Yosemite/Kings Canyon/Sequoia “must do” advice sought

If you are inside these national parks, there's nothing much to see for a day trip until you travel to the coasts, LA or San Francisco.

And in Yosemite, if you are outside, you pretty much spend much of the day traveling in and out of the park and its popular destinations. If you are self-driving, be careful with those speed limits, the rangers are deadly serious about compliance and won't hesitate to give you the ticket.

At Sequoia, in addition to Congress Grove (of course), I'd also recommend Tokopah Falls (a two mile hike each way). Muir Grove is also a great hike -- about three miles each way.

And if you are feeling adventurous and energetic, the hike from Wolverton to Heather Lake is great. Four miles each way, with a 2000 foot elevation gain.

By the way, this was a big year for water -- Tokopah Falls must be quite a sight right now! This is what it looked like in July of 2010, which I think was also a fairly wet year:


Click For Full-Size Image.

(And yes, that is DW being a good sport and getting soaking wet for the sake of a photo.)

Climbing Half Dome is now a big production requiring a permit and long lines. I climbed it in 1974 and there was no one up there.
It is over 5,000 vertical feet from the Valley floor to the top of HD. It is not for the faint of heart.

Once you're done in the parks I'd head north to Lodi and cut across 12 (get gass)towards Fairfield. A little south and head up to Napa Valley for a day or two of wine tasting. Hotels are pricey but worth it. Drive up and down the valley wine tasting and seeing the sights.

From there I'd cut over towards Petaluma where you can pick up hwy 1 to head north along the coast. I think its even nicer than south of San Francisco and less traffic, if that's possible this time of year. lol

Just know that every where in cali during the summer is crazy busy with most of the parks being "loved to death" so just relax and go with the flow, you'll get there eventually.

And this doesn't look so good to you, you can always go the other way and head over to Death Valley. Pretty amazing things to do and see, but it will be hot!! Go to the lowest point in the US then head north to Scotty's Castile and take the tour.

Happy travels!

bigjimcruising wrote:
Once you're done in the parks I'd head north to Lodi and cut across 12 (get gass)towards Fairfield. A little south and head up to Napa Valley for a day or two of wine tasting. Hotels are pricey but worth it. Drive up and down the valley wine tasting and seeing the sights.
try Napa Valley Expo or Skyline Park, in Napa. Or the Napa Fairgrounds in Calistoga.

From there I'd cut over towards Petaluma where you can pick up hwy 1 to head north along the coast. I think its even nicer than south of San Francisco and less traffic, if that's possible this time of year. lol
Acually, you access 101N in Petaluma, not Highway 1. you don't want to drive Highway 1 from SF north, unless you have a LOT of time.

Just know that every where in cali during the summer is crazy busy with most of the parks being "loved to death" so just relax and go with the flow, you'll get there eventually.

grew up in the Sonoma County area and lived in Napa Valley. Definitely consider reservations if staying popular California destinations. Coastal beach campgrounds are booked up at least 6 months in advance and even off-season.