CA Yosemite Lakes - Greely Hill or Priest?

[bobca1]

I am driving from LA to Yosemite lakes RV Park tomorrow and Google is telling me to take Greely Hill rd from Coultervile but this looks like pretty windy route. Is this safe in 40ft 5th wheel or should I head little further north to NEW Priest grade? That looks windy too, but I have seen posts it's fine with RV.

 

[mlpeloquin]

Highway 49 is very windy in places and gets very narrow going through the old gold mining towns, and yes there are hair pins turns. The buildings are built on the edge of both sides of the road. I have been told to go around HWY 49 towing a fifth wheel if possible and use your truck to visit the towns by friends that have been there and done that. They would not want to take a 35 ft fifth wheel down some sections of HWY 49. That being said I suppose some have done so.

 

[Todster]

Go North to New Priest Grade. Been there done that with 34ft tow behind. I wasn't worried but the whites of the eyes of oncoming traffic was interesting

To clarify. Don't use highway 49 if possible either.


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[bobca1]

Thanks for noting that, I was not even looking at 49 but now I see that's very windy too OK so it looks like I would need to go thru Modesto which is adding a lot of extra miles and at least one more hour, but maybe a shortcut turn off 99 at Merced and try what looks like a relatively straight but small road... 59/La Grange anyone have experience with this road?



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[bobca1]

 

[bobca1]

Go North to New Priest Grade. Been there done that with 34ft tow behind. I wasn't worried but the whites of the eyes of oncoming traffic was interesting

To clarify. Don't use highway 49 if possible either.


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Thanks I'll go new priest then! And will avoid 49. Any thoughts on 59 thru Snelling and LA Grange? I zoomed in on Google don't see any hairpins... But I would not want to get up that way and encounter low bridge.

 

[bobca1]

I suppose this would be the safest option but adds 40miles over Merced/59, 60miles more to avoid 49 (which after your feedback is a given now).

 

[bobca1]

Looks like 59 is OK

http://www.irv2.com/forums/showthread.php?t=259766

 

[DW_Gray]

J59 is fine. Been on it with my 41 foot Cyclone.

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[wdk450]

I am driving from LA to Yosemite lakes RV Park tomorrow and Google is telling me to take Greely Hill rd from Coultervile but this looks like pretty windy route. Is this safe in 40ft 5th wheel or should I head little further north to NEW Priest grade? That looks windy too, but I have seen posts it's fine with RV.

I pulled my Bighorn 3670 RL up the Coulterville to Buck Meadows road you are considering in April 2014. It is 2 lane mountain road, very steep in places., no hairpin curves I can remember. It was a hard pull for my 6 cylinder Ram Cummins for about 45 minutes continuous, but I made it. Traffic was light, so I didn't hold too many people up, but was going 25 or less much of that segment. If I had it to do over again, I probably would have taken Highway 120 and the NEW multilane Priest grade. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO GET DETOURED BY GPS OR MAPPING TO OLD PRIEST GRADE!!!!!
RV's and oversized vehicles are banned, it is probably the steepest highway grade in California, and is a 3 mile shortcut that is extremely dangerous.

 

[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

This is the best route for sure.

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[Jpastore]

No I would take HWY 120


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[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

59 is a breeze. We go that way in the trucks all the time.
Going all the way up to 120 would be adding 44 miles and about 1 more hour to your trip for no reason.
Just my opinion !!!!

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[mlpeloquin]

Been up Old Priest Grade in a car many years ago when it was the only way up. Never would I even try that with the fifth wheel. I have a friend that has a cabin and travels up there. He avoids Old Priest Grade. Won't do it in a car.

 

[bobca1]

Hi All, thanks for the advice. Arrived last night. Exited 99 in Merced and took Snelling rd/G St. Up to 59, then picked up 120 at Keystone. There is bridge work on 120 after Chinese camp over the lake before priest grade they close the road at 5pm I came through about 3:30 at that time restricted to one lane traffic. New priest grade was no problem for me, but wow looking down at old priest I can see what that should be avoided very steep you would want plenty of power and low gears. There is signage at the bottom warning trucks to avoid.

 

[Jesstruckn/Jesstalkn]

Glad you made it safely.
Happy trails

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[bobca1]

Glad you made it safely.
Happy trails

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Thanks! We left on Saturday to drive back to LA, one day earlier than planned but I wanted to make it back down the grade before possible snow on Sunday afternoon, only to find Grapevine and 58 closed Sat evening. So we spent new years eve at Walmart in Bakersfield Easy drive down I5 this AM. Looks like snow came down to about 2000ft.