Stanford Las Vegas
The road trip that I am recommending is incredible in terms of the variety of landscapes, climate, and altitude.
During these 4 days, you will not only see the large and crazy city of Las Vegas, but also an old ghost town, a desert, mountains, lakes, hot springs, red rock landscapes and arches, and two national parks.
All the while, the temperatures will range from 0°C (32°F) to 40°C (104°F), with altitudes of 280ft/86m below sea level to 10000ft/3000m.
Depending on what you prefer, you can make the round trip by car, or you can go there by car and then fly back (or vice versa).
I will detail the road trip from Las Vegas to Stanford.
I advise doing this between June and October because during the winter, some roads going through the Sierra Nevada may be closed due to snow, which would force you to take longer routes.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas is a really, how shall I put it, interesting city.
It is a city that you may want to visit at least once in your life.
I won’t explain what to do in Las Vegas because the aim of this section is to focus on the journey from Las Vegas to Stanford, rather than just the city itself, but you can go to the page Las Vegas and the surrounding Parks for more details of what to do there.
It is possible to find a cheap hotel in Las Vegas, so you can arrive in the evening if you want to start your road trip early in the morning.
Red Rock Canyon
The first stop on the road trip that I recommend is Red Rock Canyon.
The entrance fee is $15 per car to either only do the scenic drive or do the scenic drive and hike.
For this road trip, I think spending half a day in this park is enough.
For more details, visit the section Las Vegas and the surrounding Parks.
Death Valley
The next destination on this road trip is Death Valley.
It is a national park, so you will have to pay the $30 entrance fee if you don’t have the National Park Annual Pass, which is $80.
I always advise buying the annual pass because you can enter every national park in the country for a whole year, and many state parks as well. Also, this pass supports efforts that protect America's national treasures.
For more details, visit Las Vegas and the Surrounding Parks.
The Mobius Arch Trailhead
The Mobius Arch Trailhead is a hike where you are surrounded by many natural rock arches.
It is interesting how the landscape changes while approaching the trail because there are rocks everywhere on the ground.
Furthermore, you have an incredible view of Mount Whitney and the Sierra, which are framed by the arches.
This hike is a nice 30-minute excursion from the road.
Whitmore Hot Springs
This is the highest elevation of the road trip!
You can immerse yourself in the hot water while taking in the beautiful mountain scenery; it is one of the most exceptional experiences!
The hot springs are right in the middle of nature between Mobius Arch Trailhead and Mono Lake (when you are on Hwy 395, take Benton Crossing Road on the right).
There are several places in the United States that have hot springs (Umpqua Hot Springs, for example. Visit the page “Crater Lake” for more details), but here you have a view of the Sierra Nevada, which makes it even more special.
Another advantage of these hot springs is that this area is quite secluded so you won’t find many people. Hot Creek Geological Site is a more popular spot nearby, but I will show how to reach the more hidden hot springs.
There may be other people there, but most tourists don’t even know these hot springs exist.
As you can see on the map below, their location is not obvious, and until you see a hot spring, you may not be sure you are on the correct road.
Searching the actual name of the hot spring on the internet will give you its precise location.
Mono Lake
Continuing north, you will pass Mammoth Lake and June Lake.
This is a good area to make a stop and sleep because the weather may get colder going north, and after spending time in Death Valley, it’s really pleasant being surrounded by mountains.
Mono Lake is a little farther north.
Honestly, I was not expecting much but I was wrong.
Besides the famous and spectacular tufa towers, which are made of calcium carbonate, there is also an amazing view of the lake with the Sierra Nevada in the background.
It is a magical place.
The tufa towers are formed from the interaction of the freshwater springs and the alkaline lake water.
I would not recommend swimming in the lake because it is quite dirty and full of insects, however, some people did anyway.
This is a really great stop on this road trip to do a short hike around the lake and enjoy the landscape of one of the oldest lakes in North America (over 1 million years old !).
Bodie State Historic Park
North of Mono Lake, the ghost town Bodie State Historic Park is a 40-minute detour from the 395.
Thanks to the discovery of gold, this town became a boomtown in 1876, and began to decline in 1915.
It is a small road to reach this old town, which sits at an elevation of 8300ft/2500m. However, it has a wonderful view and the experience of driving deeper and deeper into the mountains is really great.
There is an $8 fee per adult to visit this desolate town that’s tucked away in the Bodie mountains.
As you walk down the deserted street of this gold-mining ghost town, you will see shops, a post office, homes, a church, etc. that appear to be frozen in time because they look similar to the way they did when the last residents left 70 years ago.
There are other ghost towns in California.
Bodie is nice due to its history, how well-preserved it is, and the scenery of the surrounding mountains.
However, if you would like to see more ghost towns on this trip, here are two other examples: Rhyolite near Death Valley and the Cerro Gordo Ghost Town just south of the Mobius Arch Trailhead.
Going back to Stanford through the Sierra Nevada
To get back to Stanford from Mono Lake, you have different options depending on the amount of time you have and what you prefer to see.
However, you will have to cross the Sierra Nevada, which could potentially have road closures due to poor weather conditions, so you may not have much of a choice and just take whatever route is open.
Don’t worry, there are no bad choices because all of the roads are really nice.
The first option is to come back through Yosemite National Park.
This is a good choice if you would like to see the park, but only if you plan on staying there for a few days. Keep in mind that you will have to take a detour from your route back to Stanford to reach the main area of the park: Yosemite Valley.
If you are interested and would like more details, visit the Yosemite National Park section.
Alternatively, you can take Hwy 120 but not enter Yosemite Valley. You will see a part of the less famous, but still wonderful, Tuolumne Meadows.
This is a good idea if you do not plan on staying in Yosemite, but would still like a glimpse of its beauty.
The second option is faster: cross the Sierra via Hwy 108, 4, or 88.
These are perfect if you are running out of time, and the roads through the mountains will have incredible scenery anyway.
The last option is to go even farther north towards Lake Tahoe and then return to Stanford using Hwy 50 or 80.
This route will add at least an hour to your drive, but it is a great idea if you want to see this wonderful lake.
Alpine Lake
If you plan on staying in Lake Tahoe for a few days, go to the Lake Tahoe section for more information.