Yosemite National Park is a natural wonder and a popular tourist destination, and because of this many visitors love taking their own road trips to Yosemite. We live in California and love our Yosemite road trips. If you’re looking for a Southern-to-Northern California trip, the Los Angeles to Yosemite road trip is one of the best things to do!
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Planning your trip to Yosemite? Save with the Annual National Parks Pass. We visited 4+ parks for only $80 last year, saving $53! Here are the best tours, hotels, and car rentals:
📸 Best Tours In Yosemite National Park:
- 6-Day Yosemite Backpacking (skip the lines, crowds and permits!)
- Jeep 4×4 Yosemite Park Tour (avoid parking and sold-out tickets)
- Experience Yosemite: Beginner or Advanced Photography Lesson
- Private Full Day Fly Fishing For Beginners and Experienced Anglers
- Small Group Yosemite & Glacier Point Tour (full day with hotel pickup)
😴 Best Hotels In Yosemite:
- Curry Village (💲) (around 1 mile from Vernal Falls Trail)
- Yosemite Valley Lodge (💲💲) (13-min walk to Lower Yosemite Falls)
- The Ahwahnee (💲💲💲) (20-min walk to Yosemite Village)
🚘 Best Car Rental In Los Angeles: DiscoverCars (save up to 70%)
How To Get There
By car, it takes around 310 miles (less or more depending on where you’re staying in Los Angles). It’ll take around 6.5 hours without breaks to get there. For directions, take CA-99 and CA-41 for its many attractions from Los Angeles to Yosemite.
If you are driving from Central Oregon, you can also take Highway 395 as well. If you’re traveling from another city in or outside California, there are also other great road trips to take.
If you need to rent a car, check prices on Discover Cars. You’ll find cheap deals there!
If you’re flying, the nearest airport to Yosemite is Fresno/Yosemite International Airport, which is more than a 2-hour drive so you would need to get a rental car or you can take public transit. You can take a bus with YARTS.
The closest major airport to Yosemite National Park is Oakland International Airport. Look for cheap flights on Expedia!
Los Angeles to Yosemite Road Trip Itinerary
Why take this route? From you’re driving from Los Angeles or farther south, from the San Diego area, take this road trip to Yosemite. Or if you’re visiting Mariposa Grove and/or Wawona or staying at Oakhurst, you’ll take the HWY 41 to enter into Yosemite through its South Entrance.
1. Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a great starting point for a road trip. It’s easy to get to, there are plenty of things to do in and around the city, and it’s home to many of the best attractions in California.
Hollywood Sign: If you’re visiting Los Angeles, you have to see this iconic landmark. It’s located in Griffith Park, which is also home to many other great hiking trails and attractions.
Griffith Observatory — This observatory has been around since 1935 and has become one of LA’s most iconic landmarks. It’s located on the edge of Griffith Park and offers fantastic views of both Hollywood and downtown LA at night (if you go during sunset).
The Getty Center: This is a must-visit for lovers of art and architecture. The museum features a stellar collection of impressionist and post-impressionist paintings, including works by Van Gogh, Matisse and Picasso.
The Getty Villa in Malibu also houses ancient artifacts from Greece and Rome as well as an extensive collection of Greek and Roman art and architecture.
Need to rent a car? Find the best car rental deals here and here’s all you need to know about renting a car in Los Angeles.
2. Santa Clarita
Home to Six Flags Magic Mountain and Hurricane Harbor, Santa Clarita is a great place to start your road trip to Yosemite.
It’s also home to the famous Saugus Speedway, which hosted many NASCAR races and now hosts flea markets, band performances and other events.
The Santa Clarita Valley is a vibrant, diverse, and rapidly growing region, and is home to a diverse mix of residential neighborhoods, shopping destinations, dining, and recreation activities.
Featuring more than 70 popular stores and restaurants, the Westfield Valencia Town Center is the perfect place to shop for your souvenirs. Located just outside of Santa Clarita, Castaic Lake is a great place for boating, fishing, swimming, and more.
3. Bakersfield
Known as the “country music capital of the West Coast”, Bakersfield is a nice pit stop to get some music history or enjoy a concert at the Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace or the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame.
Or visit the Kern County Museum that takes you back to the 19th century through 56 historic exhibits and buildings including a log cabin, a school, a gas station, and homes.
Bakersfield has also more than 1000 acres of parks, gardens, and trails, plus more than 200 miles of multipurpose trails for walking, running, and cycling. Get a breath of fresh air at one of the city’s many public parks.
Need a car from Bakersfield? Here’s all you need to know about renting a car in Bakersfield.
4. Fresno
The first town you’ll come across when turning on to HWY 41 is Fresno. Its name is derived from the Spanish word for “ash tree”. Fresno has a nice collection of attractions suitable for both adults and kids. Go on the Fresno County Wine Journey to visit twelve wineries, two breweries, and a distillery.
All you need to do is pay a one-time fee, get a wristband and bring your own glass!
Or walk through an underground garden at Forestiere Underground Gardens, an outdoor museum filled with fruit trees as low as 20 feet underground! Admire the design and architecture in this attraction as well!
Check out the Fresno Chaffee Zoo that houses more than 200 species. What’s different in this zoo than others are you can get up close to some of the animals – touch, feed, and stand close to them.
Need a car to go to Yosemite? Find the best car rental deals here and here’s all you need to know about renting a car in Fresno.
5. Coarsegold
As you head towards Yosemite, make a pit stop in the historic town of Coarsegold. The highlight here is the Coarsegold Historic Village, where you can explore local shops filled with antiques, handmade crafts, and even quirky items like vintage gold-panning tools.
The village itself offers a glimpse into the California Gold Rush era, making it a fun and educational stop. If you’re visiting at the end of October, check out the Coarsegold Tarantula Festival!
💡 Pro Tip: Be sure to walk through the Coarsegold Historic Village and check out Zanders Coffee for a quick pick-me-up before continuing your drive. We love their Star Wars and Harry Potter themed coffee!
6. Oakhurst
Oakhurst is one of the bigger cities you’ll meet before entering Yosemite. Oakhurst offers plenty of places to stay, including campgrounds, hotels, and bed and breakfasts, so you’ll have plenty of options. Plus you’ll also find familiar hotels and restaurants here.
Interested in more 19th-century history? Stop by at the Fresno Flats Historical Museum where you get to see schools, a jail, and homes that go back to the 1870s.
We highly recommend checking out Big Cedar Springs store (43980 CA-41, Oakhurst) It’s a family owned store that does it’s own bear carvings and other carvings.
You can also get started on your hiking before heading into Yosemite by hiking the Lewis Creek Trail to Red Rock Falls (a 3-mile round trip hike) or to Corlieu Falls (a 0.5-mile round trip hike) for waterfalls and flora in the spring.
7. Bass Lake
Bass Lake is a detour towards Yosemite but it’s the perfect stop to enjoy outdoor activities including jet skiing or kayaking. We booked an 1-hour double kayak from Miller’s Landing Resort right before sunset. It was beautiful to see the sun light on the mountains surrounding the lake.
The lake is also great for fishing, boating, or simply relaxing on the beach and soaking in the views. If you’re traveling in fall, the fall foliage around the lake are stunning and make for some great photos!
8. Fish Camp
Fish Camp has some really nice B&Bs and hotels including the very famous Tenaya Lodge. But it is a must-stop to take a historic train ride with the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. They offer 3 different ride options that don’t include holiday-themed ones!
Option 1 is the Logger Steam Train for a 1-hour train ride filled with history and with lunch options. Option 2 is the Moonlight Special, a 3-hour night train ride that includes a BBQ dinner and live entertainment.
Or option 3 is the Jazz Train, a 3-hour ride that features live jazz music from a nationally recognized artist and includes dinner and snacks.
With Yosemite’s South Entrance is at Fish Camp, your road trip to Yosemite is nears an end! While it’s an hour drive to get to the heart of Yosemite – Yosemite Valley- from here, Yosemite’s attractions start at Fish Camp!
Visit Mariposa Grove, Yosemite’s largest grove with over 500 sequoia trees.
Stay just 4 miles away from the Yosemite Entrance at Narrow Gauge Inn
9. Wawona – Yosemite National Park
Also a part of Yosemite, Wawona is a nice historical place to check out the Pioneer Yosemite History Center filled with historic buildings in the 1950s and learn more about Yosemite’s history. And there are two unique bridges to check out at Wawona.
Right next to the Pioneer Yosemite History Center is Wawona’s Covered Bridge that was built in 1868 and covered in 1879.
It’s one of the 12 remaining covered bridges in California including the Knights Ferry’s Covered Bridge.
Then drive to Wawona’s Swinging Bridge, one of the two swinging bridges in Yosemite (the other one is in Yosemite Valley) but this one actually swings! Like the covered bridge, this bridge crosses across South Fork Merced River.
There are more things to do when continuing on Wawona Rd towards Yosemite Valley but that’s up to you!
Find the best car rental deals here!
Where To Stay In Yosemite
With all the choices for where to stay in Yosemite, it can be difficult to choose. We recommend these top 3 places to stay in the park:
Budget-Friendly Option: Curry Village
Mid-Priced Option: Yosemite Valley Lodge
Lux Option: The Ahwahnee
What To Pack For Los Angeles to Yosemite Road Trip
Packing for road trips can be tiresome; from figuring out what clothes to pack to what food to bring along the way. If you’re looking all the road trip essentials, check out these 51 items to bring along the way. The top things to take:
- Car Windshield Sun Shade
- Emergency Flashlight
- First Aid Kit
- Jumpstart Kit
- Portable Air Compressor
- Snow Chains
- Travel Size Hand Sanitizers
- Video Camera
- National Parks Pass
California can have some hot sunny days and the more you drive inland towards the east, the more hotter it will get. Get a small cooler before your road trip to make sure you stay hydrated and cool throughout the whole trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have questions about how your Yosemite road trip? Here’s what you need to know before venturing from Los Angeles:
How much is a road trip to Yosemite?
When it comes to the cost of a road trip to Yosemite, things to consider are the park’s entrance fees, gas, food, and possibly lodging if it’s a multi-day trip. On average, it cost us $100 per person daily.
If you’ve got the America the Beautiful—National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Annual Pass, then the entrance fee for Yosemite would be free. And if you plan to visit at least 3 parks annually that have an entrance fee, then the pass is well worth it!
How many days do you need in Yosemite?
That depends on how many things you want to see in Yosemite. You can spend a day to a week and still have things to see on your next trip. Thinking about what to do and how many things to add to your itinerary? Check out the best viewpoints in Yosemite to guide your trip!
Do I need a reservation for Yosemite?
Make sure to check the National Park Service site for updates on reservations and restrictions. Currently, reservations are required during the summertime to reduce crowds and until the public health conditions in the US improve.
Can you drive your car into Yosemite?
Yes, you can drive your car into Yosemite but make sure the roads you are planning to drive on are open. Glacier Point Road and Tioga Pass Road are closed during winters but otherwise, you can drive through the whole park.
Need a car to go to Yosemite? Find the best car rental deals here!
Is the drive to Yosemite scary?
The drive to Yosemite can be scary and dangerous. I’ve felt my stomach do backflips while the road curves.
The roads can be narrow, steep, and curvy making it dangerous to drive above the speed limit so make sure you’re driving within the limit while leaving ample space between vehicles.
Sometimes you’ll feel like you need to drive faster because the vehicle behind you is tailgating you and in that case, stop at a turnout and allow those faster vehicles to pass by.
Final Thoughts
We love this route for its scenic stops along the way before heading to Yosemite. While Yosemite is the final destination, there are so many cool attractions to see on the way. Happy driving!
Read More From Bae Area and Beyond
29 Best Viewpoints In Yosemite From A Local
27 Best Airbnbs Near Yosemite
Renting A Car In Fresno: Travel Tips and Info
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