By Plane
Fresno Yosemite International Airport (tel. 559/621-4500; www.fresno.gov), located 90 miles from Yosemite National Park's South Entrance at Wawona, is the nearest major airport, serving over 25 cities with more than 100 flights daily. Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air (www.alaskaair.com), Allegiant Air (www.allegiantair.com), American Airlines (www.aa.com), Delta Air Lines (www.delta.com), and US Airways (www.usairways.com) all service Fresno airport.
By Car
Yosemite is a 3 1/2-hour drive from San Francisco and a 6-hour drive from Los Angeles. Many roads lead to Yosemite's four entrances. From the west, the Big Oak Flat Entrance is 88 miles from Manteca via CA 120, which passes through the towns of Groveland, Buck Meadows, and Big Oak Flat. The Arch Rock Entrance is 75 miles northeast of Merced via CA 140, which passes through Mariposa and El Portal. The South Entrance is 64 miles north of Fresno and passes through Oakhurst, Bass Lake, and Fish Camp. From the east, the Tioga Pass Entrance is the only option; it's 10 miles west of Lee Vining via CA 120, although this route is usually open only in the summer. To check on statewide road conditions, call tel. 800/427-7623 in California (tel. 916/445-7623 outside of the state) or visit www.dot.ca.gov.
Although not available within the national parks, most of the major car-rental companies can be found in Fresno, including Advantage (www.advantage.com), Alamo (www.alamo.com), Avis (www.avis.com), Budget (www.budget.com), Dollar (www.dollar.com), Enterprise (www.enterprise.com), Hertz (www.hertz.com), National (www.nationalcar.com), Payless (www.paylesscarrental.com), and Thrifty (www.thrifty.com).
International visitors should note that insurance and taxes are almost never included in quoted rental-car rates in the U.S. Be sure to ask your rental agency about additional fees for these. They can add a significant cost to your car rental.
By Bus
Daily bus transportation into the park from Merced, Mariposa, and other nearby communities is provided by the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System, or YARTS (tel. 877/989-2787 or 209/388-9589; www.yarts.com). Buses are not subject to park entrance delays during peak season. From Merced, there are several YARTS departures daily from the airport, the Amtrak train station, and the Greyhound bus terminal. Round-trip fare is $25 for adults, $18 for children 12 and under and seniors 62 and older. There are stops in Mariposa at several lodgings and the visitor center, with round-trip rates of $12 for adults and $8 for children and seniors. These prices include park admission.
Greyhound (tel. 800/231-2222; www.greyhound.com) also links Merced with many other California cities.
By Train
Amtrak (tel. 800/872-7245; www.amtrak.com) serves Fresno and Merced on its San Joaquin route.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
