Highway 41 corridor: Yosemite National Park

Within the park, highway 41 is the access route for the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the community of Wawona and the jaw-dropping views off the Glacier Point Road. Abutting Yosemite along this route are Sierra National Forest and the foothill communities of Fish Camp and Oakhurst. These are pleasant, historic towns from which to base a park visit. Locals appreciate warm summers and mild winters (Fish Camp is snowier), pleasant rolling terrain where the oaks meet the pines, and the southern end of Gold Rush country. Both towns are built around tourism to Yosemite, with plentiful hotel beds and a range of restaurants. It's even worth visiting here to explore the national forest outside the park for fishing, hiking, photography, RV-ing, camping, etc.
The Oakhurst-Bass Lake area connects easily to Fresno with its international airport (check out the incredible giant sequoia exhibit in the lobby). If you're coming from or going to the south (Los Angeles) you might consider combining 41 and 140, entering Yosemite by one route and exiting on another.

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