Expert: Steve Summers - 3/9/2010

Question
Driving from Vegas through DV, then through Yosemite.  How long time wise is this trip, and is there somewhere to stay that you recommend outside DV towards Yosemite,? Independence, Bishop, maybe? This trip is happening at the end of July.  HOT, yes, we know. Did OZ last December and it was 42 in the Outback and we survived!

Answer
Hi Judy,

It's 447 miles from LV to Yosemite Valley, via Tioga Pass. Tioga Pass is the most direct route, and IMHO, the most beautiful. The road is closed in winter, and opens around May or June, so the end of July will be a good time to take it.

This should be quite a trip. You'll be going from the lowest point in North America to one of the highest in a matter of hours.

Leave Vegas early, to beat some of the heat. My recommendation is that you stay in Mammoth Lakes, which will be refreshingly cool compared to the desert heat. Speaking of which, temperatures in the desert there can reach above 46C/115F that time of year, so make sure the air conditioning works in your car. Bishop is about 300 miles from Vegas, and is definitely doable. However, it can be hot and humid in Bishop, which is why I recommend staying in Mammoth Lakes that night. It should take 5 hours of driving to reach Bishop, and another hour to reach Mammoth. While you're in Bishop, stop at Schatt's Bakery for some yummy baked goods and delicious sandwiches on sheepherder's bread. We LOVE the roast beef sanwiches, and always take one to go when we return from Yosemite or Tahoe via 395. We usually stop at Lone Pine Park in Lone Pine, on the west side of the road for a picnic. Shady picnic tables, and a little creek that runs right through the park, which you don't see in the Los Angeles area! Anyways, after spending a night in Bishop when it was hot and humid all night, we vowed to never again spend a night in Bishop. So it might work for you to stay in Bishop, but I always like to recommend Mammoth Lakes. There's a local sports bar/restaurant in town called Grumpy's, where we really like to grab a meal and relax. It's within walking distance of where we stay.

From Mammoth Lakes, it's about 105 miles to Yosemite Valley. Figure about 4 hours to get there, because once you get to Lee Vining, you're doing some serious mountain driving. There are many tempting places to stop, or at least admire, along the way. And it's interesting to note that you'll be going from 200 feet below sea level (Death Valley) to over 10,000 feet at Tioga Pass, the highest National Park entrance in the country. Places of interest include Tuolumne Meadows, Olmstead Point, and some of the vistas as you get close to Yosemite Valley. We always stop at Olmsetad Point for lunch and a view.

Once in the valley, check out the bike rentals at Curry Village or Yosemite Village. It's SO fun to go riding through the valley,and there are many bike trails. The shuttle busses that run through the valley are definitely the way to get around to the spots you want to see. And I can personally recommend the Glacier Point tour, and the Valley Floor tour, if you're interested. I've even taken the Glacier Point tour to Glacier Point, then taken a trail down to the valley (both the 4-mile trail and the 8-mile trail).

Have fun!