Red Rock Canyon SP in California is off Hwy 14 - about 40 miles NE of Mojave.

The famous Red Rock Canyon near Las Vegas is a National Recreation Area and is known for climbing & hiking. The Red Rock Canyon in California is known for Off Highway Vehicle use. Both have red rock formations.

With only 3 days / 2 nights to get from San Diego to San Francisco, I think you need to pick the exact place you'd like to visit and to go there. Don't try to stay someplace near a few options; you'll spend too much time driving.

Stay two nights in Sequoia NP. Stay one night in Sequoia NP and one night in or near Yosemite NP. Stay one night outside the South Entrance of Yosemite and one night closer to the Valley. Lodging options for Yosemite are described in the Top Q about Yosemite on the Yosemite page.

This 'beginning of September' isn't Labor Day Weekend, is it?

My family plans to take a two day trip from San Francisco to Santa Clarita via Yosemite NP. We want to spend at least a full day in Yosemit NP. Could you tell me what route is the best (H140 to the Villeage to Mariposa, then to Santa Clarita)? Any suggestions to places to stay two nights?

Thanks

Hi firsttime49546, and welcome to TripAdvisor forums.

This thread belongs to Jpoconn21 and is about his (her?) trip in September. Please start your own thread on the California state forum so we don't get our replies all mixed up! I'll watch for your new thread. Please include the date & info about your travel group.

Back to Jpoconn21's trip.....

WHAM... a collision of two travelers trying to use the same thread. Followed by another collision of two "Red Rock" parks.

Red Rock Canyon State Park in California, …wordpress.com/2010/12/red-rock-2.jpg , and Sequoia National Park are 245 miles apart by car. There is no place to stay that is close to both. There is no east entrance road to Sequoia National Park comparable to Tioga Road at Yosemite National Park.

Red Rock National Conservation Area is in Nevada, about 30 miles or so west of Las Vegas off Highway 159, less than an hour drive from Las Vegas. worldbestspot.com/Spotimage/…20canyon.jpg

WHAM... now it's a pileup... Red Rocks Park, with the famous ampitheater, is near Denver Colorado... redrocksonline.com/portals/…rr11.jpg

Thankyou for your help and suggestions. It is Red Rock Canyon State Park in California we were planning on visiting. Nevada's a little too far with the time we have, unfortunately!

PacificNWFamily: We arrive a couple of days after labour day weekend.

Back to the drawing board I go!

It already will take most of the day just to get from San Diego to Sequoia Kings Canyon NP for one night and you can get to Yosemite for the 2nd night if you can get a reservation but no way to go both to Seki and Red Rock Canyon SP. You can drive to the SP from SD and maybe stay for the night in Lone Pine. Next day via great 395 and over Tioga Pass to Yosemite for your second night.

You have looked at a map, I assume. No town convenient to both parks. It could be hot in RRC, and unless you're going on a hike, it won't take much time to see the scenery there. You could drive from SD through the historic mining town of Randsburg (stop at the White House Saloon), stop for an hour or two at Red Rock Canyon (it is scenic but not big), then head to Sequoia, either via Mojave and Highway 58 over Tehachapi Pass, or over Walker Pass and along the Kern River on Highway 178. I'd allocaste most of my time for Sequoia/Kings Canyon (two parks administered together). Drive to Cedar Grove in KC if you can.

Yes, SD to Sequoia via Red Rock in one day could be a long day, and it would be ideal to spend a night along the way (e.g., Randsburg or Kernville or Tehachapi), but not absolutely necessary.