San Francisco to Yosemite National Park

The first half of this leg is a freeway journey that begins with a San Francisco Bay crossing over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge’s eastern section, which opened in 2013. The route follows I-580 through Altamont Pass, home to the highest number of wind turbines in the world. After leaving Escalon, the impressive ascent of the western Sierra Nevadas awaits you via SR 120.

The Tioga Pass descent from Yosemite to US 395 is breathtakingly rapid, dropping some 3,200 feet in just 12 miles. For a glimpse of nature’s unusual handiwork before heading toward Lee Vining, explore the Mono Lake Tufa State Natural Reserve. A trail provides perfect vistas of the lake’s limestone towers soaring up out of the water.

US 395 offers a picturesque jaunt through the imposing mountain-rung Bridgeport Valley. Past Bridgeport, follow the signs to Fales Hot Springs, where thermal waters delight visitors. SR 108 ascends the 9,624-foot Sonora Pass and offers impressive views before dropping into Sonora. At Donnell Vista, a short walk rewards hikers with a glimpse of the Stanislaus River Canyon.

It’s only a short drive from Sonora to Yosemite Junction, so spend some time in historic Jamestown before retracing your steps on SR 120 toward San Francisco. Here you’ll find several 1800s-era buildings and Railtown 1897 State Historic Park. Also nearby is Knights Ferry, home to California‘s oldest general store and the longest covered bridge west of the Mississippi.