Highway 41 leading into the Southern entrance of Yosemite National Park can be treacherous even in the best of summer weather. Driving it in winter is a different story altogether.
Map of Highway 41 as it turns into Wawona Road on the way to Yosemite’s South Entrance.
In late October, this couple took their 26′ Lazydays Class C motorhome up Highway 41 and into Yosemite – during a snowstorm.
Driving this route usually takes about four hours – but with the snowy roads and limited visibility their trip stretched to over seven hours!
Related: How To Put Cable Chains On A Class C Motorhome The Easy Way
Although you might think they’re going faster in the video, they never broke 25 mph the whole way. If you plan on visiting Yosemite in fall or winter, they said there’s another way into the park (if you don’t like white-knuckle drives that is),
One “possible” way to avoid snow going into Yosemite is to try highway 140 from Merced. This road enters Yosemite from lower elevations. It was snow free while I was traveling a snowy highway 41. You can cross over from highway 41 to 140 at Oakhurst, CA.
Watch what it’s like to drive into Yosemite on Route 41 in the winter.
In case you’re wondering, they did use a set of Z6 cable chains on the motorhome. Here’s what they had to say about their experience,
Now that I’ve driven our motorhome in snow and ice, I won’t freak out on my next encounter, but chains, caution and slow driving are key elements for staying in control. A completely iced road is certainly going to be more challenging and would require slower speeds and more caution.
Visit this link for some tips on winter driving at Yosemite National Park. You can check the condition of roads in and around Yosemite here. Be careful out there!
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