One of the most frustrating aspects of planning a hike of the John Muir Trail used to be getting from the Fresno bus or train station, or from the airport, to Yosemite Valley. All that is about to change.
Last week I was lucky enough to have an extensive conversation with Mr. Dick Whittington, the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) Manager. He had good news and lots of it.
From Fresno to Yosemite…in style!
Sometime this summer, most likely in June, YARTS is going to start daily service from Fresno to Yosemite. The plan is to offer service seven days a week and as many as four or five trips per day. Within Fresno the bus will stop at the three places I mention above, plus two or three others. On the way it will stop at Wawona and four different places in the valley: Camp Curry, the Ahwahnee, the Visitors’ Center, and the Yosemite Lodge. Travel time between the airport and the valley will be about four hours.
The fare will be somewhere around $30, round trip, and one-way tickets will be available.
For John Muir Trail thru-hikers who come from out of state this makes transportation easy. Fly into Fresno-Yosemite Airport, take YARTS to the valley, walk to Lone Pine (okay, that part isn’t really easy), take ESTA to Mammoth Lakes, then get back on YARTS (in front of the Shiloh Inn) for a trip back to Yosemite Valley, and conclude with a bus trip on YARTS back to Fresno.
As has always been the case: backpacks are welcome–perhaps even expected.
Mr. Whittington was a wealth of information. I know a lot more about YARTS, now, than I did before talking to him. Do you know, for example, how many employees YARTS has?
None…zip…nada. The entire operation, including the management, is contracted out. There is a Board of Directors made up of elected officials from Mono, Mariposa, and Merced counties. And I always thought it was run by the park service.
For those of us who live close to the Sierra Nevada, this probably doesn’t mean much, but for the people who come from all over the world to hike this hike, life has just gotten easier.
Special thanks to Jim Clement of the Vermilion Valley Resort for alerting me to this development.
Oh, and one more bit of good news: if you are on the bus, entry into the park is free!
Good hiking, Ray
That is great news. Thanks for sharing it.
Ray
The bus service from Fresno to Yosemite Valley is good news. However, one of the hardest drives for section hikers is the road to Lake Edison. Do you know if there’s some sort of shuttle from Fresno to there? That really is one of the most nerve rattling drives I’ve ever made!
Happy Trails!!
Steve
Sorry, Steve, the only thing I am aware of would be to arrange something with VVR, and that would cost some bucks.
We are certainly very pleased that YARTS is finally coming to Fresno, it will make it much easier for our hikers to get back into Yosemite after either exiting at Edison or FLorence Lakes and for those taking the bus or train from So. California.
We have offered a hikers shuttle service for several years now, either bringing hikers off the mountain into Fresno or out of Fresno into the backcountry. It is a 3 plus hour trip with the last 30 miles down a windy narrow road with spectacular vistas of the Sierra ridge line.
Our website at edisonlake.com will provide timing and current prices for this service, under the tab Hiker Services. This ride will certainly give you an idea of the logistics issues that the VVR and our friends at the MTR deal with on a daily basis. Anyway it’s a hoot and certainly provides a different perspective of living and working in the High Country.
Enjoy the planning for your hike as I feel that is half the fun and feel free to contact us with questions.
Best,
Jim
That’s a great option, Jim. Thanks for mentioning it.
I assume this is seasonal. Any word on what the season will be (specifically, will it continue during Sept.)? Thanks.
Great question, Jo Jo, and I am embarrassed to say that I didn’t ask. It looks as if other routes end on September 28th. I suspect that is the date.
Ray,
This new transportation service for Fresno/yosemite will run 365 days a year, and will be structured based on the time of year. This service will provide not only services for tourists traveling to and from Yosemite but for the local communities and citizens of Oakhurst and Coursegold. This will give them much needed transit for services in the city that are not available in these small communities.
So in general this YARTS service will support transportation up and down Hwy 41for local citizens and visitors alike.
Wow! Great news regarding the year round scheduling. Thanks, Jim!
If taking YARTS out of Fresno or Merced to Yosemite Valley, what is the best way to,get to Tuolumne Meadows. It looks like there is service from the Valley but not sure where and when to pick it up.
You will want to get the bus to TM at the Visitors’ Center. The schedule is here: http://www.yarts.com/schedules.html.
FYI: The Fresno/Yosemite YARTS 2015 schedule and stops have not been finalized and was told to expect a schedule by April 1.
Thanks, Jim. I chose to not put that in the article in case the deadline slipped, but that is what I was told, too.
We used the Van trip out of the John Muir Ranch (hike and then boat ride) and the shuttle was fabulous and a life saver. I highly recommend it. And yes the views on that road are spectacular
John
Sounds great. Thanks.