how far is yosemite national park from las vegas

It was all lovely, well made food. The longer route that most travelers take during the winter months when Tioga Pass is closed is approximately 450 miles (about a 7-hour drive) viaI-15 and CA-99. Can You Swim In Florida In the Wintertime? Well, youll want to take an alternative route, traveling along the Central Valley via I-15 and CA-99, located west of the Sierra Nevada mountains. With so much to see in between, I highly recommend taking your time and make an adventure out of it! If you put your ear close to the ground, youll hear salt crystals popping from expanding and contracting in the heat! One top photo spot in Death Valley that also should be on your list is Devils Golf Course. Driving from Phoenix to Yosemite National Park will take you through the best of the southwest if you choose the 870-mile Scenic Route, which will take about 16 hours and 40 minutes (not accounting for stops). Check them out here: Yes! This entrance fee is good for 7 days. May 1, 2023, 4:23 p.m. Save. Deep, narrow canyon with a dirt road, limestone rock formations, petroglyphs & native plants. You could also take the U.S. 95 to the U.S. 6, or the western route, which cuts through Death Valley. The largest crater of the national park is about 600 feet deep and 1/2 mile across. There are a few different hikes depending on ability and time. The Ghost Town Rhyolite is right next to it, also worth exploring. Here's the quick answer if you are able to make this entire trip by car without stopping. Lots of RV station and camping ground are located here. After that, the road trails along to Manzanar National Historic Site, a memorial marking one of the internment camps where Japanese Americans were incarcerated during World War II. This area was a favorite spot of John Muirs and was a big reason why he wanted Yosemite to be a National Park in the first place! And, for the grammers, expect several lookouts with stunning views over Red Rock Canyon itself. My 5 year old went with us but got quite tired on the return trip and I did carry him on my back a bit. Did not hear or see one jackpot in our stay here. Below are some of the best things to do on the Vegas to Yosemite winter route! If you are visiting Death Valley, this picturesque place has to be on your must-see list. Definitely good value since it is near the city (40 mins) and has perfect moderate difficulty slopes. Admission is a donation. An hour and 16 minutes away from the park's gate, Fresno offers visitors an urban experience, complete with a plethora of restaurants, cultural centers, and outlets. Watch out when you are stopped at the side of the slope because many riders are coming out of the woods. The Mesquite Flat sand dunes are the most accessible sand dunes in Death Valley, next to Stovepipe Wells. There is a lot of gravel on the path going down, making it a lot easier to hike down to the bottom of the crater. Calico Ghost Town is such an exciting stop on the Vegas to Yosemite winter route! Though this summer hardly any water flowing in the river. A beautiful and informative stop along the 395 highway. Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area sits just outside the western edge of Las Vegas. You can admire Half Dome from Mirror Lake or hike it yourself if you have a permit. The canyon is a one-way scenic drive with lots of fun stops along the way. The scenic itinerary will have you driving along Death Valley, then the impossibly scenic Sierra Nevada range and its constituent parks. They relax briefly on the nearly empty patio. Impossible. It is the oldest and fabled attraction of Death Valley. Mammoth Mountain is a huge draw for the area, and people come from all over the world to hit the slopes here. Very fun place for kids and adults to explore 4 different varieties of sand dunes all in close proximity. It was very scenic with towering trees and cascading rock formations fluttering in my eyes. 2 hours and 52 minutes out from Yosemite (roughly 168 miles), you'll find Bakersfield, CA. The halfway point is Escalon, CA. To get into the park, itll just be a quick 13-mile drive via the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite. Once a lake bed, this area has now dried up leaving salt formations in its place. The restaurant, bar and restrooms look great!! 4. Weathered buildings sit frozen in time on a dusty, windswept plain. Enjoy this peaceful Yosemite time. You have to spend several hours here and not rush it to truly appreciate Bodie. Because The Barstow Station is a major stop for tour buses, youll find that its one of the bigger towns along the way. While youre here, dont miss the Neon Boneyard Museum, a visit to the Arts District, Area 15, and of course, a walk on the Las Vegas Strip! That means if you decide to leave the park to explore all the cool landmarks to the east or west of the park, youll be able to get back into the park within 7 days without having to pay that fee again. The road stretches along the southern edge of the meadow and is the only road that crosses the High Sierra. You'll make it back to the road refreshed and a little more knowledgeable. All the exhibits were amazing, informative, and full of history! 185 helpful votes. It has 30 miles of stunning hiking trails, biking paths, and rock climbing spots amongst the deep red Aztec sandstone cliffs. Just an abandoned town and dreams of making it rich gone bust.. Its a doable road by car but not a fun road by car. If you have an extra day to spare on your Las Vegas to Yosemite road trip, this is undoubtedly going to be the most memorable stop. Artist's Drive loop. They were quick to accommodate us. We were hungry, so we returned to the hotel for lunch and reviewed the park maps to make plans. If youre going to be stopping here for the night, do not miss theSkyline Drive-In Theater! If you want to visit an attraction thats close to Fresno, but actually a part of Yosemite National Park, youve got to add Mariposa Grove as a stop. Another iconic view of Death Valley is available at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes the most famous and accessible of the national parks numerous dune sites. There are a few natural pools to choose from, all of which have hot mineral waters that emerge from the ground, flow down rock formations, and finally reach the pools at a comfortable temperature. We took the Discovery Loop, it is right about 1 mile and took about an hour with stopping for photos and to read the many plaques along the trail. Our excitement continued when the sun rose over the dunes and created intense contrasting shadows that made us feel like we were in a computer screen. Did you know that Las Vegas is less than an hour away from some of the best natural scenery in the world?. Yes, there are sand dunes in the Death Valley National park, but the most popular is the Mesquite flat. Navigate backward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Theres a tour of the grounds and buildings, but photography inside the house is prohibited. As short as five and a half hours or an elongated eleven, the drive from Las Vegas to Yosemite is a treasure trove of stunning landscapes and historical towns. This 11,059-ft. lava dome mountain features a winter ski resort & summer biking. Although it's hard to quantify, getting from Las Vegas to Yosemite National Park is just as much of an adventure as the park itself, if not more. . This spot makes a dramatic photoshoot location. You can literally find so much to do. Tioga Road is a road through Yosemites high country that offers many spectacular views and has a host of attractions to check out along the way. So run and dig on the sand and see the shimmering beauty create magic. The dunes rise as high as 100 feet and cover a huge area. The 195,819-acre (79,245-hectare) Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area in Nevada comprises a network of narrow canyons, seasonal waterfalls, rock art sites, and surreal rock formations with ample opportunity for hiking, biking, rock climbing, and desert wildlife watching, all a short drive from Las Vegas. For more information about this Yosemite pit stop, check out its website. Recommended Bus, train, drive Take the bus from Las Vegas to Bakersfield Beautiful springs and boardwalks for hiking, and outstanding interpretive exhibits! Easily accessible hot spring are rare, so expect this site to be crowded on weekends, and expect a diverse crowd of people. Currently, Scottys Castle is closed due to flood damage and it is not expected to reopen until fall 2021. Nice cool weather (on labor day weekend) when the valley was 100f. The red rock formations are unforgettable as are the petroglyphs and the unique and beautiful scenery. Head east to CA-190 W, and continue until you see the signs for Mesquite Sand Dunes. Not a good location for Las Vegas. Las Vegas, NV to Manzanar NHS . We drove this route a couple of years ago, going from Yosemite to Las Vegas. 185 helpful votes. I think its place #1 you should go! On your way to the park's main entrance, you can ogle at the 500 mature giant sequoias growing undisturbed in this grove. At it's source the hot spring can be too hot to touch, though most of the pools range from hot-tub like temperatures to luke warm. a detailed post about the best things to do in Death Valley National Park, a day trip from Las Vegas (itinerary available here), read about our visit to the Fresno Zoo here, where to see Redwood Sequoia trees in California, Beyond The Cherry Blossoms: 5 Family-Friendly (& Free!) Dont mind if I do. The sand dunes display spectacular golden glow at sunset but the pristine contours at sunrise is also worth the effort. You will be able to see the dunes before even getting inside the parking lot, as they are quite massive, some around 150ft! There is also a short interpretive trail behind the building, winding over to the lakes shoreline. Travel back in time to this two-story Spanish Colonial Revival style villa built in the 1920s and experience the stark contrast of the luxurious home against the harsh desert landscape. Follow a 0.7km interpretive loop trail along the cliffs to learn a little geology and see jaw-dropping scenery. By far the best time to take a soak in these pools is before/during sunrise and during sunset. The most accessible sand dunes are the Mesquite Dunes in Stovepipe Wells. First: dont trust google maps. The hike down is around 500 feet down. Yosemite National Park gets 4 million visitors per year. Me and my family have wonderful memories there and is hard to see it go. Tips For Finding The Cheapest Flights Possible, 13 Best Stops On A Las Vegas to Yosemite Road Trip. You can finish your long day like we did, with a treat at In and Out a short drive away after you get down from the mountain :). You might think about doing the Mesquite Sand Dunes now, considering youre going to pass right by it, but wed recommend waiting until sunset, which is a far better time to be out there, when the dramatic shadows bring out the texture of the sand, and the golden light illuminates the dunes in a deep orange color. For just a $7 entry fee, you can get your fill of rock climbing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and hiking! The Mariposa Grove Visitor Center is also a great place to learn about the history and ecology of these amazing trees. This is(was) a great place to get away for a few hours, the restaurant was pretty good with decent prices, the jewel of their menu was most definitely the bison steak and the bison burger, not always available but worth the trip to find out. Vegas is really exciting. Next time we are in town we will definitely stop back. A stop at the visitor center is a must for those who haven't been to the area. If youre looking for a spot to eat after your lake adventure, we lovedEpic Cafe, serving up hearty soups, filling salads, and warm paninis. Since it is a National Conservation Area, they do require an entrance fee of $15 per vehicle, which allows you access to the thirteen mile long scenic loop. The area attracts over a million visitors annually, thanks to its proximity to Las Vegas, with more and more coming each year as word of the beauty of Red Rock starts to spread. First lets start by saying that I drove from Reno, it was a nice drive with panoramic views along the way. This is one of the only ghost towns in the state that is still intact. Depending on your route, the trip can be between roughly 330 and 560 miles long. Alternatively, you can drive into the park and hike along the Tioga Pass, then return to your motel at Lee Vining and drive to Yosemite Valley the following morning. Visitors Ctr is awesome, beautifully designed and full of cool info. Nothing is here, but one cant get enough of looking. On that thought, this is a place best seen in the morning. They can be easily accessed in the central Stovepipe Wells area, just off Highway 190. Guided tours make planning easy as they offer hotel pick up and drop off. Tioga Road is the only road in this region that cuts across the Sierra Nevada mountain range and connects Yosemite with Mammoth. At the lunch time cafeteria gets crowded so make sure be prepared. You wont be paying a cent more, but in the event of a sale, the small affiliate commission I receive will help keep this blog running/pumping out useful and free content. For when nature calls and you need a break from the hustle and bustle of the Strip, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area is a beautiful spot just 25 minutes west of Las Vegas. How to Travel From San Francisco to Yosemite by Train, Bus, Car, and Plane, 48 Hours in Mammoth Lakes, California: The Perfect Itinerary, When and Where to See the California Wildflowers, Scenic California Drives: 7 Routes That Will Make You Swoon, Yosemite National Park: The Complete Guide, The 'Neon to Nature' Routes Should Be a Must-Do on Your Next Vegas Trip. Its super rough and craggy so much so that supposedly only the devil could play golf there. Distance from Las Vegas: 370 miles, 5.5-6 hour drive . Easily plan for a hour here, or more. For a nominal entrance fee, vehicles can drive the one-way 13-mile scenic drive and stop along the way at the 26 numbered hiking trails and rock climbing areas. You can take a bus from Newark to Yosemite National Park via Las Vegas, SB Main after Ogden, SB Casino Center before Garces, Las Vegas, Bakersfield, Merced Bus Stop . Stop a bit further north at Bishop if you want, then continue past a series of scenic Sierra Nevada peaks and pass Mammoth Lakes on the way to Inyo National Forest. The abundance of wintertime activities makes December, January, and February great months to visit the park. The largest of these, Ubehebe Crater, is a sight to behold, at half a mile across and 600 feet deep. There will also be no cell phone reception for most of the way once you enter the park (Death Valley National Park). WHERE TO STAY AT DEATH VALLEY NP Around 30 miles of incredible hiking trails, mountain biking, and rock climbing up the stunning faces of deep red Aztec sandstone cliffs make Red Rock Canyon, Nevadas first National Conservation Area, hugely popular with Vegas visitors who want to take time out from the gaming tables. Not only is the castle itself beautiful, but thanks to the large trees and bushes surrounding the castle, this is the place to visit if you want to see local and migrating birds. Yosemite-National-Park and Las-Vegas are both in the same time zone America/Los_Angeles. Its also a good place to grab a meal and hit the grocery store for any last-minute camping needs. They're at their most photogenic at sunrise or sunset when bathed Top ChoiceViewpoint in Death Valley National Park. Even more intriguing is the story behind its construction, which involved a shady gold prospector (Walter Scott) and a millionaire with bad health (Albert Johnson). Some points of interest you might want to check out are: Siesta Lake,White Wolf Campground,Yosemite Creek Picnic Area,Olmsted Point,Tenaya Lake, andSoda Spring. Formed over 2,000 years ago, the Ubehebe Crater is 600 feet deep and half a mile across. We pulled over took pictures.. We didnt rent any skiing equipment. photo: Steve Dunleavy, This was our last point traveling on 120. Youll venture past strange Aztec or deep red sandstone outcrops caused by iron oxide in the rock, and to places where the Paiute culture left handprints in the rock, petroglyphs or centuries-old roasting pits.

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