7 Days: SF and the Sierra Nevada

7 Days: SF and the Sierra Nevada

A full week is what finally makes the three-park loop comfortable instead of rushed: two proper nights each at Sequoia, Yosemite, and Lake Tahoe, roughly 500 miles of driving spread across the week instead of crammed into it. This is the version to book if General Sherman, the Mist Trail, and Emerald Bay are all on your list and you don’t want to sprint through any of them. Only got six days? See the 6-day version , or read the full San Francisco to Yosemite and Tahoe guide .

Book these before you go

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. Entry is $35 per vehicle , covering Kings Canyon too, plus the new $100 non-resident surcharge if it applies to you. Get to the Giant Forest in time to see General Sherman, the largest tree on Earth by volume, before the light fades. Overnight in Three Rivers.

Day 2: Kings Canyon, unhurried

With a second night already booked, spend the whole day on the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, granite walls and river canyon that genuinely rival Yosemite’s, without yesterday’s pressure to beat the sunset. Second night in Three Rivers.

Day 3: North to Yosemite

The connector to Yosemite runs 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 by afternoon, check in, and use whatever daylight’s left for an easy walk to Bridalveil Fall and a stop at Tunnel View.

Day 4: Glacier Point, Mist Trail

Hike the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall early, before the crowds and the heat. If Glacier Point Road is open, usually late spring through fall, spend the evening there for sunset over the Valley floor.

Day 5: Mariposa Grove, then over Tioga Pass to Tahoe

Spend the morning at Mariposa Grove among sequoias older than the park itself, then drive east on Tioga Road, past Olmsted Point and Tuolumne Meadows, over the pass, 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 6: 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 or a scenic cruise if the lot’s already full. With a second night here, add Sand Harbor on the Nevada side in the afternoon, $10 for Nevada plates or $15 out of state, and check its day-use reservation requirement before you go.

Day 7: The drive home

Head back to San Francisco via I-80, about 200 miles and 3.5 to 4.5 hours. Break up the drive with a stop in Gold Country, Auburn or Placerville both work, for lunch on a Gold Rush-era main street instead of another gas station, before landing back in the city by evening.

Is a week enough time for Sequoia, Yosemite, and Tahoe together?

Yes, and it’s the version of this loop that actually feels unhurried. Two nights at each stop means you’re not sacrificing General Sherman, the Mist Trail, or Emerald Bay to make the driving work, which is exactly what happens on the tighter six-day version.

At a glance

Day Distance / drive time Focus
1 SF to Sequoia, 250-280 mi / 5-6 hrs Giant Forest, General Sherman Tree
2 In Sequoia and Kings Canyon Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, unhurried
3 Sequoia to Yosemite, 140-180 mi / 4-5 hrs Bridalveil Fall, Tunnel View
4 In Yosemite Valley Mist Trail sunrise, Glacier Point sunset (seasonal)
5 Yosemite to Tahoe via Tioga Pass, ~195 mi / ~4.5 hrs Mariposa Grove, Olmsted Point, Mono Lake
6 In Tahoe Emerald Bay, Sand Harbor
7 Tahoe to SF, ~200 mi / 3.5-4.5 hrs Drive home via I-80, optional Gold Country stop

Rotate who’s driving each day if there’s more than one of you. Three mountain passes and two lake-shore roads in one week is a real amount of driving, not a background detail.