yosemite from west side to Tahoe.

120, is still closed and they don't have an expected date to open it yet. Probably still a few weeks away before it's open. It's probably the shortest route, but if you want to avoid curves and steep roads, I would elect to go 140 west to 99, then north to Sacramento to 50 or 80 to Tahoe.

Thanks for all the information.

MrWizard wrote:
When
I haven't checked, but I would surprised if the Tioga pass was even open
there may be no choice but to exit the park and take the most southern route
I just checked highway 120 Tioga road is closed
No predicated opening date
Might not be open until mid July or later
Closed because of snow

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

Tioga Pass is the part of Highway 120 that exits to the east of the park. You can still use Highway 120 to exit to the west and go down to 99. It is currently open, but it was closed for a while a few months ago because of a land slide inside the Yosemite Valley. But it's open now. Tioga has a huge amount of snow on the road right now, up to 20 feet deep in some places. They are plowing it now.

When
I haven't checked, but I would surprised if the Tioga pass was even open
there may be no choice but to exit the park and take the most southern route
I just checked highway 120 Tioga road is closed
No predicated opening date
Might not be open until mid July or later
Closed because of snow

https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

120 to 99 to 50 is your best bet.

rickwellman wrote:
Traveling from west side of yosemite to lake tahoe class A motorhome with trailer. Best route hopefully without a lot of steep grades and curves. Stresses wife out.

You're at Yosemite and you want to go to Tahoe and the wife wants to avoid steep grades and curves??? Maybe you could charter a skycrane helicopter and have your motorhome carried to Tahoe? But on a serious note, the easiest route from Yosemite (not necessarily the shortest or fastest) is to take 140 out of the park all the way down to 99 and then head north. If you're going to South Lake Tahoe you'll take 50 up. If you're going to North Shore you'll take I-80.

140 follows along the Merced River out of the park and is the lowest road with the least hills into and out of Yosemite. But it still has curves and hills.

If I was going from Yosemite to Tahoe I'd take 120 down to 49 and 49 to 88/89 and up to South shore. It really is not a bad route at all.

Here are some milages for you from Google:

The 120 to 49 to 88 route is 195 miles from the Valley to South Shore.
120 to 99 to 50 is 259 miles.
140 to 99 to 50 is 287 miles.

You don't say when you are traveling. From the west the fastest, easiest route is 120 over Tioga pass to 395 and head north to 50 and head west into Lake Tahoe. We went that way a couple of years back and it was a very nice trip. You can't get around the twisty turns like others have said. Just, of course, don't ride your brakes all the way down 120. Take it slow, use the lower gears as well as the turnouts to let others pass. From the junction of 120 and 395, Tahoe is only around 100 miles. This would only work when the snow is cleared from 120 over Tioga pass which should happen in June sometime.

Stay west and go up 99 to at least 50 and probably I80 to Tahoe.
Stay off the highway that goes around the West side of Tahoe.

Not sure exactly where you are in Tahoe. If you're at south shore take 50 to the west. It is a two lane road for most of the way, then turns to 4 lanes. It does have some turns etc, but not bad. If you would rather have a better 4 lane hiway, travel to the north side and take hiway 80 west. Both 50 and 80 will take you to Sacramento where you can merge onto hiway 99. Take 99 south to Merced, then hiway 140 east that will take you into the valley at Yosemite.
You could also take hiway 120 in Manteca (which is off hiway 99 about 60 miles south of Sacramento) however this road to Yosemite does have a stretch of very windy and somewhat steep area called Priest Grade which is just prior to Groveland. They've also had some road closure on 120 due to slides etc, so if you elect to go this route, I would check with the Hiway Patrol or Cal Trans. Both 120 and 140 are main roads to Yosemite. Overall, I'd say 140 is the better road. When you leave Mariposa you'll drop down into a canyon, the road is wide two lane with some curves, but not bad at all, buses, RV's, trucks etc drive it daily, this route is the main entrance to Yosemite. Once in the canyon the road follows the Merced River into Yosemite, very pretty drive. There is one stretch of one lane traffic with a one lane bridge (controlled by signal lights) due to a slide several years ago, that they've never repaired yet. Again, large vehicles travel it daily. This is the route I would recommend for you.
Another route, but I don't think you'd want to do it, 50 west from Tahoe to hiway 49 south. 49 takes you through the gold rush country of California, but it has some curvy areas and some of it it very narrow. It does intersect 120 shich leads to Yosemite or travel further south on 49 and it will intersect 140 the main road to Yosemite.

I just read your posting again, I see you're going from Yosemite to Tahoe, just reverse my directions and it will work for you. Sorry, I thought you were going the opposite direction. LOL So your route would be 140 west from Yosemite to 99 the north to Sacramento and take 50 or 80 east to Tahoe.

An easy route would be to take 120, 99, 50

BTW, Yosemite + Lake Tahoe = steep grades + sharp curves. :)