6 Days: SF and the Sierra Nevada
6 Days: SF and the Sierra Nevada
Six days is where the full loop starts to make sense: Sequoia’s giant trees first, then Yosemite, then Lake Tahoe, roughly 500 miles of driving strung together across three parks. It’s tight, one night at Sequoia is genuinely a rushed taste rather than a proper visit, but it beats skipping the biggest trees on Earth entirely. Only want Yosemite and Tahoe? Drop to 5 days . Want breathing room for all three? Move up to 7 days , or read the full San Francisco to Yosemite and Tahoe guide .
Book these before you go
- A rental car in San Francisco , the entire loop depends on it
- A room in Three Rivers , the Sequoia gateway town
- A room in Yosemite Valley or Groveland for two nights
- A room in South Lake Tahoe for the last two nights
Day 1: Leave the city for the big trees
Drive south to Sequoia National Park , 250 to 280 miles and 5 to 6 hours on mountain roads with no direct highway, so leave early. Entry is $35 per vehicle , covering Kings Canyon too, and if you’re a non-U.S. resident, budget the new $100 per-person surcharge that applies here as of 2026. Head straight for the Giant Forest and General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on Earth by volume, before the light fades. Overnight in Three Rivers at the park’s gate.
Day 2: Kings Canyon in the morning, then north to Yosemite
Drive the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway for the morning, granite walls and river canyon that rival Yosemite’s own, then start the connector to Yosemite : 140 to 180 miles and 4 to 5 hours via Highways 180 and 41 through Fresno, since no road crosses the Sierra crest directly between the two parks. Arrive in Yosemite Valley by evening, check in, and save the sightseeing for tomorrow.
Day 3: Glacier Point, Mariposa Grove, Mist Trail
A full day in the Valley: the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall early, Mariposa Grove’s ancient sequoias in the afternoon, and if Glacier Point Road is open, usually late spring through fall, sunset at the overlook above the Valley floor.
Day 4: Over Tioga Pass to Lake Tahoe
Drive east out of the Valley on Tioga Road, past Olmsted Point and Tuolumne Meadows, then over the pass itself and down to Mono Lake for the tufa towers at South Tufa , a $3 permit at the self-serve station. Continue north on US-395 into South Lake Tahoe, about 195 miles and 4.5 hours total for the day.
Day 5: A full day at the lake
Spend the day at Emerald Bay , a $10 day-use parking fee, arriving before 9am to actually find a spot, with a hike down to Vikingsholm if you’ve still got energy after four days on the road. A scenic cruise is the easier alternative if the lot’s full when you roll up.
Day 6: The drive home
Start back to San Francisco via I-80, about 200 miles and 3.5 to 4.5 hours. If there’s time before you need to be back, a quick stop in Gold Country around Auburn or Placerville breaks up the drive with a Gold Rush-era main street instead of another gas station.
Is Sequoia worth adding to a Yosemite and Tahoe trip, or is it too much driving?
It’s worth it if you genuinely want to see General Sherman and don’t mind one compressed night to do it. The Sequoia-to-Yosemite connector alone eats 4 to 5 hours, so this loop only makes sense at six days or more; trying to squeeze all three parks into five days turns every stop into a drive-by.
At a glance
| Day | Distance / drive time | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | SF to Sequoia, 250-280 mi / 5-6 hrs | Giant Forest, General Sherman Tree |
| 2 | Sequoia to Yosemite, 140-180 mi / 4-5 hrs | Kings Canyon Scenic Byway morning, arrive Yosemite evening |
| 3 | In Yosemite Valley | Mist Trail, Mariposa Grove, Glacier Point sunset (seasonal) |
| 4 | Yosemite to Tahoe via Tioga Pass, ~195 mi / ~4.5 hrs | Olmsted Point, Tuolumne Meadows, Mono Lake |
| 5 | In Tahoe | Emerald Bay, Vikingsholm |
| 6 | Tahoe to SF, ~200 mi / 3.5-4.5 hrs | Drive home via I-80, optional Gold Country stop |
Gas up before leaving Three Rivers on Day 2. The stretch through Kings Canyon and back down to the Fresno valley floor runs longer between stations than the map suggests.