By admin 
The end of summer is fast approaching for many families and students in the Sacramento area, but there’s still time for one last quick weekend trip.
Read more Blockbuster Mock Trade Sends Lynx’s Napheesa Collier to Wings for Former DPOY
And there’s a way to take that trip, to one of California’s most iconic getaway spots, without having to pack up the car.
Amtrak may not have train service direct to California’s biggest national park, but it offers a low-cost alternative to driving into Yosemite Valley in partnership with the area’s regional transit system.
Travelers can use Amtrak’s Gold Runner service and connecting bus route to get from the Sacramento area into Yosemite National Park for a day trip or an overnight stay. The Gold Runner route, previously known as Amtrak San Joaquins until last November, travels from Sacramento to Oakland and then south through the Central Valley to Bakersfield.
Here’s how to use the train line’s offerings to the fullest extent, avoiding Yosemite parking inconveniences and spiking gas prices at the end of the summer.
How to go to Yosemite from Sacramento on Amtrak
Sacramento-area travelers can book a ticket from their home station directly to one of eight locations within Yosemite National Park. One fare price includes the train ride and a connecting bus into the park.
From Sacramento, the first leg of the trip is on the Gold Runner train down to Merced. Amtrak offers two direct trains from Sacramento to Merced daily, at 7:09 a.m. and 5:20 p.m., lasting about two hours.
From there, travelers board a connecting bus operated by the Yosemite Area Regional Transit System, which drops riders off at a predetermined location within the park. A ride to Yosemite Village takes just over three hours from the Merced train station.
Read more Blue Jays Facing George Springer Decision After Trade Report
Travelers who take the 7:09 a.m. train from Sacramento can arrive at the Yosemite Village before 1 p.m. Fares and travel time vary slightly depending on the final destination within the park, so those considering this option should book accordingly.
Once in the park, visitors can travel around Yosemite Valley using the area’s free shuttle system.
Return buses leave Yosemite Village as early as 8:40 a.m. to the Merced train station, though the bus system services only one direct northbound Gold Runner train daily, in the evening.
To avoid having to switch trains mid-route, travelers can catch the connecting bus from Yosemite Village at 5:05 p.m. and take the Gold Runner train in Merced at 9:11 p.m., arriving in Sacramento at 11:30 p.m.
How much does it cost to get into Yosemite?
Train and bus fare through Amtrak and the Yosemite Area Regional Transit System costs between $38 and $54 each way, depending on exact route and dropoff location.
Travelers must still pay the National Parks entry fee, which costs $20 per person aged 16 and older without a pre-purchased annual pass or America the Beautiful pass. The annual Yosemite pass for U.S. residents costs $70, and the nationwide America the Beautiful pass has varying annual fees.
National Parks also have free entry days throughout the year, eliminating the entry cost for U.S. residents, the next of which is in late August.
Read more Mike McCarthy’s Offensive Line Plan Could Change Steelers’ Starting Five
- Third Monday in February: Presidents Day
- Last Monday in May: Memorial Day
- June 14: Flag Day
- July 4: Independence Day
- Aug. 25: Birthday of the National Park Service
- Sept. 17: Constitution Day
- Oct. 27: Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday
- Nov. 11: Veterans Day