San Francisco Sierra Loop: 6 Wild Days
Six days finally has room for the giant sequoias, not at Sequoia National Park itself, which sits 5 to 6 hours from San Francisco with no direct road from Yosemite at all, but at Yosemite’s own Mariposa Grove, slotted into this loop right after the Valley day and before Tioga Pass carries the route on to Lake Tahoe. This builds on the 5-day version rather than reinventing it; the full week adds one more day at Tahoe on top. Cover the city itself with the in-city 5-day itinerary before starting this loop.
Book these before you go
- Rent the car in San Francisco for all six days; neither park has rental counters.
- Yosemite gateway lodging for three nights, South Lake Tahoe lodging for two more.
- An Emerald Bay boat cruise for the Tahoe day, summer sells out weeks ahead.
The six days at a glance
| Day | Focus | Distance/drive-time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco to Yosemite | 170 mi / 3.5-4 hrs |
| 2 | Full Yosemite Valley day | In the park, no drive |
| 3 | Mariposa Grove, giant sequoias | Short drive within the park |
| 4 | Tioga Pass to Lake Tahoe | 2.5-3 hrs on Hwy 120 east |
| 5 | Full Tahoe day, Emerald Bay | In the basin, no drive |
| 6 | Tahoe morning, drive back to SF | 190-220 mi / 3.5-4.5 hrs |
Should you also drive to Sequoia National Park on this trip?
Not on this route. Sequoia and Kings Canyon look close to Yosemite on a map, but no direct mountain road connects them, so reaching Sequoia means backtracking through the Central Valley for hours in each direction. Mariposa Grove delivers the giant-sequoia experience without leaving this loop; save an actual Sequoia trip, also 5 to 6 hours from San Francisco directly, for its own visit.
Day 1: San Francisco to Yosemite
Pick up the rental car and drive Highway 120 through Groveland, about 170 miles and 3.5 to 4 hours with typical summer traffic at the gate. Standard entry runs $35 per vehicle for seven days ; non-US residents 16 and older owe an added $100 per person under a January 2026 rule, worth checking against a $250 annual pass covering three more adults on a trip this long. The park dropped its 2026 day-use reservation entirely , so the wait is at the entrance rather than online. Settle into Groveland, then use the last light for Tunnel View and a short Bridalveil Fall walk.
Day 2: A full day in Yosemite Valley
Park once and let the free shuttle handle everything else; lots fill by mid-morning regardless of reservations. Walk the Mist Trail to Vernal Fall, continue to Nevada Fall for the fitter version, then use the afternoon for Glacier Point Road if it’s open for the season, the classic Half Dome view without the separate lottery permit that the cables themselves require.
Day 3: Mariposa Grove and the giant sequoias
A short drive or shuttle ride to Mariposa Grove near the south entrance puts you among sequoias that rank among the largest living things on Earth by volume, some pushing past 1,800 years old, without the multi-hour detour a real Sequoia National Park visit would demand. Walk the grove’s loop trails at an easy pace; this is meant as a slower day after two busy ones in the Valley.
Day 4: Over Tioga Pass to Lake Tahoe
Tioga Road opened May 15, 2026 , the earliest start in eleven years, and closes again with the first serious autumn snowfall, so confirm the current status if these dates land near either edge of the season. The drive through Tuolumne Meadows and down to the basin runs 2.5 to 3 hours of high-country scenery that looks nothing like the Valley floor. Check into South Lake Tahoe with the afternoon free.
Day 5: A full day at Lake Tahoe
Emerald Bay and the Vikingsholm hike down to the water fill a morning; the afternoon works for a swim, a paddle, or a drive around to Sand Harbor on the east shore for a different stretch of lake. Winter turns this same day into a ski day instead, with tire chains required on both approach roads during storms.
Day 6: Tahoe morning, then home
A last unhurried walk along the shore before the drive back; Highway 50 or Interstate 80 covers the 190 to 220 miles to San Francisco in 3.5 to 4.5 hours, either capable of closing outright in a real storm. The round trip alone eats 7 to 9 hours, part of why this whole loop runs on overnight stays rather than day trips.
Is the Mariposa Grove sequoia walk worth a whole day?
Yes, especially as a breather. After two full days of hiking and driving in the Valley, an easy grove walk among trees that predate the Roman Empire is a deliberate change of pace, not a lesser version of Sequoia National Park. Treat it as its own experience rather than a consolation prize for skipping the longer drive south.
Getting around and one honest note
No train or bus reaches Yosemite or Tahoe; the rental car covers all six days, and returning it the evening you’re home beats San Francisco’s $50-75-a-day garage rates for a car the city portion of the trip won’t use. Six days is enough for both parks plus a genuine slow day among the sequoias, without yet stretching Tahoe to two full days the way the 7-day version does.
Book Mariposa Grove parking or shuttle info the night before; the grove’s own lot fills almost as fast as the Valley’s during peak summer weeks.