You can easily reserve the summer seasonal Yosemite Vehicle Pass after you make your room booking at the Bug.   Weekends April through August and weekday July and part of August.  Half of these passes come available at 8am seven days before your arrival date.  Alternatively, if you enter before 5am and leave after 4pm then you do not need a Yosemite Vehicle Pass.  The same goes for those who have Backcountry and Half Dome Permits.   And for those using YARTS busses from our stop.  It is always wise to enjoy Yosemite National Park in the off season October through April for car freedom and quiet. When the Tioga Pass road is open May through November, find some High Sierra trails as an alternative to Yosemite Valley on at least one day.  But we know you want to see Yosemite Valley, so find a parking spot and use the Yosemite Valley Shuttle for best results.

Take Amtrak for the ultimate relaxation and get into Yosemite without a summer Vehicle Pass. Book your seamless train/bus journey from any station to Yosemite and ask the Amtrak bus driver about our bus stop. We are 1/4 mile up our driveway. If you go into Yosemite Valley first you can stash your belongings in a bear proof food box that abound but beware the last YARTS shuttle back.

During the summer season, bypass the Yosemite Vehicle Pass required by booking a seat at YARTS.COM. This bus system is the shuttle from the Bug to Yosemite Valley round trip inclusive of the Yosemite’s Park Fee for only $20. We use it when we want to avoid traffic in summer, avoid putting on chains in winter, or want to listen to the driver’s tour commentary. They will drop you off at Curry Village, Yosemite Lodge and Yosemite Village bus stops in Yosemite Valley where you can pick up the Yosemite Valley Shuttle to trailheads or sights. Once you arrive off of Amtrak your would use this service daily. Please double check their schedules online for seasonal differences.

If you drive a car just find Yosemite Valley parking and use this system. Yosemite Valley Shuttle also integrates with the YARTS and Amtrak bus stops at Yosemite Lodge, Yosemite Village and Curry Village. These electric and hybrid busses have stops everywhere in the eastern half of the valley in winter, but all around the Valley Loop in summer season.

At the Bug, we now have one EV Charging Station with a Type One Charger of 50 amps. And a 30 amp 14-50 plug is also available. Our vacation rentals also have EV charging for their guests but bring adaptors and ask about at check-in. Yosemite Valley has many EV Chargers worth looking online about beforehand. Mariposa town 10 miles west of us has Tesla charging stations.

Sometimes our guests find themselves stuck on a back dirt road across the river or driving back and forth on Highway 140 on the other side of Mariposa. We always recommend you take a look at Google Maps beforehand to study the route and use Merced city as the axis to reach us from the west, north and south. On GPS look for us at 6979 CA State Highway 140, Midpines, CA 95345, whereas Google Maps sees our true address 6979A CA State Highway 140, Midpines, CA 95345 . We highly recommend looking at our driving directions from major cities below for good comparison.

Leaving between 10am and 2pm, take the Bay Bridge to 580 East, 205 East, 5 North for a few miles to 120 East. You must take 99 South to Merced rather than continue on 120 East into the Park after the interchange. Then take 140 East towards Yosemite, we are ten miles past Mariposa. Highway 140 is a registered Scenic Highway.

Let’s start at Hollywood or Downtown for a five hour drive leaving between 10am and 2pm. This route is mostly freeway. Take the 5 North to the 99 North through Merced city to 140 East. We are 10 miles past Mariposa.

Easy 3 hours. Take 99 South to Merced city, then up the Sierra on 140 East to us. We are ten miles past Mariposa.

Two ways depending on the season: Highway 120’s Tioga Pass is closed through Yosemite in winter. Check that in advance.

So a fast mostly freeway 7-9 hours from Vegas is taking 15 South to 58 West to 99 North through Merced and then 45 minutes up to the Bug from the west.

For good scenery on the summer route, leave Vegas taking 95 North to 266 West to 168 West past the Bristlecone Forest. You would take 395 North to Lee Vining and 120 West into Yosemite Valley. You would come down 140 West to the Bug after that. That’s 7-9 hours but you will stop and look about so give yourself more time.

Take Highway 50 West or 80 West to Sacramento and see the directions from Sacramento on this page for a 5 hour drive.

Otherwise it is about the same 5 hours to turn on 49 South at Placerville from 50 West and then stop at the old Gold Rush towns of Sutter Creek, San Andreas, Angel’s Camp and Columbia. After reaching the gold town of Mariposa head 10 miles towards Yosemite on 140 East.

Also in 5 hours, you can in summer take the scenic east side of the Sierra using 50 East to 395 West and at Lee Vining take 120 West through to Yosemite Valley. We are 27 Miles down 140 West from there.