Getting There

By Plane

Fresno-Yosemite International Airport (tel. 559/621-4500), located 90 miles from the South Entrance at Wawona, is the nearest major airport, serving over 25 cities with more than 100 flights daily. Airlines include Alaska, Allegiant Air, American/American Eagle, Continental, Delta, ExpressJet, Frontier, Hawaiian, Horizon, Mexicana, Northwest, United, and US Airways.

Mariposa County Airport (tel. 209/966-2143) has a tiny airstrip for private planes.

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 is 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 or 916/445-7623 outside of the state.

By Bus

Daily bus transportation into the park from Merced, Mariposa, and other nearby communities is provided by the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (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 and $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 12 and under and seniors 62 and older.

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 Joaquins route.