Bay Area to Mammoth Lakes: 

Weekend Days only June and September, every day July and August.

In Advance:  Book Amtrak tickets from Richmond BART station (Amtrak Code RIC) to Yosemite Valley (Code YOS).  You can do this at www.amtrak.com Or call 1-800-872-7245.  Make sure you start this trip on the #712 train.  The website will prompt you to book the train and bus #8412 together.  Do that.  This’ll cost $31.

Step 1- take BART to Richmond Station, Max Price $6.40, depending on where you come from.  Arrive there before 7:30.  We like www.511.org for Bay Area public transit planning. 

Step 2- Take Amtrak train #712 from Richmond BART Station to Merced, CA.  7:50am- 10:31 am.

Step 3- Take Amtrak Bus #8412 from Merced to Yosemite Valley.   11am- 1:20 pm.

Step 4- Tour Yosemite Valley- There’s the visitor center, nice walks to Lower Yosemite Falls and Mirror Lake as well as a free shuttle bus system to connect all the points. http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bus.htm Be at the Visitor Center before 5pm to catch the bus to Mammoth.

Step 5- Take YARTS bus from Yosemite Valley to Mammoth Lakes.  5pm- 8:30 pm. $15- buy your tickets on the bus.   www.yarts.com  Phone: 877 98 YARTS

Step 6- once in Mammoth Lakes there are three easy options and numerous more complicated possibilities.  Here’re the easy ones:

• Shady Rest Campground- Walking distance from the Shilo Inn YARTS bus stop- http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo/recreation/campgrounds.shtml
• Shilo Inn- at the Shilo Inn YARTS stop- duh. (760) 934-4500
• Mammoth Mountain Inn- The YARTS bus goes here too. Phone 800 MAMMOTH

Totals:  $46 plus Bart Fare.  13 hours traveling, but only 8:30 in a seat.  Countless killer views!