VAN-COMPARATOR Guide
Yosemite and Sequoia by RV: the California road trip from San Francisco
El Capitan, the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley and the General Sherman giant sequoia: how to combine Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon by RV from San Francisco, the right rig size, the real budget and the best season.
Two national parks, two natural landmarks with no equal anywhere: the granite face of El Capitan and the 2,425-foot (739 m) plunge of Yosemite Falls on one side, the General Sherman giant sequoia — the largest living tree on Earth by volume — on the other. Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon sit less than a day's drive apart in the Sierra Nevada, and combine naturally into one RV loop from San Francisco, roughly 185 miles (300 km) away.
The route from San Francisco (5 to 8 days)
Budget 4 hours of driving to Yosemite Valley via Highway 140, which follows the Merced River and stays open year-round — Highway 120 through Big Oak Flat is a faster alternative in season. Settle in the Valley for two to three nights: the meadow facing El Capitan, the Yosemite Falls trail and sunset from Glacier Point (road open late May through October, snow permitting) are the essentials. If your schedule allows, push on up the Tioga Road to the high-country meadows of Tuolumne Meadows and Tenaya Lake: a different, far quieter Yosemite at 8,600 feet (2,600 m).
From there, head south on Highway 41 and through Fresno to Sequoia and Kings Canyon — about 3 hours from the Valley. Two nights are enough for General Sherman, the Giant Forest walk among thousand-year-old sequoias, and the view from Moro Rock. Return to San Francisco via Highway 99 (4 hours), or continue on to Los Angeles to pick up our American West by RV guide, which covers Zion, Bryce and the Grand Canyon.
The right rig size: the road that stops big vehicles
This is the classic trap of the loop: the Generals Highway, which links Sequoia to Kings Canyon from the south (Foothills) entrance, isn't advised for vehicles over 22 ft between Potwisha and the Giant Forest Museum, or over 24 ft between Foothills and Potwisha — the road climbs in tight switchbacks, sometimes limited to 10 mph. Larger RVs (American Class C, 25-32 ft) are better off entering via Highway 180 from Fresno, the recommended route for longer rigs. Rental campervans and converted vans, generally under 23 ft, fit everywhere without issue; if in doubt, check the exact length of your booked model before setting off. On the Yosemite side, no road into the Valley admits a vehicle over 45 ft — a ceiling only the largest American motorhomes towing a trailer are likely to hit. Our which RV for which trip guide helps pick the right size before you book.
Budget and reservations
Entry costs $35 per vehicle, valid for 7 days, per park — unless you get the America the Beautiful annual pass ($80), which pays for itself after three parks, as our guide to the American West explains. For the vehicle, budget $150-350 a day for a Class C RV, $100-200 for a more compact campervan, better suited to both parks' narrower roads. National Park Service campgrounds (around $36 a night in Yosemite Valley, a bit less in Sequoia) get booked on Recreation.gov the moment the window opens, five to six months ahead for summer — and spots for larger rigs are limited: Tuolumne Meadows takes vehicles up to 35 ft, Lodgepole in Sequoia noticeably less. Our how far ahead to book an RV guide covers the method.
When to go
New for 2026: Yosemite has dropped its peak-hours entry reservation system, but the park is still packed — expect over an hour's wait at entrance stations between 8am and 5pm from June to August, and a valid entrance pass, bought in advance on Recreation.gov, is still required. Tioga Road and Tuolumne Meadows only open once snowpack allows, usually late May or June, and close again by November. The Valley's waterfalls peak in May-June, fed by snowmelt, and many run dry by August. Sequoia's Giant Forest sits at lower elevation (6,500 ft / 2,000 m) and stays accessible over a much longer season, though tire chains are sometimes required after winter storms.
Trees twice a thousand years old, increasingly vulnerable
General Sherman is close to 2,500 years old, and giant sequoias evolved alongside fire: their thick bark and high branches have shielded them for millennia from the low-intensity fires that clear a forest's understory. But a 2022 study by Kristen Shive and coauthors, published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management (Google Scholar page), found that this resilience is breaking down: in the high-severity fires that hit several groves between 2015 and 2017, driven by fuel buildup and a warming climate, sequoias centuries old died at scale for the first time. Before traveling during peak fire season (August to October), a quick check of the park's alerts at nps.gov/seki avoids an unwelcome grove closure.
Compare before you book
Van-Comparator searches Yescapa, Goboony, Roadsurfer and Indie Campers in one go for pickups in San Francisco, Sacramento — closer to Yosemite — or Los Angeles for a longer loop. Our guide to renting an RV in the USA covers the rest: mileage packages, bedding kits and insurance specific to the American market.
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