Yosemite National Park and Big Sur Road Trip
Yosemite National Park and Big Sur Road Trip
This fantastic journey takes you through some of the most beautiful sections of California. From Yosemite National Park and Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks to Big Sur, Point Lobos, Ano Nuevo and Big Basin. This road trip has more than enough scenery for any outdoor enthusiast!
Mileage: Approximately 795 miles
Main Points of Interest for the Yosemite and Big Sur Road Trip
Yosemite National Park
Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
Big Sur State Park
Point Lobos Preserve
Ano Nuevo
Big Basin State Park
Suggested Start and End for this Road Trip
San Francisco, California
We begin our journey by starting out in the beautiful city of San Francisco, California. Take some time to visit San Francisco before you head out on your road trip if you have never visited this wonderful city before. Just a few of the popular destinations in San Francisco would be the Ghirardelli Square, Fisherman's Wharf, Chinatown and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Once you have finished visiting San Francisco, it is time to start your road trip by heading to Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is our first park destination on this road trip. It adorns the
Sierra's with some of the most beautiful views you can imagine. From Half Dome and El
Capitan to Tuolumne Meadows and the High Country, Yosemite will offer anyone something
special to remember. Yosemite Valley is probably the world"s best known example of a glacier
carved canyon. Beautiful waterfalls, rounded domes, towering cliffs and massive monoliths
make it a natural marvel. Yosemite National Park has inspired everyone from poets, painters,
photographers, John Muir, and millions of visitors for more than 100 years. You can stay at
any number of lodges inside Yosemite National Park but plan far in advance in order to get a
reservation. If you can't stay inside or wish to stay in a nearby town, you might want to
consider Mariposa Lodging, El Portal Lodging or Fish Camp Lodging.
Mariposa
El
Portal
Fish
Camp
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Our next stop is in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. These parks are home to
giant redwoods and sequoias, immense mountains and deep canyons. Thanks to their huge
elevational range, 1,500' to 14,491', these parks protect very diverse habitats. The
Generals Highway climbs over 5,000 ft. from oak studded foothills to chaparral to the
beautiful sequoia groves. Trails lead to the high alpine wilderness which makes up most of
these parks. Beneath the surface of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks lie over 200
fascinating caverns. Lone Pine Lodging and Three Rivers Lodging are located about 25 miles
from these parks.
Lone
Pine
Three
Rivers
Phieffer Big Sur State Park
Moving now towards the ocean for some of the most spectacular coastal driving, we visit
Phieffer Big Sur State Park. Though it lies along Highway 1, it is well inland in the Big
Sur River Valley, not along the coast. It is Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park of which many
people immediately think when "Big Sur" is mentioned. It has a lodge with accommodations, a
very large campground, and beautiful waterfalls that are accessible by a short trail. The
park is sheltered by the canyon walls and its large trees, so it is a good place to relax.
If you are unable to stay in the lodge or prefer to stay outside of the park, you might want
to consider Big Sur, California Lodging.
Big
Sur
Point Lobos State Preserve
The next stop on our road trip takes us to Point Lobos State Preserve. Point Lobos
derived its name from the offshore rocks at Punta de los Lobos Marinos, meaning Point of the
Sea Wolves. The reserve has often been called "the crown jewel of the State Park System."
Point Lobos State Reserve has outstanding passive recreation opportunities, such as
sightseeing, photography, painting, nature study, picnicking and scuba diving. Point Lobos
is also home to rare plant communities, endangered archeological sites, unique geological
formations, and land and sea flora and fauna. Some excellent places to stay near Point Lobos
would be Pebble Beach Lodging, Seaside Lodging, Pacific Grove Lodging and Monterey
Lodging.
Pebble
Beach
Seaside
Pacific
Grove
Monterey
Monterey, California
If you have time, take some time to explore the Monterey Bay area. Monterey County
encompasses some of the most beautiful California scenery as well as offering famous
Monterey attractions such as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Big Sur Coastline and the quaint
Carmel and Pebble Beach. Monterey also offers diverse peninsula communities and the Salinas
Valley. If you are interested in staying in Monterey, California.
Monterey
Ano Nuevo State Park
Ano Nuevo State Reserve is the site of the largest mainland breeding colony in the world
for the northern elephant seal, and the interpretive program has attracted increasing
interest every winter for the past 19 years. People who hope to see the seals during the
winter breeding season are urged to get their reservations early. The males battle for mates
on the beaches and the females give birth to their pups on the dunes. You can either visit
Ano Nuevo directly from visiting Monterey area or you can have another stop off in Santa
Cruz, California or possibly stay in Pescadero, California after your visit to Ano Nuevo.
See Pescadero Lodging, Santa Cruz Lodging or even further north at Half Moon Bay
Lodging.
Half Moon
Bay
Santa
Cruz
Pescadero
Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Our last park on this road trip includes Big Basin Redwoods State Park. Big Basin is California's oldest State Park, established in 1902. Big Basin is home to the largest continuous stand of ancient coast redwoods south of San Francisco. This park consists of over 18,000 acres of old growth and recovering redwood forest as well as conifer, oaks, chaparral, and riparian habitats. Elevations in the park vary from sea level to over 2,000 feet. The climate ranges from foggy and damp near the ocean to sunny, warm ridge tops. Big Basin is located fairly closely to Ano Nuevo so you might want to consider the same lodging options listed for Ano Nuevo.
End the Yosemite and Big Sur Road Trip
We have completed the Yosemite and Big Sur Road Trip. Either stay in San Francisco another night to explore if you have not already done so, or take an evening flight out back home.
Yosemite National Park and Big Sur Road Trip: Yosemite and Big Sur Road Trip, Yosemite Road Trip, Sequoia and Kings Canyon Road Trip, Big Sur Road Trip, Point Lobos Road Trip, Big Basin Redwoods Road Trip
Keen
Filson
Burton
High Sierra