Sequoia National Park Travel Forum

Help me decide, VT friends! Later this month, we will be leaving Yosemite on a Thursday and have an afternoon flight to catch on the following Sunday. We would like to tour the EASTERN Sierras, especially Mono Lake to Big Pine, but all passes south of Hwy 88 are likely to be closed... making for a long northerly loop via Carson Pass. Another "wanna do" is to see Sequoia & Kings Canyon NPs (a couple of days to do it justice?). Is it worth the time & effort, considering March weather, to do either? ...both? What would YOU do, within this limited timeframe? Does anyone have a good grasp on driving times to either locale (from Yosemite)? Thanks in advance!

Yosemite to King's Canyon Sequoia isn't that far, and both places are spectacular. I have had some great times in King's Canyon and it's relatively empty compared to the other two. I personally wouldn't make the loop over, but I'm not an expert by any means. I just wanted to say that King's Canyon is great and sequoia is wonderful. I didn't spend much time in Mono lake area, but the towns on the eastern sierras are pretty interesting in and of themselves, and from there you could make some forays up into the mountains...

Hey thanks, Giampiero6!I should mention that the Sunday flight is a 3pm out of LAX (as you could probably guess), so I could likely overnight at Lone Pine or Sequoia and still have a 'leisurely' morning drive to LAX.Anyone have March travel experience in the Sierras?

Hmmm..Sorry I don't have exact times. And yeah, your drive, ..pretty leisurely...You should be able to make it from Lone Pine in 3-4 hours depending on speed and weather conditions.

I drove from Sequoia to Yosemite in March about 5 years ago no problem. I think it took an afternoon. I stayed over in Yosemite Bug hostel and took the bus into the valley park the following day. But I was in no hurry and this was my holiday. Sequoia is fine if you like big trees.

I vote for the Carson Pass. Highway 395 is one of the most beautiful drives in California. Especially in the winter.

Poster, from Yosemite DOWN to 395, Mono Lake, and east Sierras does not require any crossing over mountain passes that may close for winter except Tioga pass which is what I will presume you will already be traveling across to get to Big Pine. With that said you are free to visit all of 395. Conway Lake, Lookout to Mt. Whitney and others require little altitude increase from the low 395 hiway.

Sequoia and Kings are amazing. Half of the park and roads never close for winter 'hazards' and the parts that do close only do so if there is still enough snow to warrant it. So, I say that because if you want see its beauty you can do so safely in winter in the lower levels and most probably even 100% access to the tops if end of March does not produce any new snowstorms. Check their sites just before flying to Ca. Road via Lake Isabella will be the safest option of having the highest still open but check their website.

As for getting to LAX by 3pm on a Sun.- Bishop to LAX via Lancaster 4 1/2 hours for me on Sunday day so safely around 5 1/2 hours no stop except for gas. If Sequoia/Kings, Obviously you will stay overnight there and you can still have an early breakfast and even a small hike at your campground on Sunday if you are in lower Sequoia and still make LAX by 3pm.