Reno/ Northern CA trip suggestions?

[Slow But Steady]

Dear Friends,

I have to be in Reno August 24-27. After that, my wife and I would like to spend a week or so doing some sightseeing. We've never seen the natural parks in Northern CA or Oregon. When we go to these kinds of sights, we tend toward the ranger-led talks and tours. That's by inclination and also because my wife can't comfortable walk much more than a mile.

At the end of the trip, we'll travel down to Southern CA to visit family.

I grew up in Southern CA, but never saw the national parks, and I hardly know where to start the planning process. What do you suggest?

Thanks!

 

[meierlde]

Dear Friends,

I have to be in Reno August 24-27. After that, my wife and I would like to spend a week or so doing some sightseeing. We've never seen the natural parks in Northern CA or Oregon. When we go to these kinds of sights, we tend toward the ranger-led talks and tours. That's by inclination and also because my wife can't comfortable walk much more than a mile.

At the end of the trip, we'll travel down to Southern CA to visit family.

I grew up in Southern CA, but never saw the national parks, and I hardly know where to start the planning process. What do you suggest?

Thanks!

So you are talking about Crater Lake, Redwoods and Lassen. Of course I would add Mt Shasta which is quite spectacular. Then at least some stretches of CA 1 and/or US 101 in OR. For example coming from Crater Lake you could go to the coast along US 199, then thru the Redwoods ( both national and state parks) continuing along 1 to San Francisco. (1 is closed south of Montery but open north of San Francisco)

 

[RunningBum]

How long you got? California is a very tall state. Oregon from Reno and back to southern Cal is quite a haul. Check it out on google maps and see for yourself. That said, if you can get up to Crater Lake, it is gorgeous. We didn't look for any ranger led tours, but driving a loop of the lake there are many very scenic pull offs with little to no hiking.


Yosemite would seem to be the obvious choice between Reno and southern Cal. I don't know what the most direct route would be, but I recommend the eastern (Nevada) side of Tahoe for the drive. Also beautiful, and higher up (more views) than much of the Cal side. Never been to Yosemite itself so I have no tips there but I'd love to go there some day.


Meant to add, I was out in that area right at this time last year, and drove up north of the bay to see some redwoods. I just visited some smaller state parks rather than make it all the way up to Humboldt. Finished on the ocean at Mendocino and really enjoyed the botanical gardens. Still a bit of a haul though.

 

[haha]

Dear Friends,

I have to be in Reno August 24-27. After that, my wife and I would like to spend a week or so doing some sightseeing. We've never seen the natural parks in Northern CA or Oregon. When we go to these kinds of sights, we tend toward the ranger-led talks and tours. That's by inclination and also because my wife can't comfortable walk much more than a mile.

At the end of the trip, we'll travel down to Southern CA to visit family.

I grew up in Southern CA, but never saw the national parks, and I hardly know where to start the planning process. What do you suggest?

Thanks!

A very modest trip you have planned!

Ha

 

[RobbieB]

When in Reno, I stay at the Peppermill.

You could do a Yosemite drive through or stay at the lodge. Avoid the rush, book now.

 

[DrRoy]

So you are talking about Crater Lake, Redwoods and Lassen. Of course I would add Mt Shasta which is quite spectacular.

+1. Extra vote for Crater Lake. I also very much liked the Oregon Dunes National recreation Area.

 

[Slow But Steady]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone! Yes, California is a tall state...

Maybe we can't make it up to Oregon this year. I've joined a group that meets in Reno about this time every year, so maybe Oregon will be for 2018.

So we could go from Reno to Yosemite for a couple days, then spend a day at Hearst Castle and make our way over the Sequoia National Forest. Then a few days in Newport Beach and a few days in San Diego.

Alternatively, we could start in San Diego, where my dad lives, then up to Newport Beach, then on to Reno. Then up to Lassen, Crater Lake, the Redwoods, and Mt. Shasta.

I better consult my wife. (She's now cruising in the South Caribbean with her folks. I don't cruise.) She's a geologist, so she may have a preference for the volcano trip.

For either trip, it would probably be a week between San Diego and Newport Beach, 3 days in Reno, and a week or so for the sightseeing.

Thanks again!

 

[Scuba]

If you want to see Hearst Castle, make advance reservations. There are several tours to choose from. Cambria is a beautiful oceanfront town just south of Hearst Castle; there are quite a few small hotels along Moonstone Drive which are nice. If you like wine, Paso Robles is 45 minutes or so inland from Cambria. There are many small "off the beaten path" wineries there so a day of tasting could be fun. Some friends of ours went kayaking in Morro Bay, which looked beautiful. Santa Barbara is very nice. They have an art festival on Sundays along the water. This doesn't address your desire for ranger-led tours through parks but since you mentioned Hearst Castle, I thought I'd suggest some nearby ideas. Enjoy!

 

[cathy63]

Thanks for the ideas, everyone! Yes, California is a tall state...

Maybe we can't make it up to Oregon this year. I've joined a group that meets in Reno about this time every year, so maybe Oregon will be for 2018.

So we could go from Reno to Yosemite for a couple days, then spend a day at Hearst Castle and make our way over the Sequoia National Forest. Then a few days in Newport Beach and a few days in San Diego.

Alternatively, we could start in San Diego, where my dad lives, then up to Newport Beach, then on to Reno. Then up to Lassen, Crater Lake, the Redwoods, and Mt. Shasta.

I better consult my wife. (She's now cruising in the South Caribbean with her folks. I don't cruise.) She's a geologist, so she may have a preference for the volcano trip.

For either trip, it would probably be a week between San Diego and Newport Beach, 3 days in Reno, and a week or so for the sightseeing.

Thanks again!

Some random observations:

Yosemite in August is going to be crowded, and the week you're talking about is the run-up to Labor Day weekend. It may be too late to make any reservations inside or outside the park for this year. You may find the same problem at the other parks too.

Hearst Castle can only be reached from the south right now due to the bridge washout and massive rock slides on Highway 1, so if you want to see Yosemite, Sequoia and Hearst Castle, you would do them in that order. You can't do Hearst Castle between the two mountain parks without a lot of backtracking.

If you do Newport Beach to Reno (or San Diego to Reno), consider driving up US-395 instead of I-5 and I-80. It's more scenic (once you cross the desert), not much longer, and gives you the option for stops at Manzanar Historic Site and Mono Lake. You miss Tahoe on this route, but if you're going northwards after Reno, you could see Tahoe then.

If you go north from Reno, then where do you fly home from? I was just at Crater Lake on Memorial Day, and it's pretty far from any major airports. We drove 7 hours to San Francisco after leaving there, and it was almost as long from Portland to get there, though that's partly because roads were still closed due to snow. It's well worth the trip though.

 

[calmloki]

Wife is a geologist? Assuming the AC is up to snuff Joshua Tree national park is well worth driving through. Maybe from San Diego take 78 through very pretty mountainous country over to Borrego Springs, then past Salton Sea and the Patton museum into the park.

https://www.google.com/search?q=jos...7AkIew&biw=1232&bih=669#imgrc=dT4IYz-h2bGaTM:

 

[Fedup]

I would go to Lake Tahoe since you are going to be in a Reno. One week is not long.

 

[meierlde]

Some random observations:

Yosemite in August is going to be crowded, and the week you're talking about is the run-up to Labor Day weekend. It may be too late to make any reservations inside or outside the park for this year. You may find the same problem at the other parks too.

Hearst Castle can only be reached from the south right now due to the bridge washout and massive rock slides on Highway 1, so if you want to see Yosemite, Sequoia and Hearst Castle, you would do them in that order. You can't do Hearst Castle between the two mountain parks without a lot of backtracking.

If you do Newport Beach to Reno (or San Diego to Reno), consider driving up US-395 instead of I-5 and I-80. It's more scenic (once you cross the desert), not much longer, and gives you the option for stops at Manzanar Historic Site and Mono Lake. You miss Tahoe on this route, but if you're going northwards after Reno, you could see Tahoe then.

If you go north from Reno, then where do you fly home from? I was just at Crater Lake on Memorial Day, and it's pretty far from any major airports. We drove 7 hours to San Francisco after leaving there, and it was almost as long from Portland to get there, though that's partly because roads were still closed due to snow. It's well worth the trip though.

Sacramento has a decent sized airport no need to go to the hassle of Oakland/San Jose/San Francisco (if on domestic flights), as indeed does Reno, if you make that the final destination.

When going on business trips in the past to the East Bay I often flew into Sacramento because it was less busy. Note that it is also an interesting drive thru the Sacramento River Delta very un-California like, (The delta is where the old Delta Queen first ran between San Francisco and Sacramento)

 

[wolf]

Some random observations:

Yosemite in August is going to be crowded, and the week you're talking about is the run-up to Labor Day weekend. It may be too late to make any reservations inside or outside the park for this year. You may find the same problem at the other parks too.

Hearst Castle can only be reached from the south right now due to the bridge washout and massive rock slides on Highway 1, so if you want to see Yosemite, Sequoia and Hearst Castle, you would do them in that order. You can't do Hearst Castle between the two mountain parks without a lot of backtracking.

If you do Newport Beach to Reno (or San Diego to Reno), consider driving up US-395 instead of I-5 and I-80. It's more scenic (once you cross the desert), not much longer, and gives you the option for stops at Manzanar Historic Site and Mono Lake. You miss Tahoe on this route, but if you're going northwards after Reno, you could see Tahoe then.

If you go north from Reno, then where do you fly home from? I was just at Crater Lake on Memorial Day, and it's pretty far from any major airports. We drove 7 hours to San Francisco after leaving there, and it was almost as long from Portland to get there, though that's partly because roads were still closed due to snow. It's well worth the trip though.

+1 Agree, AVOID Yosemite. Unless you have reservations. My last visit
there, NO parking. Disaster. Hot and crowded. Could not enjoy the
views. (which are spectacular).

 

[daylatedollarshort]

Yosemite has a recent pilot program with day use parking reservations on weekends:

https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/news...-program-for-day-use-parking-reservations.htm

There are many great choices for parks. Here's a link of the ranger programs and events for the state parks in California:
https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=26427

And one for National Parks with a search by state:
https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/event-search.htm

 

[Lsbcal]

Yosemite is not just Yosemite Valley. So...

I would recommend getting an early start and driving south from Reno down Hwy 395. Take a right just after Lee Vining and enter Yosemite via Tioga Pass at 10,000 feet elevation. The drive up to Tioga Pass is very impressive. Just drive about maybe 10 miles or so to Toulueme Meadows. Get out of the car and walk around the meadow paths. You will see amazing granite domes (look up Lembert Dome) from the meadows.

Then drive back towards Lee Vining. If there is time visit the Mono Lake visitor center just north of the town and maybe drive down to the lake. Sometimes there are ranger led talks and walks.

Get reservations at some place in Mammoth Lakes. You can eat well there and end the day on a high note. If you have more time, there is plenty of nice hikes in Mammoth Lakes plus Devil's Postpile and more. Visit the ranger station when entering Mammoth Lakes (on the right) to get maps and ideas.

Then you can drive down 395 towards S. Cal.

 

[meierlde]

Yosemite is not just Yosemite Valley. So...

I would recommend getting an early start and driving south from Reno down Hwy 395. Take a right just after Lee Vining and enter Yosemite via Tioga Pass at 10,000 feet elevation. The drive up to Tioga Pass is very impressive. Just drive about maybe 10 miles or so to Toulueme Meadows. Get out of the car and walk around the meadow paths. You will see amazing granite domes (look up Lembert Dome) from the meadows.

Then drive back towards Lee Vining. If there is time visit the Mono Lake visitor center just north of the town and maybe drive down to the lake. Sometimes there are ranger led talks and walks.

Get reservations at some place in Mammoth Lakes. You can eat well there and end the day on a high note. If you have more time, there is plenty of nice hikes in Mammoth Lakes plus Devil's Postpile and more. Visit the ranger station when entering Mammoth Lakes (on the right) to get maps and ideas.

Then you can drive down 395 towards S. Cal.

On the east side there is also Devils Postpile a columnar lava flow that is a national monument. If going down 395 that is a stop on the way, and also at least drive into the Alabama hills near Lone Pine.

 

[ocean view]

Yosemite is not just Yosemite Valley. So...

I would recommend getting an early start and driving south from Reno down Hwy 395. Take a right just after Lee Vining and enter Yosemite via Tioga Pass at 10,000 feet elevation. The drive up to Tioga Pass is very impressive. Just drive about maybe 10 miles or so to Toulueme Meadows. Get out of the car and walk around the meadow paths. You will see amazing granite domes (look up Lembert Dome) from the meadows.

Then drive back towards Lee Vining. If there is time visit the Mono Lake visitor center just north of the town and maybe drive down to the lake. Sometimes there are ranger led talks and walks.

Get reservations at some place in Mammoth Lakes. You can eat well there and end the day on a high note. If you have more time, there is plenty of nice hikes in Mammoth Lakes plus Devil's Postpile and more. Visit the ranger station when entering Mammoth Lakes (on the right) to get maps and ideas.

Then you can drive down 395 towards S. Cal.

The Tioga pass into Yosemite is not yet open. They are still clearing snow and it may not open at all this season. So investigate this route thoroughly before you go.

The open routes into the park are Hwy 120 & 140, both from the western side of the park.

 

[Lsbcal]

The OP was asking for late August.

 

[ocean view]

The OP was asking for late August.

Yes, I realize that. However, I was just pointing out to the OP that the park service has no opening date planned for Tioga Pass. It is not a safe assumption that this year the road will be open by late August. Yes, they are still working toward clearing all the snow, but there are other conditions (flooding, storm damage & sanitation concerns) that also need to be resolved. We were in Yosemite last week and the rangers told us the road may not open this year.

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

 

[Lsbcal]

Hmmm...interesting, I think most years the road is open by sometime in July at least. Bizarre if it isn't open by late August.

 

[RunningBum]

Hmmm...interesting, I think most years the road is open by sometime in July at least. Bizarre if it isn't open by late August.

Only because of a bizarre amount of snow this past winter, right?

 

[Lsbcal]

Only because of a bizarre amount of snow this past winter, right?

Well there could be some bizarre correlation I suppose.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

If you go to Lake Tahoe you could take boat rides around the lake, which would allow you to view most of the area without a lot of walking.

Around four hours drive away in the Bay Area, Angel Island State Park is a nice day trip. It just made a CNN list on perfect island day trips. Ferries take visitors to the island and then tram rides are available so that would also be some nice views of the bay and the city with limited walking. North of SF is Muir Woods with old growth Redwood trees. The main path there is a walking trail but fairly flat and not too long.

 

[ocean view]

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

This previous link dated 6-24 is now out of date. Here is a 6-26 update from the Park Service

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

Tioga Road (Hwy 120 through the park) is closed for the season

 

[Lsbcal]

This previous link dated 6-24 is now out of date. Here is a 6-26 update from the Park Service

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

Tioga Road (Hwy 120 through the park) is closed for the season

I looked at the link and it said:

The Tioga Road (Highway 120 through the park from 6.5 east of Crane Flat to Tioga Pass) is closed due to snow. There is no estimated opening date; in years with similar snowpack, the road has opened in late June or early July.

So I'd interpret this as closed for the winter/spring season. Then might open sometime in the middle of summer. It doesn't seem to be a definitive statement.

Also it might be that the Tioga Pass entrance could open for people to get into the high country region but not be able to get all the way through to the valley or the other western entrance. This is just speculation on my part.