California to Nevada Eight-Day Road Trip
An eight-day West Coast journey from San Francisco to Las Vegas, threading Yosemite's granite valleys, the Eastern Sierra, Death Valley's salt flats, and the neon Mojave finale with a Grand Canyon West day trip.
San Francisco -> Yosemite Valley -> Mono Lake -> Mammoth Lakes -> Death Valley -> Las Vegas -> Grand Canyon West -> Las Vegas
- Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center
- Tunnel View
- Glacier Point
- Mono Lake South Tufa
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
- Zabriskie Point
- Grand Canyon West Skywalk
- Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive
San Francisco Bay Highlights
Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center
Golden Gate Bridge Welcome Center, San Francisco, California, US
Lombard Street
Lombard Street, San Francisco, California, US
Fisherman's Wharf
Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco, California, US
Into Yosemite Valley
Oakdale
Oakdale, Oakdale, California, US
Tunnel View
Tunnel View, Yosemite National Park, California, US
Yosemite Valley Visitor Center
Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, Yosemite Village, California, US
Granite Domes and Sequoias
Glacier Point
Glacier Point, Yosemite National Park, California, US
El Capitan Meadow
El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California, US
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Wawona, California, US
Tioga Pass to the Eastern Sierra
Olmsted Point
Olmsted Point, Yosemite National Park, California, US
Mono Lake South Tufa
Mono Lake South Tufa, Lee Vining, California, US
Mammoth Lakes
Mammoth Lakes, Mammoth Lakes, California, US
Lone Pine to Death Valley
Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, US
Father Crowley Vista Point
Father Crowley Vista Point, Death Valley National Park, California, US
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Stovepipe Wells, California, US
Salt Flats to Neon Lights
Zabriskie Point
Zabriskie Point, Death Valley National Park, California, US
Badwater Basin
Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park, California, US
Las Vegas Strip
Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Hoover Dam and the Canyon Rim
Hoover Dam
Hoover Dam, Boulder City, Nevada, US
Grand Canyon West Skywalk
Grand Canyon West Skywalk, Peach Springs, Arizona, US
Eagle Point Overlook
Eagle Point Overlook, Peach Springs, Arizona, US
Red Rock and Vegas Finale
Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive
Red Rock Canyon Scenic Drive, Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Bellagio Fountains
Bellagio Fountains, Las Vegas, Nevada, US
Fremont Street Experience
Fremont Street Experience, Las Vegas, Nevada, US
- Tioga Pass (CA-120 east of Yosemite) is often still closed in early-to-mid spring; verify Caltrans status before committing to the Mono Lake leg.
- Death Valley heat becomes dangerous from late spring; carry extra water, fuel up in Lone Pine or Beatty, and avoid midday hikes at Badwater.
- Yosemite may require a peak-hours vehicle reservation in summer; book lodging in Mariposa, El Portal, or the valley months ahead.
- Grand Canyon West sits on Hualapai tribal land with its own ticket; the federal America the Beautiful pass is not accepted there.