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Folks, A friend & I are looking to drive from SF to LV in mid December, we were hoping to do the drive in one day or so (leaving early in the morning). Does anyone have a suggestion which is the best way to go? With a scenic stop or two for lunch etc along the way? Thanks

Hello,

Unfortunately there is no a very direct route between San Francisco and Las Vegas.  In December it is probably best if you stick to the major highways.  Interstate 5 south - Hwy 99 S - hwy 58 E - I-15 N.  That is because if you try to take a more direct route, cutting east through Northern CA, you may run into closed roads.  They are beautiful drives but they pass through the Sierra Nevada mountains.  I've driven those roads in April and have found myself in near white-out conditions from a sudden snow storm.  While driving the hairpin curves, I saw several cars stuck or in accidents. 

I suggest planning on sticking to the main roads.  But you can check the road conditions for the mountain passes before you leave San Franisco.  Maybe you'll be lucky and find the weather is dry.  The most likely pass you would take would be on Hwy 120, which takes you to Yosemite National Park.  (Be sure to check road conditions entering and exiting.)  This is where I was caught in the storm.  It is of course a beautiful drive.  And of course, Yosemite can be a lovely place to have lunch.  There are some self-serve cafes.  And there are some restaurants in the lodges.  Both are over priced due to the location.  I think one of the restaurants does have dress code. 

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/conditions.htm

http://www.yosemitepark.com/Dining.aspx

Another option is to detour to Sequoia National Park.  There is not a through road so this would be an out and back trip.

And you can also choose to cut through Death Valley National Park. 

You can expect the drive to be about 9 hours - without stops.  So doing any sightseeing along the way will be tough if you really want to do the drive in one day.  Even if you don't spend much time stopping, just driving on the minor highways can add time due to lower speed limits, no-passing zones and windey roads.

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Hi,

My name is Benoit, I'm French but currently studying in Vancouver (Canada). I beg to post a message on this thread as I would like to visit California (at least San Francisco and view some national parks or landscapes) and Las Vegas during my reading week (from February 14th to February 22nd). But because it is the winter season, it's quite hard for me to know which road to take between LAS and SFO (I would like to avoid risky roads but at the same time enjoy sceneries...).

I was thinking doing the following:

Day 1: Las Vegas. Day 2: Grand Canyon guided tour (from/to Las Vegas). Day 3/Day 4/Day 5(/Day 6?): between Las Vegas and San Francisco (with a rental car). (Day 6?)/Day 7/Day 8/Day 9: San Francisco

I have searched the Internet for some information and I have found two possible itineraries during Winter (because Sierra passes are closed): a north-east one (Death Valley, Mammoth Lake, Lake Tahoe, SFO) or a more South-west one (Death Valley, Sequoia National Park, Fresno, Yosemite National Park, SFO). Which one to choose, any advice?

I know this is a quite short trip but this is all I can do and I really want to see a maximum of landscapes and typical locations (I'll come back later one...).

I thank you in advance for your help and your suggestions (and thank you for your website, this is really useful for travellers like me...).

Regards.

Benoit 

You are all correct.  There are only two convenient routes to travel between San Francisco and Las Vegas during the winter.  The northern route goes northeast from San Francisco on Route 80 to the Donner Pass near Lake Tahoe and Reno Nevada, then south along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and through the deserts to Las Vegas. The southern route goes south through the Central Valley of California to Bakersfield then west through the Mojave Desert below the edge of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range to Las Vegas via Barstow.

Between the northern crossing of the mountains at Donner Pass and the southern crossing below the mountains at Barstow, there are about 300 miles of impenetrable mountain barrier with no open passes.  All of the passes between those two routes are typically closed between October and May due to heavy snow accumulation.

The southern route is the safest.  There is little chance of snow in the low altitude Central Valley nor in the 1000 meters high pass between Bakersfield and Barstow.  Snow is also unlikely in the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas.  In December 2008, Las Vegas actually had nearly 20 cm of snow, but that is a highly unusual occurrance that happens but once every five years or so. 

The northern route goes through Donner Pass.  At 2,000 meters, Donner Pass can get a lot of snow in the winter, but the highway maintainence crews typically keep Route 80 open at all times. The pass may close for a few hours or even a day during a severe snow storm, but it quickly reopens.  You might be required to put chains on your tires when driving through the pass. 

There are great scenic attractions along both routes, but they may be difficult to approach.  Along the southern way, you can detour into Yosemite National Park or Kings Canyon and Sequoia, but that requires driving into the higher altitudes of the mountains where the risk of snow filled roads becomes greater.  Along the northern route, you can pass by Lake Tahoe, the Mammoth Ski Country, Lake Mono, the ghost town of Bodie and through Death Valley, but this route will take you through some high altitude roads with snow dangers.

If you monitor the weather reports along the way and drive carefully, it will be well worth the risk to see some of this fabulous scenery during the winter.