Vacation to Sequoia, Yosemite, and Redwoods - Recommendations

[xcutter]

Heading to Sequoia, Yosemite, and the Redwoods in late May. Looking for recommendations. Trails, sites, restaurants, weather, etc...

I have places to stay scheduled for each park or area. 2 nights at Sequoia, 4 nights at Yosemite, and 3 nights at Redwoods.

I've done a lot of googling and started making an itenerary but I always get good recommendations from the Rokslide group.

I appreciate any insite. Thanks.

 

[jzeblaz]

Make sure you see General Sherman in Sequoia. If it is open, try to see the Crystal Cave. I've tried several times, but never got in. Yosemite will be a zoo, expect that and use the buses to get around once in the Park. All the typical sights, El Cap, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls should be doable. I haven't been to Redwoods NP, but you can get a taste just north of the Golden Gate at Armstrong Woods State Park, probably less busy. Consider looping through Kings Canyon when at Sequoia, they are connected and very close. Some great views, but but Sequoia is a better park for walking around and seeing stuff. May is a good month weather wise, except for the crowds. Have a blast. These would be high spots on my list for anyone visiting CA. Consider Lake Tahoe too, not really on your route, but one of the jewels of area and you could swing it up the 395 (eastern Sierras on your way north).

 

[Soj51hopeful]

Check out Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite. You can take an easy 2-1/2 mile hike out to Wapama falls. I used to be a dam tender there.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Mirror Lake was my favorite place in Yosemite. It was a nice hike and wasn’t too crowded the day I went there.

 

[AKBC]

I just hiked the Moro Rock trail in Sequoia a couple weeks ago and it was fun.

 

[Johnny Tyndall]

Sequoia: Outstanding sunset views from the top of Moro rock. The low parts of the park are oak woodland and chaparral, you need to get up high to get into the conifers. For sure walk around Sequoia groves. Ones close to the road like the General Sherman are great and well-developed. If you want to hike to some groves further back the rangers should be able to give you some ideas. As with all parks, if you get 1 mile away from a road you will lose 90% of people. Mineral King is a neat area and away from the crowds but man it takes a while to get there. 20 years ago the River View in 3 Rivers was a great place for a pizza and beer, no idea today.

Yosemite - the valley is a zoo. Don't stress and enjoy it for what it is. Try not to drive around it, walk, take the bus, rent a bike. Tuolumne Meadows is (somewhat) quieter. The usual advice to hike a mile in applies doubly in Yosemite.

If your route at all takes you by the east side of the range try and do it. Very different on that side of the range

 

[Jimmy]

Yosemite will be busy but it's worth it. Especially getting out early mornings and evenings.

I enjoy watching the people climbing el cap. Set up some chairs and bring your spotting scope and it's very fun to watch!

 

[CMF]

In that area, we did in order, Redwood, Lassen Volcanic, Golden gate, Pinnacles, Kings Canyon, Yosemite, Sequoia, Channel Islands, and La Brea tar pits.
Might consider if it makes sense to hit the other parks that are in route. Lassen and Pinnacles were both very cool parks despite hardly ever hearing about them.
Even if you can't do it this time, Channel Islands is a must-see. Plan way ahead to camp on the island, but it's hard to get a reservation, which is stupid cause most of the sites were no-shows.
Just outside of Redwood we did get into dip netting/cast netting smelt with some locals who let the kids use their gear. They fried up nicely and was interesting unplanned event. This was late July, might be seasonal.
Could check out:
Tree growing around elk antler at redwoods visitor center.
I think it was called the lassen peak trail, but it was up to a peak, 5mi/2k el.
a couple cool hikes at pinnacle
drive your vehicle through the tree at Sequoia

 

[Beendare]

We bring our bikes to Yosemite every year. Hit the trails before they get busy and you will be fine. Something like the mist trail to Vernal is a zoo between 11-5 on a summer day.

The trail to the top of Yosemite falls is always less crowded and the trail on the opposite side of the Valley to the lookout is even less crowded but that gets hot in the afternoon.

Tuolume Meadows is nice with good short hikes but mosquitos can be terrible in the summer. The redwoods near the El Portal gate just past the TM cutoff road at the gas station are awesome and a short hike.