Yosemite-Vegas. Hotel stop off location?
Discussion
Morning all.
Road trip planned for end October. Staying a couple of nights in San Fran, then driving down to Carmel for a night (2 hours) then on to Yosemite for a night (4 hours) but we need another stop off before we hit Vegas.
Can anyone suggest a nice area to stop off for the night (maybe 2-3 hours from Yosemite) making the final leg easier to manage?!
Thanks in advance!
Road trip planned for end October. Staying a couple of nights in San Fran, then driving down to Carmel for a night (2 hours) then on to Yosemite for a night (4 hours) but we need another stop off before we hit Vegas.
Can anyone suggest a nice area to stop off for the night (maybe 2-3 hours from Yosemite) making the final leg easier to manage?!
Thanks in advance!
The Tioga pass through Yosemite and then down the east side of the Sierra mountains and through Death Valley is the way to go, and anywhere along there will be quite interesting... BUT this assumes the mountain pass through Yosemite doesn't close early due to snow (as it is closed Winter/Spring, but I'm not sure on the average closure date as it varies each year). The alternative route south through central California and round is a lot less interesting!
Hub said:
The Tioga pass through Yosemite and then down the east side of the Sierra mountains and through Death Valley is the way to go, and anywhere along there will be quite interesting... BUT this assumes the mountain pass through Yosemite doesn't close early due to snow (as it is closed Winter/Spring, but I'm not sure on the average closure date as it varies each year). The alternative route south through central California and round is a lot less interesting!
It closed at the start of October last year. We drove in via Tioga but then couldn't get out. We were due to stay in Mammoth Lakes to break up the journey before we got to Death Valley but instead had to do a very long mostly uninteresting drive for as long as we could stand then find a motel along the way. What made it worse was that we were already at Mariposa Grove (south end of Yosemite) and asked a guide if Tioga was open, they said it was but in the 2 hour drive to get to the other gate it was then shut annoyingly. If you’re going to risk it make sure you have a plan B. It turned out to be about a 9 hour diversion in the end!Death Valley is awesome and a destination in itself rather than just a stop over on the way to or from Vegas. I stayed at Stovewell Pipes. It’s pretty well placed sort of in the middle to get to the interesting stuff but you’ll have to drive anywhere you want to go but most things are within 45 mins tops I’d say. If you’re not bothered about Death Valley I’d look at somewhere like Beatty which is a proper town with cheap accommodation. It’s not in the national park though.
llewop said:
as above - Death Valley
We stopped at Furnace Creek Inn - there is also the Ranch there, but the Inn is the posher bit. Was very nice as I recall, rattlesnake something-or-other starter was the notable element of dinner. Swimming pool so warm it was 'odd' to try and swim properly
Now he points itr out, we were at the Inn. Ranch only open in peak times as i recall. Didn't spot a swimming pool, but we were doing the arrive late as poss / leave dead early thing (Yosemite is gob smackingly awesome, spend as long as poss there).We stopped at Furnace Creek Inn - there is also the Ranch there, but the Inn is the posher bit. Was very nice as I recall, rattlesnake something-or-other starter was the notable element of dinner. Swimming pool so warm it was 'odd' to try and swim properly
Hub said:
The Tioga pass through Yosemite and then down the east side of the Sierra mountains and through Death Valley is the way to go, and anywhere along there will be quite interesting... BUT this assumes the mountain pass through Yosemite doesn't close early due to snow (as it is closed Winter/Spring, but I'm not sure on the average closure date as it varies each year). The alternative route south through central California and round is a lot less interesting!
The Yosemite NP website has the opening and closing dates for the Tioga Pass since 1980 on this pagehttp://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tiogaopen.ht...
As for accomodation, I looked at staying in Death Valley last year on my way from Vegas to Yosemite, but there was either no availability or what was available was more than I was willing to pay and I stayed in the Best Western in Lone Pine, nothing fancy, but fine for an overnight stop off. Mammoth Lakes was another one I looked at, which is a bit further up hwy 395, but decided against it as it was touch and go as to whether the Tioga Pass would be open and staying in Lone Pine gave me the option of heading south, cutting across to Bakersfield, up to Yosemite on the west side of the Sierra Nevadas if needs be, luckily it opened the day before I was due to drive over there.
chrismcg1 said:
Soooooo Death Valley is the only option? Checking hotels as far as I can see there is only with availability - the Furnace Creek one - $385 for the 26th October - midweek does this sound right - seems a bit pricey to me.... with taxes on top! (or am I being a tight bugger?)
Stovepipe Wells is about $140. Both times I've stayed there, their website said fully booked. You are best phoning them up or turning up on the day.Death Valley would be a good option really. Mammoth Lakes is another, but it's not exactly half way, and would give you a 6hr drive to Vegas.
I am going there in a couple of days, and am staying at the Furnace Creek Ranch. I looked at Stovepipe Wells, but the photos on Trip Advisor dont sell it all that well!
I am going there in a couple of days, and am staying at the Furnace Creek Ranch. I looked at Stovepipe Wells, but the photos on Trip Advisor dont sell it all that well!
If Tioga pass is closed (which it is pretty likely to be) it's very tough doing it in a day. I ended up taking a detour around a very snowy Lake Tahoe and entering the park from the west. The journey was pretty close to 20 hours, which isn't great when the last 14 are in the snow without chains...
If Tioga pass is open, it's easy in a day. Stop wherever you like in Death Valley (which is amazing). If there is snow, it's very hard to plan the route you'll take as you have no idea which roads will be open.
Yosemite to Vegas is roughly 400 miles and 8 or 9 hours drive.
Yosemite to Vegas with the high passes closed could be as much as 750 miles. So it is like driving from Cambridge to Lands End, but taking a detour around Manchester when you get to Bristol, but without the motorways.
Don't underestimate how much snow can fall and how quickly it builds up, even in October....
If Tioga pass is open, it's easy in a day. Stop wherever you like in Death Valley (which is amazing). If there is snow, it's very hard to plan the route you'll take as you have no idea which roads will be open.
Yosemite to Vegas is roughly 400 miles and 8 or 9 hours drive.
Yosemite to Vegas with the high passes closed could be as much as 750 miles. So it is like driving from Cambridge to Lands End, but taking a detour around Manchester when you get to Bristol, but without the motorways.
Don't underestimate how much snow can fall and how quickly it builds up, even in October....
clarkey said:
Useful stuff plus-Don't underestimate how much snow can fall and how quickly it builds up, even in October...
It's not just the snow, I've been up it when pretty large rocks have fell onto the roads through high wind, supprised it wasn't close then. Tried not to think of it that much as there were no nets as you'd see in the UK and I was in a convertible..........
Matt.. said:
Death Valley would be a good option really. Mammoth Lakes is another, but it's not exactly half way, and would give you a 6hr drive to Vegas.
I am going there in a couple of days, and am staying at the Furnace Creek Ranch. I looked at Stovepipe Wells, but the photos on Trip Advisor dont sell it all that well!
A couple being 2? I'm there on the 17th on wards. Wasn't planning on staying but may do so now. I've driven from Miami, and currently in Flagstaff. I am going there in a couple of days, and am staying at the Furnace Creek Ranch. I looked at Stovepipe Wells, but the photos on Trip Advisor dont sell it all that well!
I cannot wait to get to Yosemite and find a few twistys.
We went early this year and tioga was closed, not too bad a drive going down via Bakersfield but as others have said its a bit dull. We stopped at Ridgecrest/China Lake for the night, can't remember the hotel but was a big new hotel with decent facilities/gym/pool etc.
Got up for brekkie and the place was full of fighter pilots! A lot stay there while working at the China lake weapons testing facility.
About 1 hour or so onto death valley from there.
Got up for brekkie and the place was full of fighter pilots! A lot stay there while working at the China lake weapons testing facility.
About 1 hour or so onto death valley from there.
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