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Santiago to California's Sierra Nevada: Yosemite and Sequoia

Santiago → Yosemite → Sequoia

Yosemite Valley Tunnel View
"Tunnel View, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite NP - Diliff.jpg" by Diliff, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Fresno Skyline (2) (Fresno)
Photo: Etherealsmoke, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Granite valleys & giant trees Best season (general guide): May–Oct

The Sierra Nevada, in eastern California, holds two of the oldest national parks in the United States. This route spends four nights around Yosemite and two in Sequoia. From Santiago you'll connect through a US hub to Fresno.

How to pace it: Spend days one to four in Yosemite: day one, drive to Yosemite; day two, valley floor and Yosemite Falls; day three, Glacier Point; day four, Mariposa Grove. Then spend days five and six in Sequoia: day five, drive south to Sequoia; day six, General Sherman and Moro Rock.

Yosemite National Park, listed by UNESCO, is known for Yosemite Valley, where granite walls such as El Capitan and Half Dome rise above the river.

Yosemite Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in North America, strongest in spring.

In the south of the park, Mariposa Grove protects hundreds of giant sequoias.

Sequoia National Park, further south, is home to General Sherman, the largest tree on Earth by volume. Moro Rock, a granite dome, has a stairway to the top.

May to October is the main season. Some high roads close in winter.

Good to know: A car is needed. Check the National Park Service pages for road status and any entry rules before you go.

Stay inside Yosemite or close to an entrance to save driving time. The valley floor has flat paths and a free shuttle bus. Glacier Point gives a classic view over Half Dome, but the road is seasonal. Mist Trail is a popular hike past waterfalls, but it is steep and wet. Mariposa Grove has a shuttle from the entrance in season. Between the two parks, the drive passes farmland and foothills, with towns for fuel and food. In Sequoia, the Generals Highway has steep bends, so take your time. Bring layers, as temperatures change with altitude. Mobile signal is poor inside both parks, so download maps before arriving. Book lodging and campsites months ahead for summer.

Keep food in bear-proof boxes and never feed wildlife.

Pack a picnic for long days on the trails.

Suggested outline

  1. Santiago

    Start

  2. Yosemite

    By air · 4 nights suggested

    Granite walls, waterfalls and giant sequoias.

  3. Sequoia

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    Giant trees and a granite dome viewpoint.

    General Sherman tree
    "General Sherman Tree 2013.jpg" by Tuxyso, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Yosemite — Arrive; drive to Yosemite· Santiago → Fresno (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day, then Fresno → Yosemite (overland)
  2. Day 2 · Yosemite — Valley floor and Yosemite Falls
  3. Day 3 · Yosemite — Glacier Point
  4. Day 4 · Yosemite — Mariposa Grove
  5. Day 5 · Sequoia — Drive south to Sequoia· Yosemite → Sequoia (overland)
  6. Day 6 · Sequoia — General Sherman and Moro Rock
  7. Day 7 · Sequoia — Travel home from Sequoia· Sequoia → Fresno (overland), then Fresno → Santiago (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Yosemite

Nearest airport: Fresno Search fares · Fresno ↗

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