I'm planning to take an around the country trip next year (we'll see what the gas prices do). I am a flatlander & am nervous about towing in the big hills. I am a woman traveling alone & don't really want to tempt the transmission or brake gremlins. I understand going route 120 into Yosemite has a nasty, steep pull, but going all the way around through Fresno & up 41 seems like a long way. What is 41 like into the park? I've also heard some horror stories about the drive from Zion to Vegas. I'd appreciate any help.
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Zion to Vegas has a section that goes through the Virgin River gorge, curves, and some hills. Speed limits are reduced to make it safer, but not many people go 55. I have done it many times with my 5th wheel and it's not that bad. There is truck traffic, and you do need to be confident in your skills, or you might get scared if they pass you on a narrow section.
Once you get past that, there is a grade coming out of Mesquite that is a pretty good pull, but not really steep. Then past that, it is a slight grade almost the whole way into Vegas, but not too bad. However, there are often high winds out there in summer, and you could be fighting a head wind all the way to vegas, sucking your gas like a slurpee on a hot summer day.
Vegas to Yosemite... There are basically two ways from Vegas, as you mentioned. HWY 120 from 395 is a LONG, Steep grade, with NO guardrails for most of it. But the road is really wide and there are many turnouts, mostly on the downhill side. IMO this is a beautiful trip. Up the 395, along the eastern Sierra, some scenery NOT to be missed.
I have driven HWY 41 out of Fresno many times. It's not too bad, but it is pretty winding as it goes through the forest. If you choose to go into the park this way, I suggest exiting via 120, and stay in Lee Vining at the very nice Mono Vista RV Park for a few days (cash only). From there, you can sight see to things like Mono Lake, Bodie ghost town, Mammoth Lakes, etc.
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Thanks for the help. I'd prefer to stay in the park so it sounds like the long way around via 41 is the best route to do that? I'll be there a week & it seems a long way to drive in from Lee Vining every day. I'm planning on 10 months for my trip & it doesn't seem any where near long enough to do all I want to do.
Oh, sorry for confusion. Lee Vining is not a place to stay and visit the park. If you can't get a reservation inside the park (it is hard in high season) El Portal is the closest town to the park that has an RV park.
If you plan to go through Zion don't; the rest of the way is as Hot Rod described.
Zion is steep and has size restrictions do to tunnels. This is from the East entrance; if you plan to visit from the St. George side there is no problem.
I hope you have reservations for somewhere close to Yosemite since it gets very busy during the summer months. Vegas over to 99 at Bakersfield is probably the best way to go.
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I took my 31ft 5er through the Mt Zion tunnel coming in from the east. Costs 10 bucks, I was coming from Moab down the 89 and going to Springdale. It was cool to have them close the tunnel just for me!
It's not that bad going down, you are going slow, so no big deal.
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