Kirk W Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 Has anyone ever stayed at Park Sierra in Coursegold to visit Yosemite NP? Any thoughts on doing so? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce t Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 Kirk we did way back in the early 90's. Best I can remember is that it's a looonnnnggg drive to Yosemite valley. Looks ok on the map but many slow miles. regards Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daveh Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 Hi Kirk we were there in October and Coarsegold is a very very nice park. You can get within the boundary of theYosemite in about 30 minutes but it takes quite a while to get into the actual valley. 1 1/2 hours or a little more. There was some construction and park traffic so you know how it goes. I think if I was looking to spend a lot of time in Yosemite I would try to get closer but if you are thinking of a day trip or two it is a great location. Beautiful drive. We also visited King's Canyon and Sequoia National Park while we were in Coarsegold, also a reasonable drive, and appreciated the relative lack of people compared to Yosemite. King's Canyon is really quite beautiful. Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilishjim Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 We have stayed at Park Sierra and its a very beautiful park. Maany people use Oakhurst or Bass Lake where we worked several Summers as a base camp for Yosemite. You would also be right next door to Chuckchansi Casino. It's all good rd and I wouldnt want to be in a hurry anyway, There is so much wonderful scenery getting there. When you're at the top of the hill before you get into Oakhurst look to the right where that last big fire went through. We were on the otherside of that hill at Bass Lake at one spot it burned clear down to the lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2gypsies Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 We've also stayed there and had an enjoyable day trip to the Valley. It didn't seem like a long drive because we poked around along the way. Yosemite is not one of our favorite parks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobsallyh Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 We too used Park Sierra for our visit to Yosemite. It worked out really well and of course the price was right and the Park Sierra folk were outstanding. The casino had an outstanding buffet so I could fill my belly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dsimpson Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 That is where I stay whenever I am in the vicinity of Yosemite. Beautiful park, price is right. 28 miles from Park Sierra to south entrance of Yosemite and then another 30 miles to Yosemite valley. But the park is soooo crowded that I don't think I would ever visit in the summer again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lou Schneider Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 I stopped at Park Sierra several years ago on my way back to the San Francisco area from Quartzite to wait out a pair of January storms that were blowing in from the Pacific. In between the storms was a clear day. On the spur of the moment I made a day trip into Yosemite Valley. The storms scared everybody off and I literally had the place to myself with no more than a couple of dozen other people. The weather was beautiful with lots of sunshine and no wind. I hiked up to Mirror Lake and spent an hour laying on a sun drenched rock ledge. Then I wandered over to the Awhanee Hotel and warmed myself in front of the fireplace in their spectacular lobby. The rest of the hotel was empty. While I was sitting there the maitre'd came over and asked if I wanted to have dinner in the dining room. I told him I wasn't a hotel guest and he said it didn't matter, they had plenty of room. So I did, it wasn't cheap but I wasn't likely to have that opportunity again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjim Posted January 16, 2017 Report Share Posted January 16, 2017 I spent a week there in the boondocks about March of 1999. The boondocks was just on the asphalt near the Hdqtrs/rec center. I found that place so pretty I even thought the asphalt was pretty. The people then were outstanding. I assume they are still as nice. The only bad side is it was so good it almost ruined me for other SKP parks I was still pretty new to SKP then. I was going to use it as base to explore Yosimite but severe snow kicked in and they restricted entry into the park without snow chains. I wasn't going to buy chains for just 3 or 4 days but the last day they opened it so I squeezed in a 1 day quip trip into the park as kind of a scouting mission for the future and it was worth it. I did a good bit of driving and some stopping and gazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennisvr Posted January 17, 2017 Report Share Posted January 17, 2017 We've stayed there twice, since we leave 130 miles away. As others had said its a nice park. If you drive and spend some time in the valley it will be a long day. If you go back for another day in the park I say a must is go to Glacier Point. You look straight down 3000 feet to the valley floor. Been there a dozen times and never tire of the view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted January 19, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 19, 2017 OK, thanks for the suggestions so far. If you were to stay in a park that is closer to Yosemite, does anyone have an suggestions as to where that might be and what RV park to stay in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjim Posted January 19, 2017 Report Share Posted January 19, 2017 If I looked it up right it is only 44 miles from Park Sierra to the entry fyi. I don't know of other possibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dennisvr Posted January 19, 2017 Report Share Posted January 19, 2017 I show it at 34 miles from Coarsegold the south entrance to the park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
57becky Posted January 19, 2017 Report Share Posted January 19, 2017 There is always the Elks RV park north of Oakhurst that will put you much closer to Yosemite. http://oakhurstelks.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigjim Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 I show it at 34 miles from Coarsegold the south entrance to the park. plus 7-10 from Park Sierra equals about 44 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted January 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 There is always the Elks RV park north of Oakhurst that will put you much closer to Yosemite. http://oakhurstelks.com/ I believe that you have to be a member. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailertraveler Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 There is always the Elks RV park north of Oakhurst that will put you much closer to Yosemite. http://oakhurstelks.com/ I believe that you have to be a member. The Elks website states: "35 RV sites with water and 30 amp power ($20.00 Elks members; $30.00 for non-Elks)" They are also listed as a Passport America Park. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted January 20, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 The Elks website states: "35 RV sites with water and 30 amp power ($20.00 Elks members; $30.00 for non-Elks)" They are also listed as a Passport America Park. Thanks! I didn't realize that Elks ever allowed nonmembers into their site. I'll check it out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barbaraok Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 Must say I'm surprised at the number of people that have a problem driving 40 or 50 miles for a day trip? That's why we have our toads, so our rigs can stay put and we can go explore and area. We usually have a 75 radius to explore in before we move. We stayed at Bass Lake and thoroughly enjoyed the drive up to Yosemite did it 3 times while we were there, each time looking at a different area in the park. Barb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailertraveler Posted January 20, 2017 Report Share Posted January 20, 2017 ...Must say I'm surprised at the number of people that have a problem driving 40 or 50 miles for a day trip?... Different strokes for different folks! We would rather spend our time actually see what we came to see than spending hour(s) driving to get there and back. We only drive 4-5 hours when traveling and don't want to spend near that long getting to and from somewhere especially on more than a onetime basis. Scenic drives for their own sake are a different story and attractions in and of themselves. With age some, like me, don't like to drive very far in the dark. However, I still enjoy seeing the scenic views and taking photos at sunrise and sunset and don't want to be driving hour(s) in the dark to do so. More miles means more fuel and more frequent routine maintenance like oil changes and tires. Even for overnights, I don't like to go more than 10 miles off route and prefer 5 miles or less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2gypsies Posted January 21, 2017 Report Share Posted January 21, 2017 You could also stay IN the park itself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirk W Posted January 21, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2017 You could also stay IN the park itself. You obviously have not attempted to get reservations there and our little trailer isn't much for dry camping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bruce t Posted January 21, 2017 Report Share Posted January 21, 2017 Years ago we stayed in Groveland. Park was called Yosemite Pines. I recall it being a nice park and not to big a drive into the valley. One caution though. The drive up into Groveland was a struggle at that time for our motorhome. Coming down was more interesting!!!! https://yosemitepinesrv.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Joyce Posted January 21, 2017 Report Share Posted January 21, 2017 A few years ago we found ourselves with a free day while in Fresno, which is much further from Yosemite than Park Sierra. We still went to Yosemite, toured the Valley, where we had a picnic lunch, went to Glacier Point and finished by walking among the sequoias at the Merced Grove at sunset. It was a great day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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