Looking to do this one mid-August. I'll be heading up to an in-laws house in Fresno for about a week and I'm looking to take a trip up to Lassen Peak, down to Virginia City/Lake Tahoe, another visit to Bodie for the family and back over to Fresno via Sherman Pass. The father in-law might be coming so I'll likely be driving his Wrangler this go around.
Day 1
Start: Fresno
End: Reno, NV
Route: CA 99, I-5, CA 36, CA 89, CA 36, US 395
Distance: 504 miles
Drive Time: 8 hours
Site Time: 4 hours
Sites
- Lassen Volcanic National Park
- Doyle, CA possible ghost town with an old hotel?
Map Link:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Fresno,+CA/Lassen+Volcanic+National+Park,+California/Main+Street,+Doyle,+CA+96109/Reno,+NV/@38.5981739,-123.2421742,7z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m26!4m25!1m5!1m1!1s0x80945de1549e4e9d:0x7b12406449a3b811!2m2!1d-119.7725868!2d36.7468422!1m5!1m1!1s0x809d5607c14138bf:0x8f34d8a77a666742!2m2!1d-121.4206552!2d40.49766!1m5!1m1!1s0x809e9e8cdfc8f389:0x59125f98f9ec4c8c!2m2!1d-120.1042721!2d40.0282857!1m5!1m1!1s0x809940ae9292a09d:0x40c5c5ce7438f787!2m2!1d-119.8138027!2d39.5296329!3e0?hl=en
- I have a goal in mind to go back to all nine national parks in California this year. This would just leave Joshua Tree and the Channel Islands left. Reno puts me in good position for the next day.
Day 2
Start: Reno, NV
End: Bishop, CA
Route: US 395, NV 341, NV 431, NV 28, US 50, US 395, NV 206, US 395, CA 270, US 395, CA 203 and US 395
Distance: 318 miles
Drive Time: 8 hours
Site Time: 6 hours
Sites
- Virginia CIty, NV
- Lake Tahoe via NV 431
- Genoa, NV ghost town
- Topaz Lake
Map Link:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/2050+Market+Street,+Reno,+NV/Virginia+City,+NV/Incline+Village,+NV/Genoa,+NV/Bodie,+CA/Devils+Postpile+National+Monument,+Devils+Postpile+Access+Road,+Mammoth+Lakes,+CA/805+N+Main+St,+Bishop,+CA+93514,+USA/@37.6465837,-119.0649494,11z/data=!4m44!4m43!1m5!1m1!1s0x80993f5f2e13f30d:0x6c440cb4b20e1f7!2m2!1d-119.7865569!2d39.5195935!1m5!1m1!1s0x80990faad3daafd1:0x29dad257dc576fa9!2m2!1d-119.6499793!2d39.3095135!1m5!1m1!1s0x80996ff06d251165:0x6d65149fbd9c544b!2m2!1d-119.9526847!2d39.249683!1m5!1m1!1s0x809998505c0dbccb:0x18aa1212d64ee07!2m2!1d-119.8472149!2d39.0040567!1m5!1m1!1s0x8097ca2bfa68c0cb:0x140de8f45eae419f!2m2!1d-119.004601!2d38.214149!1m5!1m1!1s0x809672fe7d5a369d:0x9a5f7b427fb58dc5!2m2!1d-119.084908!2d37.6250936!1m5!1m1!1s0x80be1606d490e805:0x3fb43da4de1edcf2!2m2!1d-118.3959651!2d37.3697942!3e0?hl=en
- This is going to be a quick start with Virginia City and NV 431 on a high overlook of Lake Tahoe. Bodie will be visited on this trip and given that I might have a 4wd vehicle another attempt at NV3A to Aurora is tempting...but I'll see how fast I can get everyone moving. The Devil's Postpile is open but might require more time than I would like given that I'm fairly certain that it is going to require sitting a shuttle which will slow the gravy train down considerably.
Start: Bishop, CA
End: Fresno, CA
Route: US 395, 9 Mile Canyon/Sherman Pass Road, Western Divide Highway, CA 190, CA 65, CA 137 and CA 99
Distance: 311 miles
Drive Time: 8 hours
Site Time: 4 hours
Sites
- Sherman Pass
- Western Divide Highway
Map Link
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Bishop,+CA/Sherman+Pass,+California/Camp+Nelson,+CA/Fresno,+CA/@35.9331218,-118.2253685,11z/data=!4m31!4m30!1m10!1m1!1s0x80be16019ea66407:0x13cd1e4d95e98916!2m2!1d-118.3996636!2d37.3614238!3m4!1m2!1d-118.183799!2d36.0322471!3s0x80c04435630ee0c7:0x2f874aeb6df426aa!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c0390db1d7e185:0x26a85907522b24d2!2m2!1d-118.3659172!2d35.9905023!1m5!1m1!1s0x80c01c46d2385939:0x108e0cf06f425663!2m2!1d-118.6092561!2d36.1427237!1m5!1m1!1s0x80945de1549e4e9d:0x7b12406449a3b811!2m2!1d-119.7725868!2d36.7468422!3e0?hl=en
- Basically this will be the implied CA 190 trip over the Sierras. It will be a longer day and I'm sure that I'll have some upset family but...oh well. I was planning on Sherman Pass for Friday before my plans got all jacked up so I figure why not make a more productive loop given that I was going to Fresno anyways?