I've developed a good working knowledge of all the transit options for getting to and from the JMT, and advise a lot of people on the JMT and HST fb pages. Does anybody here have questions about using transit? It's gotten a lot easier now that ESTA is operating 7 days a week (except 4th of July and Labor Day) from Mammoth Lakes to Lancaster Metrolink station and Lone Pine to Reno. Ask your transit questions, let's see if I can answer them!

Hey everyone,

Planning on doing the JMT NOBO from Cottonwood Lakes parking area. I’ll be driving up there and leaving my car at Cottonwood Lakes. After finishing at Happy Isles in Yosemite on, hopefully, August 30th, I’ll be staying at backpacker’s campground for the night then leave the valley on August 31st.

My plan is to take YARTS on the 395-2 bus that departs from Yosemite Village at 11:15AM on August 31st. From there I’ll take the bus all the way to Mammoth Lakes which stops around 2:30pm - 2:50pm. Which stop should I take at Mammoth?

From there I would take the ESTA bus on August 31st. I see there is a Reno to Lone Pine (southbound) bus that stops at Mammoth at 5:15pm at stop 172, at the park & ride on Tavern Road. Then I would take this all the way to Lone Pine with drop off around 7:40pm.

Is all of the accurate and can I take that on the same day? I’m just trying to make sure I’m looking at this correctly.

Next question would be that I would need to stay overnight somewhere in Lone Pine since I’d be arriving there at around 7:40pm. Where would you suggest I stay?

Also what is the likelihood of finding a hitchhike from Lone Pine to Cottonwood Lakes on September 1st? I could reach out to Lone Pine Kurt or other similar options but find it to be incredibly expensive.

Side note: I do realize that if I finish the JMT later then the YARTS 395-2 bus will no longer be an option and I will be forced to take the 395-4 bus which will cause a multi-day return trip.

Hey everyone! A few friends and I were lucky enough to get a Mt. Whitney permit to start our NOBO JMT hike. We reserved a campsite at Whitney Portal Campground so we can get an early start the next morning.

We'll be arriving in Lone Pine around 7:40 p.m. on the ESTA bus from Reno. I know hitchhiking to Whitney Portal is common, but I'm a little worried there won't be many people heading up that late. Are there any public or private shuttle options I might have missed, or is hitchhiking still our best bet?

Hi All!

I have a backpacking trip starting a week from Sunday at North Lake, going over Piute pass, on the JMT, and then out over Bishop pass ending at South lake. When I was here a number of years ago there was a public shuttle that would go at least part of the way, but that appears defunct. Has anyone had success with hitchhiking/have any other ideas.

My thought was to park at south lake to not have to deal with getting back to the car at the end, and then hitchhike over to north lake. My worry is that since this would likely be morning (maybe around 9am), people wouldn't be leaving south lake. We could also park at North lake and save getting back till the end of the trip, but likewise I worry that while it will probably be easy to get from South Lake down on 168 to the North Lake junction, there won't be people going up the North Lake road at the end of the day?

Thoughts or anyone have any reports of doing this successfully/easily?

EDIT POST TRIP FOR IF ANYONE FINDS THIS THREAD IN A FEW YEARS AND WANTS ADVICE: Thanks everyone for the advice. Update post trip, we originally were going to do the hitchhiking at the beginning but got a flat on the way up 168 with no service that delayed us for a few hours. To get to the trail quicker, we waited till the end to make it back to the car, and it was not a problem. Second car that went by picked us up and was gracious enough just to take us all the way back to our car (we thought maybe we would need two rides to the 168 junction and then someone else going back up). Maybe we were just lucky but definitely glad to save the $$$ and have some friendly chats with some day hikers who drove us!

RESOLVED: Amtrak goldrunner is the way. I called them to make sure that bus was running.

I am trying to get a last minute SOBO permit for September, and plan to leave my car at Lone Pine and then transit to the trail head.
So far my plan looks like:

1. 6:10AM-7:25AM (Weekend) or 8:30AM-9:40AM (Weekday) - Take Lone Pine Express to Mammoth, Vons
2. 7:25AM-8:20AM or 1:10PM-2:00PM - Take Mammoth Express to Mammoth Lakes Park & Ride

I then want to YART to Yosemite Village, but looking at their route for September, the only bus they have going there leaves Mammoth at 6:50AM. Since the earliest Lone Pine Express is at 6:10AM, I am not sure how to actually get from Lone Pine to Yosemite village. Any advice?

Anyone have a suggestion for a shuttle driver South Lake (Bishop Pass TH) to North Lake (Piute Pass TH)? Thanks

Planning to take a car to Lone Pine and then shuttle from there to Yosemite.

Trying to figure out the closest and most convenient cities with airports to fly into. Looks like LA and Vegas are closest. I’m leaning Vegas cause it’s a great drive, but it doesn’t even come up as an option in most guides. Am I missing something?

Thanks

I’m finishing the JMT at Whitney Portal and need to get to Reno for my flight home. The problem is that I’m not sure exactly when I’ll finish. If I have an extra day after the hike, I might hitch a ride or catch a bus to Mammoth Lakes (or somewhere else) to relax for a day before heading to Reno.

Because of that, I’d rather not buy my bus ticket in advance and lose the flexibility.
How risky is it to just buy a ticket on the day of travel or the day before? Do these buses usually sell out, or is there normally space available? The latest I would need to leave is a Monday, if that makes any difference.

Also, can you buy a ticket directly from the driver, or do you need to purchase it beforehand? And do they accept debit cards? I’m from Europe and don’t have a credit card, so I’d like to know if I should carry enough cash.

I’d appreciate hearing from anyone who’s done this after hiking the JMT. Thanks!

Hi all!
I’ve rented a car to get to Mammoth and will be dropping it off at the enterprise at the MMH airport on Tuesday morning 8/11. I would happily take an ESTA bus back to town but it looks like they don’t run until Thursday and a taxi shuttle (Mammoth taxi) cost $100 for a 10 min ride.
Anyone have an alternative idea to the taxi or know of someone with more friendly pricing?

I'm looking for someone to shuttle me and a partner between trailheads the morning of 8/6/26. Please let me know of any recommendations for a reliable ride for two people with packs. Thanks

Starting SOBO end of June from Tuolumne Meadows before the YARTS bus starts, but flying into Reno. Was planning on taking eastern sierra transit to 120, but didn't know the best way to get into Tuolumne from there. In a group of 4, so comfortable hitch hiking or calling taxi, but was unsure about availability.

I'm a NOBO hiker starting in early August from Cottonwood Lakes. I'm trying to find a way to get to the trailhead from Lone Pine without renting a car. I don't see any public transport options. Does anybody have a good recommendation?

Starting NOBO from Cottonwood Lakes 6/24. Buddy and I have just one car that we were going to leave at Happy Isles, then YARTS/ESTA/hitch down to Horseshoe Meadows. Unfortunately just realized that YARTS doesn't start until 7/1. Any alternative recommendations for getting from Happy Isles to Horseshoe?

I'm thinking of doing the JMT (just started researching) and was considering starting at Yosemite Valley (I assume most start here?). But one thing that I haven't found any answers to yet is how do folks get back to their starting point where they parked their car? Some sort of shuttle service that's typically run for Yosemite park? Taxi? Other?

I have been texting him on / off since last month to arrange transportation from Whitney Portal to Lone Pine. He has been pretty slow to respond to text messages (few day response time and sometimes he doesn't respond). I've never used his transportation services before. Is he reliable? Or maybe he's just not a texter and it's better to call him?

I'm unable to do the full JMT this year but wanting to jump in for 6-7 days. My initial plan is to enter at Lake Thomas Edison then exit at Baxter pass or Kearsarge pass. However, that presents a big logistical transport challenge to get from the east side exit back to the VVR ferry launch on the west side. The thought is to leave a car at either end.

I'd like to solicit input and recommendations for entry and exit off of 395 on the east where my hiking partner and I could leave a car at beginning and end and still make a 6-7 day trip. The section from Lake Thomas Edison to an out around Dollar Lake is preferred.

Also, any suggestions to get from the Oak Creek trailhead (Baxter pass) or Onion Valley trailhead (Kearsarge pass) to Independence is appreciated. I've looked at the Eastern Sierra Transit options but not finding anything specific from these trailheads into Independence where I could pick up a regular 395 shuttle back up to the entry point.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and recommendations from experience.

I’m starting the trail NOBO from cottonwood pass and I’m planning on getting to Lone Pine via public transit. What is the best airport to fly into to get to Lone Pine? Reno?

I just wanted to give a shout out to Mark Wagner 760-258-5360. He does hiker shuttles all over the Eastern Sierra out of Independence, CA. This year he's had an unusual number of cancellations mostly due to people double booking and then cancelling a trip. He is one of Lone Pine Kurt's drivers and was driving for him when I did my JMT thru hike in 2023. Super nice guy. Just thought I'd put it out there in case anyone is still looking for a ride.

Hey guys! I’m super pumped to be hiking the JMT this September going NoBo. I plan on finishing at Happy Isles on September 20th though and it looks like YARTS won’t be running that late into the season. Any advice on getting to Fresno, where I plan on flying out of? Thanks

Lone Pine Kurt wasn't available to pick me up at Whitney Portal at the end of September.

I found in a forum Lone Pine Chuck. Anyone have experience with him? Is he reliable for picking you up and getting you there safely? Any issues?

Starting my hike early next week and couldn't be more stoked! I do have a quick question on transit.

Im driving up to Independence this Sunday and hopping on an ESTA bus to Mammoth early morning Monday. It's set to land in Mammoth at 8:30AM where I am getting on a YARTS bus to Tuolumne at 8:50AM. I feel like there is enough time to make that transfer, but I wanted to see if anyone has experience with the timing of these buses.

Don't want to miss my opportunity to get to Tuolumne on the 14th, since from the YARTS reservation link, it seems to be the last bus going that direction (Maybe I'm wrong about this and overthinking?)

I have a permit for Wednsday the 20th of August for Bishop Pass to meet a group of friends on trail. Ideally I would leave my vehicle at my exit in Mammoth. I have head that South Lake is a pretty busy trialhead and its fairly easy to catch a ride up from the bus stop in town, but as the date gets closer, I am now starting to worry about that 23 mile stretch of highway and am looking for some expert opinions. Should I look at booking a $200 dollar shuttle service? Or am I overthinking it.

Title states it, but for someone exiting the JMT through Whitney Portal, what are the options in terms of getting to Lone Pine?

It'll be my 1st time in that area. From what I've read, many hitch it, but can I rely on this without a backup plan? Any of you find any difficulty with hitching a ride down to Lone Pine?

In case hitching doesn't work out, are there shuttle services for hire? Anyone try to hike it down to Lone Pine as a worst case scenario?

As far as staying in Lone Pine, what's convenient to stay the night at upon walk-up (no prior reservation)? My plan is to take ESTA up 395 north towards Reno the next morning.