Yosemite and Disneyland

czmom

DIS Veteran
Joined
Oct 26, 2011
We just returned from a wonderful first visit to DLR. Nothing beats the post-Disney blues like planning another trip...so we are throwing around an August 2015 trip. This time my DH would like to combine other parts of California.

Here's what we are thinking:
Fly into SF or Oakland (we fly SWA so whatever is cheapest)
Should we stay in SF for a night??? Our kids will be 6 and 8.
Drive to Yosemite for 2-3 nights. Is that long enough, given the ages of our kids? Too long?
Drive to Anaheim for 6 nights/5 full park days at DLR. :cool1:
Would it be "on the way" to stop at Mariposa Grove when we drive from Yosemite to Anaheim? We are looking to stay at Yosemite Lodge or possibly one of the hotels in El Portal.

I would love to get some thoughts and feedback. Thanks!
 
August is late. The big waterfalls will likely be dry or at the least only trickling. If it's a dry year it can look dry by July. I've been there in winter, in the snow, when the waterfalls were only trickling, and when they were raging. If you can, I'd suggest earlier in the year when water flow should be higher and the falls are fuller. Waterfalls are the star attraction, and it would be a shame if your only visit misses on the big waterworks.

If you're looking for a place to stay and have a large group, consider a vacation home or condo rental at Yosemite West. It's a place just outside the park, but the only road in/out is connected to Wawona Road near Chinquapin.
 
We went to Yosemite in early June. The waterfalls were spectacular. Also it was nice to go while some schools were still in and the park wasn't too crowded. We stayed in cabins. Nice to have a kitchen but it was a little bit of a drive to the valley. 2 or 3 nights should be fine. Mariposa Grove is on your way out using the south entrance which is the way you'll probably go to get to Anaheim. Like I said, we just went to SF & San Francisco in June so feel free to ask questions.
 
I've done this trip with out-of-state relatives. You can drive to Yosemite, and if you are looking to budget then stay at the tent cabins in Curry Village. They provide bedding. I prefer real camping, but have compromised by staying at Housekeeping, which allows you to have a campfire outside your sleeping area. Let us know if you'd like more details.

There is Yosemite West and Redwoods in Yosemite. Personally, I prefer Redwoods in Yosemite for home-style cabins. I found I could do more there.

Two to three nights in Yosemite is very nice. On your way out, you will take Hwy 41 (southern exit), and the Mariposa Grove is 2 miles from the southern entrance, so you will have time to go visit the big trees. They have a tram that will take you on a tour, and if you'd like, you can take the tram to the far end of the loop and walk back, or ride the tram the whole way. I've taken my kids when they were younger, and they had no problem walking the trail.

Another thing I have done, is... we left Yosemite fairly early and drove to Kings Canyon/Sequoia. We spent a couple of hours at Hume Lake - there is a beach there - and then drove along Generals Hwy, to Giant Forest. We went to General Sherman, which is the largest living thing in the world. The hike to it is short, but steep. A lot of people do it, and there are several benches to stop and rest along the way if you need to. This was a highlight for our guests when we did it. Giant Forest to Los Angeles is about a 5-hour drive, so you have the option to drive all the way home and get in late, or stop in Visalia (3 hours from LA) or Bakersfield (2 hours from LA) if you want to spend the night. I'm used to driving, so drove home from there.

After that trip, I would take it easy the first Disneyland day so everyone can be rested for the rest of your trip.

There are several of us who know Yosemite/Sequoia well, and I'm sure you'll get some good advice.
 


Thank you everyone! I went to Yosemite many years ago and do remember the breathtaking waterfalls. This trip is for my daughter's birthday in August, so no waterfalls. But, I am sure it will still be gorgeous. :thumbsup2

We live in Texas, so anything other than a prairie is amazing to us. :rotfl:

Great to hear that Mariposa Grove is right on the way to Anaheim!

I will look into all the suggested lodging options. We are a family of 4, so don't need a house.

It sounds like a doable plan though, and I will move on with my research. Yay! :cool1:
 
Thank you everyone! I went to Yosemite many years ago and do remember the breathtaking waterfalls. This trip is for my daughter's birthday in August, so no waterfalls. But, I am sure it will still be gorgeous. :thumbsup2

If you're willing to do some walking, Vernal Fall (up the Mist Trail) and Nevada Fall on the Merced River pretty much never run dry. It's fed by snow up higher than Yosemite Creek, as well as glacial melt that reforms every year. I personally feel that Vernal looks more interesting as a sheer curtain of water compared to when water flow is raging.

800px-Vernal_Fall_pano.jpg


By August Yosemite Creek and Yosemite Falls can run completely dry. There are some climbing routes up the face of what normally would be Yosemite Falls. The best known is Via Aqua.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=6670&tn=0

0viaaquaoverview.jpeg


You can see the "bathtub stains". It turns almost black where the water normally hits.
 
If you're willing to do some walking, Vernal Fall (up the Mist Trail) and Nevada Fall on the Merced River pretty much never run dry. It's fed by snow up higher than Yosemite Creek, as well as glacial melt that reforms every year. I personally feel that Vernal looks more interesting as a sheer curtain of water compared to when water flow is raging.

800px-Vernal_Fall_pano.jpg


By August Yosemite Creek and Yosemite Falls can run completely dry. There are some climbing routes up the face of what normally would be Yosemite Falls. The best known is Via Aqua.

http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=6670&tn=0

0viaaquaoverview.jpeg


You can see the "bathtub stains". It turns almost black where the water normally hits.


Exactly how much walking for Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall? My kids will be 6 and turning 9.

I see you are from the Bay Area- how long is the drive from SF to Yosemite? I guess the West entrance....that's the one near El Portal, right?
 


Vernal Falls is manageable with most of it paved. For an out of shape 40 year old woman, Nevada Falls was difficult but I made it. From the valley past Vernal Falls to the top of Nevada Falls it's almost 4 miles. The trail is made from the boulders & is very steep in most places. I saw younger kids going up but if yours will tire easily, I wouldn't plan on going all the way up. If they're the adventurous type with lots of energy I would say go for it. Also, there is not any drinkable water at the top of Nevada Falls. In August it's going to be very hot. I would recommend taking some kind of bottle that is meant to treat or filter the water from the river. We carried a lot, filled up at Vernal Falls & still would have liked more. Oh & don't forget the snacks. If you make it all the way to the top, cross over the bridge & go down the other side. It's much easier going down.
 
Exactly how much walking for Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall? My kids will be 6 and turning 9.

I see you are from the Bay Area- how long is the drive from SF to Yosemite? I guess the West entrance....that's the one near El Portal, right?

Vernal Fall from the Happy Isles trailhead is 1.5 miles one way. It's a bit steep. About 1.2 miles is paved and the rest is up a constructed trail of dirt and granite slabs. While it is the Mist Trail, by August the amount of water spray is minimal. In May, hikers will get soaked. Many wear ponchos or other rain gear to keep dry. If you've got hiking poles, they'll help.

mist_trail.jpg


Here's the full trail map:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/valleyhikes1.pdf

The shortest route to Nevada Fall is another 1.5 miles, past Liberty Cap. Nevada Fall is actually less impressive when the water flow is low. It's one where it looks great when the water is just shooting out hard. It might not be worth going there. The only time I've seen it was going down after a backpacking trip, although it was spectacular. When I did the Mist Trail with my wife, she complained after a quarter-mile. She enjoyed it once we got to Vernal Fall, but I don't think she would have made it to Nevada Fall.

8001954454_16f43e9e2b_o.jpg


This guy took it in September 2012. It looks fuller in Maybe June or July.
 
I see you are from the Bay Area- how long is the drive from SF to Yosemite? I guess the West entrance....that's the one near El Portal, right?

Drive is about 4 hours, depending on how many stops you make. Yes use the west entrance. We are in a severe drought this year, hardly any snow pack as of yet. So yes the falls will be a trickle, but Yosemite is still stunning and worth the trip :-)
 
Drive is about 4 hours, depending on how many stops you make. Yes use the west entrance. We are in a severe drought this year, hardly any snow pack as of yet. So yes the falls will be a trickle, but Yosemite is still stunning and worth the trip :-)

I didn't respond earlier, but the fastest way from the Bay Area is through the Big Oak Flat entrance via CA-120 with the closest town to the entrance being Groveland. The way through the Arch Rock Entrance passes through CA-140 and El Portal but would also require passing through Merced. It's theoretically only a few minutes longer, but you also have the one-way traffic light around the landslide. Also there may be a longer wait at the entrance station.

Here's a mapping from (an example hotel) the Courtyard by Marriott in Emeryville to Yosemite Lodge:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=...EVLT3Smo8ecw&oq=yosemite+lodge&mra=ls&t=m&z=8

And if you want to enter via the Arch Rock Entrance:

https://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=...emite+lodge&mra=dpe&mrsp=1&sz=8&via=1&t=m&z=8
 
We are thinking of making this trip this summer. Can you explain about the landslide?
Also, is one of those roads more winding with multiple switchbacks than the other? TIA.
 
We are thinking of making this trip this summer. Can you explain about the landslide?
Also, is one of those roads more winding with multiple switchbacks than the other? TIA.

Priest Grade on CA-120 is winding. If you don't like it, Old Priest Grade is still available, but most avoid it because it's really steep. I don't think (New) Priest Grade is that bad. It's not regular switchbacks like Haleakala. It meanders along an irregular path.

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=prie...t+Grade,+Tuolumne+County,+California&t=m&z=15

The landslide I was talking about was the Ferguson Rockslide of 2006. It took out a section of CA-140 along with the power lines that brought electricity into Yosemite NP. Technically the slide area is within Sierra National Forest, but since it's blocking a state highway, Caltrans is tasked with developing a fix.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_State_Route_140

In June 2006, the road between El Portal and Mariposa was closed due to a rock slide. The Ferguson Slide buried about 600 feet (180 m) of SR140 between Cedar Lodge and Briceburg Visitor Center between SR-49 and SR-41.

http://www.dot.ca.gov/dist10/environmental/projects/fergusonslide/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7r39-OdR7c
http://www.nps.gov/yose/photosmultimedia/ferguson.htm

Caltrans built two temporary bridges to go around the slide. It used an older narrow road on the other side of the Merced River. I think the first bridges were installed at right angles and limited the length of vehicles that could use them without clipping the bridges. The current setup is installed at a 45 degree angle. There's an automated and timed one-way control.

This is what the slide area looks like:

LIVE_p0125_25B3rockslide.aurora_standalone.prod_affiliate.11.jpg


Here's the satellite view from Google Maps (the bypass and slide are easy to spot):

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=El+P...r=El+Portal,+Mariposa+County,+California&z=17

It's not a big issue with a car under 20 ft, but it could be an issue with a large RV or pulling a trailer. I remember one of the initial bridges was damaged after being clipped by a large vehicle that was over the prescribed length limit.
 
I remember there being some pretty cool waterfalls on the Half Dome Trail up to Emerald Pool or Emerald Lake I can't remember the exact name.
 
I remember there being some pretty cool waterfalls on the Half Dome Trail up to Emerald Pool or Emerald Lake I can't remember the exact name.

That's the Mist Trail and perhaps part of the John Muir Trail. It's the Emerald Pools just about Vernal Fall. It's in the section of the map I linked. The next waterfall up is Nevada Fall. The photo I linked was of it with fairly low flow. It looks spectacular when water flow is high.

800px-Nevada_Fall_08693.JPG


The Half Dome Trail is a 2 mile trail that branches off from the John Muir Trail to the top of Half Dome.
 
What about the Hotel in Yosemite Valley (the Lodge). Has anyone did the Hotel thing right in the valley? :)
 
What about the Hotel in Yosemite Valley (the Lodge). Has anyone did the Hotel thing right in the valley? :)

If I ever stayed there, I don't remember. Way back when my parents tell me that we stayed at one of the hard-sided cabins at Camp Curry (now Curry Village).

Yosemite Lodge is more motel style accommodations. Some of the second floor rooms are accessed by a balcony. Frankly it's nothing fancy, but since it's Yosemite they can charge $200/night.

Now the Ahwahnee Hotel just exudes class. It was originally built to cater to the upscale clientele that the National Park Service needed as advocates. They had captains of industry as well as politicians staying there.
 
If I ever stayed there, I don't remember. Way back when my parents tell me that we stayed at one of the hard-sided cabins at Camp Curry (now Curry Village).

Yosemite Lodge is more motel style accommodations. Some of the second floor rooms are accessed by a balcony. Frankly it's nothing fancy, but since it's Yosemite they can charge $200/night.

Now the Ahwahnee Hotel just exudes class. It was originally built to cater to the upscale clientele that the National Park Service needed as advocates. They had captains of industry as well as politicians staying there.

Ahwanhnee hotel is pricey...if I go to Yosemite, i imagine spending most of my time outdoors anyway. Don't wanna rent an RV either so thinking the Lodge would be the best compromise :)
 
Ahwanhnee hotel is pricey...if I go to Yosemite, i imagine spending most of my time outdoors anyway. Don't wanna rent an RV either so thinking the Lodge would be the best compromise :)

Curry Village tent cabins perhaps. It's not really camping, but it's pretty spartan. There are still a few hard-sided cabins in service, but they took out dozens of units because of some rockfall closer to the edges.

There's also Housekeeping Camp. Some sort of equate it to looking like emergency housing after a nuclear war broke out, but you'd get a roof over your head and they do allow cooking unlike at Curry Village.

These of course aren't the regular campgrounds where you're pretty much on your own.
 

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