Highway 41 · South entrance
Yosemite: the south-gate gateway
The foothill towns are Yosemite's front porch - here's how to make the most of it.
More than a million visitors a year enter Yosemite National Park through the south entrance on Highway 41 - and nearly all of them travel up through these foothill towns to get there.
The south entrance & the big trees
Just inside the south gate is the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the park's largest grove and home to the famous Grizzly Giant. A little farther in, historic Wawona offers the Wawona Hotel and the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. From there it's on to Yosemite Valley's waterfalls and granite.
Drive times to the south gate
| From | Approx. drive |
|---|---|
| Fish Camp | ~5 min |
| Oakhurst | ~35-40 min |
| Coarsegold / Indian Lakes Estates | ~55-65 min |
| Bass Lake | ~45 min |
| Fresno | ~1 hr 45 min |
Know before you go
Summer is busy, and the park has used peak-season reservation systems in recent years - check the National Park Service for current entry rules before you drive up. Spring brings the biggest waterfalls; fall is quieter; winter turns Fish Camp and the higher elevations to snow. An alternate approach, the Highway 140 "All-Year Route" via Mariposa, is often the most reliable in winter.