments within 12 hours of your intended travel (to ensure the segment is open) you should have little to no problems. If snow is threatened, I would probably choose I-80 to I-15 and north. The other problem with US-50 is that it is not a very direct shot if your destination is Yellowstone.Originally Posted by fatcatz29
Mark
MS Streets & Trips suggests this as the quickest route at 989 miles:
I-80 from San Francisco to Wells, NV
93 to Twin Falls, ID
I-84, then I-86 to Pocatello, ID
I-15 to Idaho Falls, ID
20 to Yellostone
Of course, if you want to drive on 50.....go for it. But just wanted to let you know of a quicker option of time is a factor.
San francisco to Salt lake City how long?
Hi can anyone tell me how long it would take to drive from San Francisco to Salt lake City please along highway 80. Is there anything worth looking at along the way.
Thanks Judy
Thanks for the alternative. How long do you think that trip would take? Its not that we are in a particular hurry just want to know whether we should allow and overnight stop or not. Would all these roads be passable in January? have any of these places got anything worth seeing.
Regards Linda
736 miles
I would figure about 14 hours for the drive, for an average driver. Sightseeing stops are extra. This is a scenic drive from one end to the other, across the Sierras, along the old California Trail & past the Bonneville Salt Flats. You could spend days exploring the attractions along the way. If you like the Old West and mining history, you might start with the area around Virginia City. Bob
Thanks Bob
Thanks Bob that is really helpfull. This will be our first trip to the states. There is so much to do. I am finding it hard to imagine the distances living in the UK. We are flying in to San Francisco on the 10th January planning to stay there until the 15th and then drive to Salt Lake City or direct to Yellowstone. So judging by what has been said here an overnight stay would be good. Would we need to book somewhere or would we just find somewhere on the way? Although we are not on too much of a budget we don't want to blow all of our money on accomodation if you know what I mean.
We plan to spend a couple of nights at Yellowstone and then travel south to The Grand Canyon visiting (Salt Lake City if we bypass it on the way) Bryce Canyon ect. We would like to do a float trip on the River and a helecopter ride. We plan to be in Las Vegas on the 22nd until the 25th when we will get married.
We then plan to travel from Vegas through Death Valley/Sequoia National Park visit Yosemite and then back to Vegas Stopping where necessary. We fly back on the 30th Jan. We orriginally planned the trip the other way round but there is a big convention in Las Vegas the week we would be there so have had to change our plans. We understand there may/will be snow. Do hire vehicles come with chains or would we have to purchase them? Do you think we will need them?
We will be booking our accomodation in San Francisco and Las Vegas but am not sure about the rest. What would you recommend, Book in advance or just take pot luck? I would be grateful for any advice. You guys are doing a great job with this site.
Regards Linda
Chains and rental Vehicles
I can just about guarantee that any rental vehicle you get will prohibit the use of chains on the vehicle. That being said, it is easy to find the right size of chains for most passenger vehicle tires. What I always recommend, is to carry them as a hedge of actually needing them. There is some really good info on this forum about chains -- I would recommend searching for the threads under this keyword.
Mark
Not likely you'll need to book reservations at that time of year, you can almost always find something.Would we need to book somewhere or would we just find somewhere on the way?
The helicopter ride is no problem any time of year, but the float trip can be difficult if not impossible to arrange at the last minute. You may not have any trouble getting a half day or 1 day trip scheduled, maybe up at Marble Canyon. But I'd start looking into that NOW so you are not disappointed.We would like to do a float trip on the River and a helicopter ride.
Congratulations on the impending marriage!We plan to be in Las Vegas on the 22nd until the 25th when we will get married.
Note Mark's comments on the chains... Just stay flexible in terms of routing and timing (as much as you can) and you'll not likely have problems. We can almost always find an alternative route to get somewhere if one road is closed or icy, another will probably be open -- with a few exceptions of course. I've lived in the intermountain west all of my life and I don't even OWN a set of chains. Not that I couldn't have used a set once or twice.We understand there may/will be snow. Do hire vehicles come with chains or would we have to purchase them? Do you think we will need them?
Don't take I80 unless you have to because of weather (or if you are skipping SLC). US50 is a much nicer drive and I15 north to SLC is quite pleasant too especially in the winter. I would take I80 from SF to Reno then cut over to US50 if time or mildly snowy weather is an issue, note that it can be Very cold in Nevada at that time of year, easily down to 0F or lower. (I drove US50 at -5F last December)
What are you going to do in Yellowstone? Most of it is shut in the winter though there are tours in specialized vehicles.
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