We will be renting in Oakland and riding through Yosemite to Reno to OR then back down the coast.

On the way to Reno, which of these three roads through the park is the best?

Route 108 or Route 4 or Route 88?

 

I vote 88.

 

None of those routes go through Yosemite, 120 is the only road over the Sierras that goes through the park.
88 is busier (lots of traffic) and is open in the winter. The others are closed in the winter. If you want the road to yourself choose other than 88.
Mono Lake at the end of 120 at 395 is a cool stop.

 

Sorry, I should have been clearer. We are spending the first night in Mariposa then heading to Reno. Just trying to decide which would be the best route (best riding roads) to take.

 

Thanks for the suggestion. 88 was suggested by someone else, but some of the others look good and it's hard to tell for sure on google maps.

 

Before you go into the park I'd drop south on 49 to see the big trees then back up to Yosemite theres all kinda little towns & old gold mining stuff in that area to see also . Stay the night in Yosemite in the tent city then take 120 over into Nevada to 395 , Mono lake is interesting as is mammoth Mountain a bit south of there then go north to Carson City . Unless you've got your heart set on Reno I'd skip it and go back over to Lake Tahoe and over to the coast and do Rt1 .

88 is main drag and it's crowded with traffic not to mention boring , 4 runs through a state park and is a tight winding road for a good stretch . 120 through the park is much better .

 

If you like twisty roads take 49 North toward Sonora. You can pick up 120 and go through Groveland by way of Priest Grade, another twisty road then on to Yosemite. Stop at the Hotel Jeffrey in Coulterville (Magnolia Saloon) and the Iron Door in Groveland. Some of our hang outs.

Or, the more direct way is to take 140 along the Merced River into the park, there are lots of wildflowers blooming in the river canyon now. Get on 120 in the Park and you will still pass through Groveland and Priest Grade before you get back on 49. Hwy 4 will most likely be closed, so is 108, so 88 will probably be it and Tioga Pass is still closed so getting to 395 by way of the park is out until about May (usually). Have a great ride!

 

Highway 49 is a great road to ride and 120 over the Tioga Pass is one of my favorites. I also like riding north on 49 from Mariposa and catching highway 4 over the Sierra's to 88. Backtrack a few miles to highway 89 and go to South Lake Tahoe. You can always catch highway 50 at Stateline and take the Carson Pass to Carson City and then up to Reno.

 

Invest in some paper maps, you won't be able to look at Google maps on the road.
GPS is great for directions but you need old fashioned paper maps for trip planning.

 

I should have mentioned we will be going in July so I'm guessing all the roads will be open?

We've been doing these rides in different parts of the country for the past 6 or 7 years and there are typically between 12 and 16 of us. We've learned that with a fairly large crew it's best to plan as much as possible. Really appreciate the help from those of you that know the area.