Best airport to fly in and out for jmt sobo thru??

[saltysack]

Sorry can't get search to work as I know it's been discussed lots!!! Looking to fly in early mid sept from the southeast us.....what's best-most affordable way to get to/from trail.....thanks


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[Sirsnappy09]

You can fly into Fresno-Yosemite International. I can tell you that from Louisville-->Denver-->Fresno /Yosemite is about 650$ roundtrip. It is then about 2 hrs away from Yosemtie valley and you can get there by bus , and the bus fare is cheap.

[Lyle]

Last August, we flew into Mamoth Lakes via LA, spent a week getting acclimated in Mamoth, then took the YARTS to Yosemite. Not a bad option, but we decided it would be easier to just fly into Reno, then take the ESTA bus down to Mamoth. Can link up with YARTS at Lee Vining without going all the way to Mamoth if you want, but there isn't much in the way of facilities at Lee Vining. Both ESTA and YARTS buses are very reasonably priced.

Mamoth Lakes is a great place to spend some time acclimating before your hike if you have the time. Cheap transportation to Yosemite, free shuttle buses around town, plenty of hiking opportunities really close-by, all the services you could want, relatively inexpensive campground right in town to keep costs reasonable.

[garyp]

you can always fly into fresno

[MuddyWaters]

best and most affordable are two different things.

SFO or LAX will be cheapest, SFO probably the cheapest.
But you have to consider the whole package, getting to Yosemite, and home from WP.
Its easiest to fly out of Reno, because you can get direct public transportation to there from LP during week
If you finish on a weekend, your stuck. Unless you bum a ride.
Talking up a ride to LAX is easy in town at the Dow Villa or hostel. Theres always people from LA around. Offer to pay for gas.

Mammoth is easiest, but costs extra and flights are only at ~530 pm daily or something like that.

It depends a lot on how you intend to get home, are you buying RT ticket in advance, etc. Taking yarts from LP back thru yosemite, and to the west side to fly back out of SF takes basically a whole day.

Also depends on if you try to do whole trip in one day to yosemite, it can be done, schedule is tight though. I like to leave extra time for late luggage (pack) to arrive.

Most would probably fly to SFO, Amtrak to merced, yarts to yosemite. Returning to SFO is just a pain.

I flew into Bakersfield, and out from Reno. I used freq flyer miles and wasnt concerned with cost. Got a late night flight (arrived 1am local) into bakersfield from Houston. Didnt need to take a day off work, and allowed extra time for pack to arrive if something happened. Amtrak the next day to merced, same distance as SFO.

Learning and sorting thru the transportation options is the biggest difficulty in a JMT hike.

[colorado_rob]

We used Reno, as it was the best deal for air and nice and convenient for other transportation. Our first trip NOBO, we used Las Vegas, same best deal, plus the bonus of driving through Death Valley NP, fantastic place, even at 125 degrees in July. I can't imagine using either LAX or SFO and dealing with those places. Check out fares on Southwest airlines, they fly to various places in the SE and Reno/Las Vegas. What's extra nice about SW air is the no change fee and no baggage fee policies, the no change fee being handy if you're not on schedule at the finish.

[Siestita]

I haven't thru hiked the JMT, but I' have enjoyed taking two shorter ventures along it and nearby, specifically within the Ansel Adams and John Muir Wildernesses.

For my first trip there I spent two full days arriving at my trail head from here in Kentucky. Making a connection somewhere, I flew to LAX and then changed planes again in route to Fresno. I spent all of the next day reaching the June Lake trail head where I would start my hike, over on other (eastern) side of the Sierras. That required taking an early morning taxi from my motel to the Fresno bus station and then waiting at the station for several hours because the bus that I planned to take was full. The company (Greyhound if I remember correctly) is willing to sell people tickets in advance but doesn't actually reserve any bus seats. So, with them you show up for 'first come first served' transportation. The bus took me, along with some local farm workers, to Merced where I had lunch while waiting to take the YARTS bus to Yosemite Valley. Later, after spending several hours pleasantly at Yosemite, late in the afternoon I boarded the Mammoth Lakes/Mammoth Mountain bound Yarts shuttle. It dropped me off at June Lake shortly before dark. Following my hike I reversed the process, devoting a full day to traveling from Mammoth Lakes back to Fresno.

Someone explained to me that it is much easier to reach the eastern side of the Sierras from Reno's Airport. So, I did that, using Eastern Sierra Transit Assoc. (ESTA). On four days each week they send one bus all the way, in each direction, along the Bishop-Mammoth Lakes-Reno Airport route. And they accept reservations. Reno also has some economical hotels, including at least two that offer free shuttles to/from the city's airport.

I agree with Lyle's comment above that Mammoth Lakes is a good place to acclimate. And there's frequent and cheap shuttle service all day long between Mammoth to Red's Meadow. Red's Meadow is on the JMT and makes an excellent base for doing spectacular backpacks or day hikes in various directions.

For permitting purposes, you may find it easiest to initially hike north to Yosemite (Happy Isles) from Reds Meadow, then economically shuttle back to Red's, and finally hike SOBO on the JMT. from Red's Inyo National Forest can issue permits going out of Red's going northbound to Happy Isles, and also going southbound on the JMT. As a solo backpacker, I've had no problems getting permits from Inyo N.F., even during the relatively busy late July/earl August period.

[saltysack]

Thx for all the input...I'm going to look at SW airlines into San Fran and return out of Reno...sounds most logical?....tix under $500...not bad. I didn't realize dw does charge to change flts....shire helps with this...Thx...going to try to get lil more time off work...say 3 weeks...should give me enough time...thx sgain


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[saltysack]

Damn typos....SW...sure...again


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[saltysack]

We used Reno, as it was the best deal for air and nice and convenient for other transportation. Our first trip NOBO, we used Las Vegas, same best deal, plus the bonus of driving through Death Valley NP, fantastic place, even at 125 degrees in July. I can't imagine using either LAX or SFO and dealing with those places. Check out fares on Southwest airlines, they fly to various places in the SE and Reno/Las Vegas. What's extra nice about SW air is the no change fee and no baggage fee policies, the no change fee being handy if you're not on schedule at the finish.

Anyone fly into Fresno? Lil over an hour away...Maybe fly home out of reno?


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[Coffee]

Anyone fly into Fresno? Lil over an hour away...Maybe fly home out of reno?


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In 2013 I believe that flights to Fresno from the east coast were actually fairly affordable but it would have been a pain to get to Yosemite from there w/o multiple connections. Now YARTS has a direct bus between Yosemite Valley and Fresno so this would be an excellent option to not have to deal with either the LA or SF areas. I would personally try to fly into Mammoth if possible since it would be a good place to acclimate for a couple of nights and the YARTS bus also serves Mammoth.

[Malto]

Reno, easy bus ride(s) to start and finish once you get off Whitney. Do not underestimate the difficulty in getting from the East side to the west. Mammoth would even be better if there are flights going in there.

[saltysack]

Fresno inbound around $275 and $220 return from reno seems like a good option....Thx all


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[Cookerhiker]

If I were doing it, I'd fly to Reno, take the bus to Lee Vining, and the YARTS to Tuolumne Meadows. Beforehand, make campground reservations for Tuolumne for a few nights so that you can acclimate, doing day hikes getting up to 10,000'. You can then get the shuttle down to the Valley where you're allowed to camp one night in the backpacker's campsite the night before you start your hike. This all presupposes that you have your permit.

A weight-saving tip: leave most of your food in one of the bear boxes at Tuolumne so that your pack is lighter when you hike up from YV.

[wornoutboots]

Fresno inbound around $275 and $220 return from reno seems like a good option....Thx all


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I like flying into Mammoth Lakes. I've flown into Reno & did the bus ride & it was just as cheap to eliminate it & fly into ML
Here is the month of August flights from Jacksonville, FL to ML http://matrix.itasoftware.com/#calendar:research=JAXMMH

I then like taking the bus/train system to LAX (@ $23) for my flight out http://matrix.itasoftware.com/#calendar:research=LAXJAX

[Coffee]

One good thing about Reno is that Southwest serves that airport. With more customer friendly terms for changing flights, this is ideal for a return ticket after a long hike to avoid being stuck with a fixed schedule. Although SW flights get more expensive close to departure, they only charge the fare difference if you switch unlike the other airlines that charge not only fare difference but exorbitant change fees.

[marktrumpet]

One good thing about Reno is that Southwest serves that airport. With more customer friendly terms for changing flights, this is ideal for a return ticket after a long hike to avoid being stuck with a fixed schedule. Although SW flights get more expensive close to departure, they only charge the fare difference if you switch unlike the other airlines that charge not only fare difference but exorbitant change fees.

+1.

Another strategy is that you can buy more than one return flight on Southwest, and then cancel the one(s) you don't use. Of course if you don't use the earlier one you have to have someone back home do this for you while you're still hiking. Then SW will give you a credit for the full amount of the cancelled flight(s) which is valid for one year. This is a good alternative because if you try and buy a SW ticket with less than one or two weeks' notice, the one-way fares are usually several hundred dollars more expensive than the one you bought in advance (often equivalent to another airlines' change fee).

[colorado_rob]

Another strategy is that you can buy more than one return flight on Southwest, and then cancel the one(s) you don't use.

Excellent strategy! I'm going to use this on my next return from a long hike.

I just booked Denver to Newark NJ, one-way, non-stop, $108. Amazing deal IMHO.

[saltysack]

+1.

Another strategy is that you can buy more than one return flight on Southwest, and then cancel the one(s) you don't use. Of course if you don't use the earlier one you have to have someone back home do this for you while you're still hiking. Then SW will give you a credit for the full amount of the cancelled flight(s) which is valid for one year. This is a good alternative because if you try and buy a SW ticket with less than one or two weeks' notice, the one-way fares are usually several hundred dollars more expensive than the one you bought in advance (often equivalent to another airlines' change fee).

Great idea...with this being said does Att have any service on any peaks along jmt? Prob use a spit for wife's peace of mind.....


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[saltysack]

Spot....


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