2021 sept/Oct califorina rv trip

Thecouch

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 13, 2019
Hello I had a trip just cancelled for disney world for run disney event with my 15yo (should have been flying home now) . Also had plans for awards points trip to califorina with my wife for anniversary in March 2021 (from Australia). with coronavirus my country hinting no overseas trips till end of year. We are thinking of pushing march trip to give more time plus bring youngest 2 kids so we don't have to worry about parents to watch our younger kids.
So plan now looks sept/Oct aussie school holiday. Fly into LA RV trip up the coast to San Francisco then yosemite (always been on my bucket list) then back to LA. I don't need any disneyland tips as done plenty of trips there and will spend a week or so in aniehem after rv trip. How many days would we need for coast part. Any good places to stop or stay over night. RV in San Francisco? Any rv parks near city we could uber from or hotels might have space to park . Or should we just hirer a car for first part. Yosemite rv sites are they hard to get at that time of year.what's weather like there then. How many days there do you think is good. Drive straight back to LA after or other places to stop inland on way back. Thanks
 
I grew up in the mountains on the backside of Yosemite (i.e the eastern side), and September and early October are great. It won’t be particularly warm, snow won’t arrive until late October during an “early” snow year and after our Labor Day holiday the crowds will start to thin.

Honestly, I’d just rent a car for the LA to San Francisco leg of your trip. There are great places to stay in between—Santa Barbara, Pismo Beach, Monterey. I know it’s not for everyone, but I really like going to Hearst’s Castle. If you were going to RV it, probably the best RV spot near San Francisco is in Pacifica, but if you don’t have a car, Pacifica is not the easiest to get to and from San Francisco.
 
I grew up in the mountains on the backside of Yosemite (i.e the eastern side), and September and early October are great. It won’t be particularly warm, snow won’t arrive until late October during an “early” snow year and after our Labor Day holiday the crowds will start to thin.
So the rode that goes through the park will still be open end of Sept start of Oct for a RV. Sounds like a good option
 
So the rode that goes through the park will still be open end of Sept start of Oct for a RV. Sounds like a good option

The highway will close with the snow. Highway 120 goes all the way through the park and intersects with US 395 on the east side. Inside the park, State Highway 120 will have a turn off for Big Oak Flat Road to get to the valley floor. Further south, State Highway 140 doesn't go through the park all the way, but becomes El Portal Road and likewise goes to the valley floor.

For current road conditions, just go to https://roads.dot.ca.gov/. This is the CalTrans site. Just enter any highway number and it will show any closures. And they update the website all the time. So if you look at SR 120, it will show where it's closed for snow right now. CalTrans also shows under both SR 120 and 140 that the Yosemite gates are closed because of COVID-19. If you plan to use your own cell phone or get one while you're here, bookmark the CalTrans site. It's really helpful when traveling anywhere in California.

I hope you and your wife have a great time! And just let me know if you have any more questions.
 


Hello I had a trip just cancelled for disney world for run disney event with my 15yo (should have been flying home now) . Also had plans for awards points trip to califorina with my wife for anniversary in March 2021 (from Australia). with coronavirus my country hinting no overseas trips till end of year. We are thinking of pushing march trip to give more time plus bring youngest 2 kids so we don't have to worry about parents to watch our younger kids.
So plan now looks sept/Oct aussie school holiday. Fly into LA RV trip up the coast to San Francisco then yosemite (always been on my bucket list) then back to LA. I don't need any disneyland tips as done plenty of trips there and will spend a week or so in aniehem after rv trip. How many days would we need for coast part. Any good places to stop or stay over night. RV in San Francisco? Any rv parks near city we could uber from or hotels might have space to park . Or should we just hirer a car for first part. Yosemite rv sites are they hard to get at that time of year.what's weather like there then. How many days there do you think is good. Drive straight back to LA after or other places to stop inland on way back. Thanks

I wanted to clarify my previous statement. There's a couple of reasons why I would not recommend navigating San Francisco with an RV:
  • the local culture in that city is VERY negative towards large vehicles. My sister lives in the area and she's seen regular news reports of minivans and SUVs purposely being targeted by vandals out of anger over the gas guzzler vehicle being parked on city streets.
  • it's hard to find a place to park even with a small car, let alone a much larger vehicle.
  • navigating on crowded & more narrow streets in an RV would be especially challenging.
I second the advice to rent a car for your LA-to-SF leg of the trip.

How many days in Yosemite?
3

Yosemite weather in Sept & Oct?
According to Accuweather, it's high's in 70s and low 80s in September, with lows in the high 40s to low 50.s In October, high's in mid to high 60's to mid 70's, with lows in the high 30s to high 40s range. Temps are lower in both months at the end of the month compared to start of the month.

Good stops from LA to SF:
Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley - there's usually a temporary exhibit there that changes, in addition to the permanent exhibits.
Santa Barbara
Pismo Beach
Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo
Carmel
Monterey Bay Aquarium

Stops from Yosemite to LA:
Sequoia National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
 
The highway will close with the snow. Highway 120 goes all the way through the park and intersects with US 395 on the east side. Inside the park, State Highway 120 will have a turn off for Big Oak Flat Road to get to the valley floor. Further south, State Highway 140 doesn't go through the park all the way, but becomes El Portal Road and likewise goes to the valley floor.

120 ends at the park entrance and starts again at the other end. It's Yosemite in between the segments. Here's a map:

1200px-California_State_Route_120.svg.png


140 ends at Yosemite NP.

I know of one highway that goes through a national park. 180 goes through Death Valley NP. Vehicles can legally go through without paying the entrance fee (there is no entrance station but one can pay at kiosks or a visitor center) as long as they don't stop at NPS parking lots. I remember when Death Valley NP was shut down, the road was still open and Furnace Creek was still open since that's legally not part of the park.
 


120 ends at the park entrance and starts again at the other end. It's Yosemite in between the segments. Here's a map:

1200px-California_State_Route_120.svg.png


140 ends at Yosemite NP.

I know of one highway that goes through a national park. 180 goes through Death Valley NP. Vehicles can legally go through without paying the entrance fee (there is no entrance station but one can pay at kiosks or a visitor center) as long as they don't stop at NPS parking lots. I remember when Death Valley NP was shut down, the road was still open and Furnace Creek was still open since that's legally not part of the park.

We always spent Easter Break at Furnace Creek to get out of the snow. The years we got a room at the Ranch, it was great. The years we camped in a tent, not so great!
 
We always spent Easter Break at Furnace Creek to get out of the snow. The years we got a room at the Ranch, it was great. The years we camped in a tent, not so great!

Sure. I know it's not summer hot, but it's still pretty hot in April. When I've been there the park rangers said that their peak visitation is in the winter months.

Most of the businesses within the park aren't owned by the federal government. Xanterra owns the land where what they now call "The Oasis at Death Valley" sits. I guess they don't want to remind anyone how hot it gets there. They still call it the Furnace Creek Golf Course though.
 
Since you will have your younger kids, you could consider staying at yoggi bear’s jellystone campground. I believe it’s south of Yosemite. So maybe on your way to LA. Northern California is a campers playground. It is so green and gorgeous up there.
 

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