Death Valley National Park Travel Forum

Hi

We are planning a road trip from San Francisco to Las Vegas via Yosemite, Death Valley and the Grand Canyon in mid October. We will be driving from Furnace Creek to the Grand Canyon South Rim in a day. This looks like a long drive so any tips for the best, ie quickest and/or easiest, route would be good. We don't need to go via Las Vegas as we are going there after the Grand Canyon (looks stupid on the map but that's where we fly home from). Should we still go through Las Vegas or is there a better route?

Our other problem is that the Tioga Pass may be shut if there are early snows. We will be staying in Yosemite Valley on Thursday night and in Furnace Creek on Saturday and Sunday nights. Any ideas for an alternative route? Where would it be best to spend Friday night?

Thanks in advance for your help

MW

Hi,

I'm not a local, but have driven between SF and the Canyon twice now - once in November and once in December, and both times the Northern mountain passes were closed, so we went right up to Saratoga and across there, going through Lake Tahoe and Las Vegas. On the way back both times (flying out of SF) we came through Sequoia National Forest and the roads/snow weren't an issue there.

Have fun!

The shortest route is through Las Vegas. Once you are in Death Valley you are already over the Tioga Pass. It will be unusual for the pass to close by mid-October but its not unheard of.