Trip from Las Vegas to Yosemite in Winter

My colleagues and I will travel to LV to attend a conference. And we
plan to take a side trip from Las Vegas(about on21st. Jan. 2006) to
Yomemite, then to Los Angeles(Within 1 Week).

Could anybody here know the best route(scenic and easy to drive)? Is
there a possibility that some roads are closed at this time of the
season? If so, where can we get the information about the status of the
road.

Thanks in advance for your help.

wrote in message
oups.com...
My colleagues and I will travel to LV to attend a conference. And we
plan to take a side trip from Las Vegas(about on21st. Jan. 2006) to
Yomemite, then to Los Angeles(Within 1 Week).

Could anybody here know the best route(scenic and easy to drive)? Is
there a possibility that some roads are closed at this time of the
season? If so, where can we get the information about the status of the
road.

Thanks in advance for your help.


You'll need to cross over from LV to Southern California, then head north on
the western side of the Sierra Nevada. Don't have my map in front of me, so
I won't quote highway names at this time. Yosemite is beautiful in the
winter. Check CalTrans website to find highway information. Also,
California Highway Patrol website.

wrote:
My colleagues and I will travel to LV to attend a conference. And we
plan to take a side trip from Las Vegas(about on21st. Jan. 2006) to
Yomemite, then to Los Angeles(Within 1 Week).

Could anybody here know the best route(scenic and easy to drive)? Is
there a possibility that some roads are closed at this time of the
season? If so, where can we get the information about the status of the
road.

Thanks in advance for your help.


Highway 120 (Tioga Pass) is closed already. This is the eastern
entrance to Yosemite. You'll need to take I-15 to Barstow, then SR-58
to Bakersfield, then SR-99 north to SR-41 at Fresno. From there you
have some options. SR-41 will take you to the southern entrance, but
it's possible that it will be closed for a while. You can take 41 to
SR-49, then to SR-120, which is the main entrance to Yosemite Valley. 49
is open all year, but could have brief closures. This is the route that
MS Streets came up with, about 10:39 driving time. 99 also connects
with 49, but taking it that far adds about 30 min.

I-15 and SR-58 are through the desert, which can be very scenic, but
tedious. 99 is boring, but fast. I haven't driven on those parts of 49
and 41, so I don't know how they are. Check road conditions at
www.dot.ca.gov.

In article ,
Jeff Lanam wrote:

Highway 120 (Tioga Pass) is closed already. This is the eastern
entrance to Yosemite. You'll need to take I-15 to Barstow, then SR-58
to Bakersfield, then SR-99 north to SR-41 at Fresno. From there you
have some options. SR-41 will take you to the southern entrance, but
it's possible that it will be closed for a while. You can take 41 to
SR-49, then to SR-120, which is the main entrance to Yosemite Valley.

120 is the main entrance if you're coming from the Bay Area, unless
you're in the South Bay like I am, in which case 140 is about the
same distance. But the important thing about 140 is that it goes
up the Merced River Canyon, so it's never higher than Yosemite Valley
itself, unlike 41 and 120. Ergo, it's much less likely to have a snow
closure. So if 41 is closed anywhere before Yosemite Valley, 140 is
the best backup plan for someone coming from the south.

Here's where to find more information:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/conditions.htm

Anyone thinking of visiting Yosemite during the winter should be
carrying snow chains. Even though I have a 4WD car with snow tires,
and thus would only need to put on chains in R3 conditions, I've
been asked whether I have them ready. They can refuse you entrance
to the park if you don't meet the current requirements.


Patty

Patty Winter wrote:
Jeff Lanam wrote:
Highway 120 (Tioga Pass) is closed already . . . . SR-41 will take
you to the southern entrance, but it's possible that it will be
closed for a while. You can take 41 to SR-49, then to SR-120, which
is the main entrance to Yosemite Valley.

Highway 140 has considerably greater spectacularity! By me, it's the
ONLY way to go!

120 is the main entrance . . . the important thing about 140 is that
it goes up the Merced River Canyon . . . it's much less likely to
have a snow closure.

Here's where to find more information:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/conditions.htm

Anyone thinking of visiting Yosemite during the winter should be
carrying snow chains . . . They can refuse you entrance to the park
if you don't meet the current requirements.

This year I used each of the three entrances to Yosemite.

On July 8, I wrote under the Subject:
YOSEMITE-The ONLY way to go!

If you're entering Yosemite National Park from the West, there's only
one way to go*:

San Francisco-Yosemite Village via Central Yosemite Highway (140):
210.1 miles (338.1km) take 3:56

Yes . . .

San Francisco-Yosemite Village via Northern Yosemite Highway (120):
191.0 miles (307.4km) take 3:45

.. . . is shorter and quicker BUT, via Highway 140, it's only nine miles
and eleven minutes longer. So why take the longer route? Its
considerably greater spectacularity! By me, it's the ONLY way to go!
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wrote in message
oups.com...
My colleagues and I will travel to LV to attend a conference. And we
plan to take a side trip from Las Vegas(about on21st. Jan. 2006) to
Yomemite, then to Los Angeles(Within 1 Week).

Could anybody here know the best route(scenic and easy to drive)? Is
there a possibility that some roads are closed at this time of the
season? If so, where can we get the information about the status of the
road.

Thanks in advance for your help.


You are looking at a major trip. As you have to go to SoCal and take 88 up
to Fresno. Other than Yosemite Valley and the narrow valley itself and the
hanging falls, the Mammoth Lakes / Bishop area is very similar to a lot of
the area and is better looking than most of Yosemite. And a lot quicker to
get to. If visiting LA and Las Vegas and only a week, I would remove
Yosemite from the list. Seeing Boulder / Hoover Dam and LA will take a
week.

With Tioga pass closed in the winter there is no access from the east. You
would have to go through Bakersfield or Sacramento and even those passes may
be snowed in or require chains. See the following web site:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/now/tioga.htm for further information.

"Bill McKee" wrote in message
nk.net...

wrote in message
oups.com...
My colleagues and I will travel to LV to attend a conference. And we
plan to take a side trip from Las Vegas(about on21st. Jan. 2006) to
Yomemite, then to Los Angeles(Within 1 Week).

Could anybody here know the best route(scenic and easy to drive)? Is
there a possibility that some roads are closed at this time of the
season? If so, where can we get the information about the status of the
road.

Thanks in advance for your help.


You are looking at a major trip. As you have to go to SoCal and take 88
up to Fresno. Other than Yosemite Valley and the narrow valley itself and
the hanging falls, the Mammoth Lakes / Bishop area is very similar to a
lot of the area and is better looking than most of Yosemite. And a lot
quicker to get to. If visiting LA and Las Vegas and only a week, I would
remove Yosemite from the list. Seeing Boulder / Hoover Dam and LA will
take a week.




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Thank you very much.

On 18 Dec 2005 07:03:48 GMT, (Patty Winter)
wrote:

120 is the main entrance if you're coming from the Bay Area, unless
you're in the South Bay like I am . . .

It's the main engtrance if you're coming from Las Vegas, too. If
it's summer.


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