Getting here
Highway 120 enters from Groveland, Highway 140 follows the Merced River through El Portal, Highway 41 reaches Wawona and Mariposa Grove, and Tioga Road crosses the high country only during its open season.
Arrival map
The Valley, Mariposa Grove, Glacier Point, and Tioga Road do not share one practical approach. Compare the Bay Area, Fresno and Highway 41, Los Angeles, Reno, and east-side routes before choosing lodging and a second-day destination.
Second Star gear guide
Road Trip Essentials
Road-trip packing list
Phone mounts, chargers, coolers, emergency supplies, and small car organizers for the drive to and from the destination.
Car Phone Mounts
$26.99
Road Trip Coolers
$275.00
Car Emergency Kits
$69.95
Approach roads
The lodging corridor and the first park destination determine the practical entrance. Yosemite Valley, Mariposa Grove, Hetch Hetchy, and Tioga Pass sit on different approach roads.
From San Francisco and Oakland, Highway 120 runs through Groveland to the Big Oak Flat entrance, with the Hetch Hetchy turnoff before the descent toward Yosemite Valley.
Highway 41 runs north from Fresno through Oakhurst and Fish Camp, enters at the park's south boundary, and reaches Mariposa Grove before Wawona and Yosemite Valley.
The usual drive from Los Angeles reaches the Fresno and Highway 41 corridor through the Central Valley. Oakhurst provides a gateway stop before the final mountain road to the south entrance.
U.S. 395 reaches Lee Vining and the Tioga Pass entrance from Reno. Tioga Road closes seasonally, so the current road-status page must confirm the cross-park route before departure.
Yosemite does not require an entrance reservation in 2026. Lodging, campground, wilderness, and Half Dome reservations or permits remain separate, and parking can still fill early.
Road work, smoke, fire restrictions, and seasonal closures can change the drive. Check the National Park Service conditions page and call 209-372-0200 for the most current recorded road status.
Keep exploring
Tahoe City extends a California mountain trip with lakefront paths, beaches, and a different Sierra landscape north of Yosemite.
