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exfed224's avatar
exfed224
Explorer
Jul 15, 2017

Roads from Tonapah, NV to Yosemite National Park

Is the road from Tonopah, NV to Yosemite National Park a realistic route for a 35' Class A gas powered motorhome? We're new RVers and need all the help we can get! Thanks!
  • That website lets you see that Tioga Pass is open. I use the site to check on SR120, SR108 and a few more we travel across a lot. When we lived in Lemoore/Hanford we would go through Visalia on our way to Sequoia NP a lot, we always liked Visalia.
    Bill
  • Community Alumni's avatar
    Community Alumni
    Hwy 120 through Tioga Pass is open. We used it on July 5th to get from the 395 to the Yosemite Valley.
  • We have been over Tioga Pass many times, we live just 65 miles east of Reno and prefer the Tioga Pass route into Yosemite over taking I-80. The only problem you might have with the motorhome is the engine/tranny may get a little warm, just pull over and let it cool down if that happens. There are plenty of places to pull over on your way up to the Park entrance. There is a Quick Stop type Mobile Gas Station on the left just as you turn off US395 onto SR120 going up the mountain named the Whoa Nellie Deli that has really great Fish Tacos and other foods you would not expect in a place like that. They have a full menu and it's worth the stop, plenty of parking for the motorhome also.
    Bill
  • Lee Vineing to Reno is 140 miles and I80 is twice as long a climb to the top than Tioga pass and just as steep. Tioga is about a 25 minute climb to the park entrance, then all down hill to the valley. You'll have no problems from Toneapah to Yosemite.
  • Tioga pass over the crest of the Sierras is just shy of 10000' elevation.
    Twists and turns......a long upgrade into Yosemite.

    All the other passes across the Sierra crest are equally as daunting but Tioga takes the prize in difficulty.

    Or if you're a bit timid about that pass, go to Reno NV and take Hwy 80 west over Donner pass.....it's a full on Interstate Hwy.



    Good luck.