Airport beta for JMT

All discussion related to transportation to, from and within the Sierra Nevada. Need directions or flight information? Info on road conditions? A ride to the trail head? Can you offer a ride, or do you run a transportation business or shuttle service for the Sierra Nevada? Come on in and post the details!
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Snow Nymph
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Airport beta for JMT

Post by Snow Nymph »

Need beta on airport closest to Yosemite for JMT hiker.

Its 212 miles from LAX to Lone Pine and takes about 3-4 hrs to drive, depending on the driver.

I don't know anything (where/how far) about coming from the north.
Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free . . . . Jim Morrison


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markskor
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Post by markskor »

Copied from WhitneyPortalStore.com:

These are the driving distances to Lone Pine, on highway 395 - the southern end of the JMT is in about 14 miles from Lone Pine - to Whitney Portal...
Lee Vining, near the Tioga Pass YNP entrance also on highway 395 is about 100 miles north...then west on highway 120, and another 80 or so miles into Yosemite Valley - (the northern end of JMT). Adjust distances accordingly.
Thus Reno to Yosemite Valley using this data and travelling on highway 395: 257 miles, minus 100, plus 80 = ~237 miles
LAX to Yosemite Valley, 215 miles, plus 100, plus 80 = ~395 miles

Commercial airport north of Lone Pine
Reno (RNO) – 257 miles (US-395)

Commercial airports south of Lone Pine
Inyokern (IYK) – 70 miles (US-395)
Bakersfield (BFL) – 165 miles (Cal-178, Cal –14, US-395)
Burbank (BUR) – 197 miles (I-5, Cal-14, US-395)
Ontario (ONT) – 197 miles (I-10, I-15, US-395)
Los Angeles (LAX) – 215 miles (I-405, I-5, Cal-14, US-395)
Las Vegas (LAS) - 224 miles (I-215, I-15, Nev-160, Cal-190, Cal-136, US-395)
Long Beach (LGB) – 232 miles (I-405, I-5, Cal-14, US-395)
Orange County (SNA) – 237 miles (I-405, Cal-55, Cal-91, I-15, US-395)
Palm Springs (PSP) – 259 miles (I-10, I-15, US-395)

General aviation airports
Lone Pine (O26) – 1 mile
Independence (2O7) – 16 miles (US-395)
Bishop (BIH) – 60 miles (US-395)



Using bus/train service
Inyo-Mono Transit provides limited bus service up and down US-395. There also is limited bus service from Reno Airport to Lone Pine (via Bishop) and from Ridgecrest (near Inyokern Airport) to Lone Pine. The Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) also provides bus service between Merced and Mammoth Lakes via Yosemite National Park when Tioga Pass is open. Check out the following links: Inyo-Mono Transit, CREST, YARTS, Wilderhouse Shuttle.

To find out more about other mass transit systems in California go to the California Transit Links web site. You can also take the Metropolitan Transit Authority trains on the Red Line, the Blue Line, and the Green Line to get to a shuttle stop for LAX, and now there is Flyaway bus service between Union Station and LAX.
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Allyn
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Post by Allyn »

Not sure if you are looking for an airport close to Yosemite or Lone Pine? If Yosemite, don't know the miles but your choices are Fresno (commuter airport), Sacramento or Oakland (Reno is on backside so probably a little longer than the central valley ones but still an option). If to Lone Pine, no clue so sorry about that one. Markskor is probably better off with his post!
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Randonnee
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Post by Randonnee »

Snowy,

There is also a small airport at Lee Vining which has not been mentioned. It is a small general aviation airport, limited mostly to single engine planes and very small twins.

You mentioned LAX, Ontario might be closer. I am not sure what the commercial flight is but Palmdale would also be a shorter drive to Lone Pine that LAX.

At one time there were commercial flights into Ridgecrest, but I don't know what the current status is.

Harry
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Hikin Mike
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Post by Hikin Mike »

There's also a small airport here in Merced. From there you might be able to snag the YARTS bus to Yosemite.
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SteveB
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Post by SteveB »

Air fields at Lee Vining & Bridgeport; you'd have to check into whether they're private or any small craft can land at them. Also air field at Mammoth.
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Snow Nymph
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Post by Snow Nymph »

Thanks for the replies!

The person that asked is from out of state, and asked about info on closest airport from both ends. I thought people came in from Sacramento, but wasn't sure about anything north of Mammoth. I only know the eastern side. I sent him this link, so he can check for himself what will work best.

Thanks for all the replies, and thanks for posting the info, Markskor. I didn't think about looking there.
Expose yourself to your deepest fear; after that, fear has no power, and the fear of freedom shrinks and vanishes. You are free . . . . Jim Morrison


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The Other Tom
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Post by The Other Tom »

The smaller fields don't have regular commercial service. I've come in from the east coast via Fresno a couple of times and from Reno once. If you're going to the valley, Fresno is probably a little closer. If you're going to Lone Pine, I'd say Reno. Personally, I avoid LA like the plague, no offense to you LA people. It's just too much traffic for me. SFO/Oakland will also work, I've just never used them.
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markskor
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Post by markskor »

Snowy,
Yes, some of us do come in from Sacramento...about a 4-hour drive (little less depending) – 179 miles.
Airport is on Highway 5, just north of Sacramento…taking 5 or 99 south (same here)…both go about the same way thru city…(stay on 5 ...is faster) and then about 50 miles south of Sacramento, in Stockton/ Lodi area they ~merge and split apart again…then continue on Highway 99 to just before Modesto… to posted signs…Yosemite Avenue exit (108 or 120) same there…and soon enough, you’re in the Valley…pretty drive after you get off 99 a bit.
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BSquared
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Post by BSquared »

A really good source of information (though a tad dated) is Here: http://alumnus.caltech.edu/~rbell/JMTTransport.html.

I went through all this two years ago (egad, now going on three: got to get out there again!!!) when planning our JMT trip. For entry from the north end, the best combination of close and cheap is Sacramento (served by Southwest). I understand there is good train/bus transportation from Sacramento to Yosemite, but we had a friend who was just doing a short part of the trip with us, so we rented a car. Reno also works reasonably well, but it's usually more expensive to fly to. You can take a couple of different buses from there to Lee Vining, and then YARTS from there to the Valley.

At the south end, the winning combination turned out to be taking the CREST bus from Lone Pine to Ridgecrest and then doing a one-way rental from there to LAX. There is no one-way surcharge, because so many people go one-way from LAX to Ridgecrest. It is possible to take public transportation all the way from Lone Pine to LAX, but there are numerous transfers and potential delays -- there are many posts on the Whitney Portal BBS about this.
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