Hikers' bus to Glacier Point

Looking for advice on the hikers’ bus to GP. My husband and I plan to take the bus to GP and hike back down to YV via Panorama/JMT. We’ve never taken the bus. Our trip will be mid June. Is it best to buy these tickets in advance since it’s peak season and the bus trips may sell out? Does anybody know the cancellation policy if we purchase tickets for different days and then cancel the ones we don’t want? I can’t find cancellation policy info online and the reservation line has a very long wait. I’ve emailed them, but no reply. Thanks for any advice you can give!

Ugh.

Guess no one has taken the bus.

(I haven't)

I mean, there gonna be a LOT of snow up there still... so maybe buy when need?
Doubt it will sell out that "early" ...

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Thank you! I was finally able to find the cancellation policy by going through the reservation screens as though I was going to purchase the tickets. It's 24 hours and appears to be without penalty/fee if cancelled at least that far in advance. It's going to be so beautiful and I can't wait to see Illilouette Fall after seeing your amazing photos, chick-on! ☺️

That's great! (and great info)

In case you don't know... This is the view you can get from Panorama Trail
(or The Glacier Point trail I guess to be more specific)
(West of the Illilouette bridge) (on about the first long switcback heading up)
(ok, just ask if you are not sure)

(yadda yadda yadda)


It's not entirely trivial to some/most to get to this spot... (there used to be railing)

Have fun

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Amazing photo! I can't wait to finally see this in person!

Back when there was a railing, there would be plenty of folks hanging half way over. Now, very few are willing to go close. Not sure if that was a desired effect or not.

chick-on, can you describe a bit more of what you meant by "it's not entirely trivial" to get to this spot? I've watched some videos of hiking the Panorama Trail, and most of these people don't even show Illilouette Fall - all they show is the bridge. Is it easy to miss getting to this lookout? Our main purpose of going this way is to see this waterfall along with all the other amazing views.

Also, looking to mid-June, hiking GP to YV, will there be safe spots to filter water before Vernal footbridge? Any suggestions would be appreciated!

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chick-on
That's great! (and great info)

In case you don't know... This is the view you can get from Panorama Trail
(or The Glacier Point trail I guess to be more specific)
(West of the Illilouette bridge) (on about the first long switcback heading up)
(ok, just ask if you are not sure)

(yadda yadda yadda)


It's not entirely trivial to some/most to get to this spot... (there used to be railing)

Have fun

I've only been past this point once a long time ago, but I seem to remember its right there, like 10 feet off the trail.
His exact phrase is "It's not entirely trivial to some/most to get to this spot..."
This might mean that some people who are afraid of heights would have trouble, especially because there isn't a railing, and you're walking up to a cliff face where you can look down a LONG ways down.

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qumqats
I've only been past this point once a long time ago, but I seem to remember its right there, like 10 feet off the trail.
His exact phrase is "It's not entirely trivial to some/most to get to this spot..."
This might mean that some people who are afraid of heights would have trouble, especially because there isn't a railing, and you're walking up to a cliff face where you can look down a LONG ways down.

Yeah, that's my recollection exactly (and also what I assume chick-on meant by that comment). I probably didn't go as close to the edge as chick-on did because I'm not that good with heights and chick-on's a bird so he can just fly if he gets too close to the edge!

But yeah, when you're making your final descent to the bridge, just keep looking to the left of the trail and you should see this spot pretty readily

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DavidK42

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qumqats
I've only been past this point once a long time ago, but I seem to remember its right there, like 10 feet off the trail.
His exact phrase is "It's not entirely trivial to some/most to get to this spot..."
This might mean that some people who are afraid of heights would have trouble, especially because there isn't a railing, and you're walking up to a cliff face where you can look down a LONG ways down.

Yeah, that's my recollection exactly (and also what I assume chick-on meant by that comment). I probably didn't go as close to the edge as chick-on did because I'm not that good with heights and chick-on's a bird so he can just fly if he gets too close to the edge!

But yeah, when you're making your final descent to the bridge, just keep looking to the left of the trail and you should see this spot pretty readily

Thank you both for your replies. I was mostly wondering if it was extremely steep or hard to find. I don't doubt that chick-on can fly by looking at his amazing photos!

Its not steep or hard to find. It is east of the trail at one of the bends east of the Illilouette Creek trail junction. It does slope down some from the trail to the cliff edge which is perhaps ~15 yards from the trail. This unnerves some folks, especially those with a fear of heights. But to get a full view of the fall requires approaching within about 10 feet of the edge. One can get about a half view of the fall from further back.

Here:
http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?3,54317,54632#msg-54632

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Here's what it's like if you're standing back a few feet from the edge:



A little closer:



OK, that's far enough:

Hahaha! That is far enough! Excellent! Thanks so much!

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JRinGeorgia

OK, that's far enough:

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JRinGeorgia
Here's what it's like if you're standing back a few feet from the edge:



A little closer:



OK, that's far enough:

The links to the your photos don't work anymore. They're probably are not static URLs. We can thank Google for that.

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Leave No Trace

Thank you!

Ha...chick-on...the last time that I was in the position to take the photo from that spot, I had a bear and two cubs on the other side of me. Most hikers in our party that day missed this view because of the bears. (Big year for water...2010)

FWIW, have taken this bus twice - not-Curry to Mono Meadows...thoughts:

3 buses/ times daily - Jumped on the earliest - 8:00 not-Curry/ 8:30 Lodge.
I bought my ticket at the kiosk the night before, but spaces were still available up to departure in July.
This is not a shuttle but a round trip tour package, complete with witty patter from a knowledgeable driver.
With the constant park road repairs and subsequent short delays, we hit Mono Meadows TH about 11:00 AM.
Bus driver will stop anywhere on route if/where safe to do so...to drop off backpackers.
I believe the price was $25 - $30 pp - a little steep for going less than half way, but the only game in town.

Thanks for the info. Regarding "not-Curry" - is this your way of not calling it by its new name?! I'll never stop calling it Curry Village, and that goes for all the other names that have been changed as well. :-)

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love2kwilt
Thanks for the info. Regarding "not-Curry" - is this your way of not calling it by its new name?! I'll never stop calling it Curry Village, and that goes for all the other names that have been changed as well. :-)

Rename it Thompson Village. Though you might need to be a Bay Area sports fan to get the context.

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markskor
Bus driver will stop anywhere on route if/where safe to do so...to drop off backpackers.

Pleased to see this. I'd only read things saying that they won't stop anywhere other than Glacier Point (unlike, say, the Valley to Tuolumne Meadows shuttle, which has a stated policy of stopping anywhere safe, I think). Do you know, does "safe" basically mean a sizeable pullout either side of the road, or just on the right?

I'm hoping to do a slightly complicated combination of shuttle up, Illilouette Ridge, Taft Point, Sentinel Dome and (descending down) the Four Mile Trail but I was thinking I would need to hitch down from Glacier Point to get to a good start point. Maybe the bus will stop if I can find a sizeable pullout near the south end of Illilouette Ridge. And another day, I'm hoping to take the shuttle up again and do the Pohono Trail down but starting at the McGurk Meadow TH. Again, I was thinking hitch but the bus should stop at the McGurk TH given what you say,

Stunning photo of Illilouette Falls, chick-on (and I liked the Winter ones taken more recently from the gorge below ... in another thread). In yet another planned use of the Glacier Point shuttle, I was going to come down the Panorama Trail and I'm hoping to get the view you've photographed.

There's a pullout on the south of the ridge... but if they won't drop you off there...
Just start at Taft TH and go to and fro ... then zip to Sentinel Dome etc etc...

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So, is the only way to get from the valley to glacier point is to use the tour bus for $25 one way? Is there not a free "hiker's shuttle"?
Thanks,
LK

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Lowell
So, is the only way to get from the valley to glacier point is to use the tour bus for $25 one way? Is there not a free "hiker's shuttle"?
Thanks,
LK

The bad news is, there is not a free hiker's shuttle. The good news is, you can walk up for free by either of two trails (three if you count the Pohono from Tunnel View, but that's kind of long for a day trip).

Does anyone know how long the bus takes from the Valley? It looks like about an hour drive but I see times for the one-way where it departs 8:30am and gets there are 12:30??? Is that possible? Does it stop in Tuolumne Meadows?

Thanks

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csmart64
Does anyone know how long the bus takes from the Valley? It looks like about an hour drive but I see times for the one-way where it departs 8:30am and gets there are 12:30??? Is that possible? Does it stop in Tuolumne Meadows?

Thanks

The bus usually makes it to GP in a little over an hour but the total time, from when you board at the Lodge to when you step off in the Glacier Point parking lot, is closer to an hour and a half. When I take the 8:30 bus, I'm usually ready to start walking by 10. I do usually wander out to Glacier Point before I start down, though I might skip it if I were in a hurry to get on the trail.

That "12:30" arrival time is most likely when the round-trip tour is expected to get back to the Lodge.

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love2kwilt
Looking for advice on the hikers’ bus to GP. My husband and I plan to take the bus to GP and hike back down to YV via Panorama/JMT. We’ve never taken the bus. Our trip will be mid June. Is it best to buy these tickets in advance since it’s peak season and the bus trips may sell out? Does anybody know the cancellation policy if we purchase tickets for different days and then cancel the ones we don’t want? I can’t find cancellation policy info online and the reservation line has a very long wait. I’ve emailed them, but no reply. Thanks for any advice you can give!

I've taken this bus when it was operated by DNC (before Aramark). The earliest bus (which is the one you should take) never appeared to sell out. If there was enough of a demand, DNC would add a second bus to the later trips if warranted.

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Leave No Trace

Thank you so much for this info, plawrence. We do plan to take the early bus. This is very helpful. What we may do is reserve tickets for a date later in the week just in case we cannot go on the day we want to; then, if we do go on our planned day, we can cancel those tickets when we buy the ones for that day.

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plawrence

I've taken this bus when it was operated by DNC (before Aramark). The earliest bus (which is the one you should take) never appeared to sell out. If there was enough of a demand, DNC would add a second bus to the later trips if warranted.

In previous years I could pretty much count on finding space on the 8:30 if I booked a day or two ahead. DNC usually added a second bus whenever it looked like the first one was going to fill up.

The last time I was there, the Tuesday before Memorial Day, I was hoping to book two rides: a round trip on Wednesday to see how snowy/wet/muddy the beginning of the Panorama Trail was, and a one-way on Friday. Normally, that would have been easily done. However, Aramark said they had only about two openings until June, and neither one was going to be at a good time for me. I'm not sure if they had too many riders, or too few buses and drivers.

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gophersnake

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plawrence

I've taken this bus when it was operated by DNC (before Aramark). The earliest bus (which is the one you should take) never appeared to sell out. If there was enough of a demand, DNC would add a second bus to the later trips if warranted.

In previous years I could pretty much count on finding space on the 8:30 if I booked a day or two ahead. DNC usually added a second bus whenever it looked like the first one was going to fill up.

The last time I was there, the Tuesday before Memorial Day, I was hoping to book two rides: a round trip on Wednesday to see how snowy/wet/muddy the beginning of the Panorama Trail was, and a one-way on Friday. Normally, that would have been easily done. However, Aramark said they had only about two openings until June, and neither one was going to be at a good time for me. I'm not sure if they had too many riders, or too few buses and drivers.

Was at the Lodge ticket stand last week, bought a ticket for the TM hiker's bus. For the GP tour bus, I overheard they are all booked through 8/20. Someone was trying to change their departure time from 9:45 to 8:30. No chance.

I was there over Fourth of July weekend in 2014 and still managed to get two tickets for the 8:00 am bus to Glacier Point with no issues.

I just tried to make reservations for the 8:30 bus for the dates we want to go and neither date was available for 2 people! This is nearly 4 weeks from now! So, we have reservations for a 10:00 bus one day and an 8:30 bus on another day (we really don't want to wait that late in our trip, but we will just make it work if we have to). I guess I will be checking for an opening on the 8:30 bus on the day we want to go as though I was trying to get a campsite in the valley!

I practically had to be a stalker on the reservations page, but finally managed to get a second ticket to GP on the date we wanted to go (bought the other ticket over 2 weeks ago). The bus tours to GP are sold out for the week we are going! It must be because of all the media coverage of the roaring waterfalls. I've been to Yosemite dozens of times, but I've never hiked down Panorama and cannot wait!

Is buying one-way tickets the only option to get from valley to glacier point?
Thanks

There is no free shuttle to GP. Other than taking the GP "tour" one-way you have to drive up yourself, hike up, or hitch a ride.

There is a free shuttle service now that runs from Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area (formerly known as Badger Pass) to Glacier Point. It runs from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM to Glacier Point from the Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area, with the last shuttle bus leaving Glacier Point at 5:30 PM.


https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/upload/yg17-6.pdf (On page 2 of the Yosemite Guide)

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Leave No Trace

^Yes, but...

1) Then your car is at Badger (or you will need to have gotten a ride to Badger), and

2) Isn't that shuttle seasonal only? When does it stop running?

The free shuttle that runs from Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area (formerly known as Badger Pass) to Glacier Point is indeed seasonal. It runs during the summer. I'm not sure on what date it stops running for the season, but it's running now and through August.

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Leave No Trace

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plawrence
It runs during the summer.

It certainly doesn't run in winter.

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eeek

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plawrence
It runs during the summer.

It certainly doesn't run in winter.

But it could — in theory — run during the spring and fall, but I'm sure they'll stop it sometime in September. I don't know that exact date, though, when they'll stop this shuttle service to Glacier Point.

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Leave No Trace

The only reason for having it at all is lack of parking, especially at Glacier Point.

Does anyone know how long the bus takes from the Valley? It looks like about an hour drive but I see times for the one-way where it departs 8:30am and gets there are 12:30??? Is that possible? Does it stop in Tuolumne Meadows?

2nd post - I realized my first attempt nested it down in a sub-thread

Thanks!

The bus to GP is a tourist bus, not a hiker bus, which is why it costs like $25 per person instead of something reasonable. At any rate, it shouldn't be going out to TM, that's the wrong direction, although if it did, the total travel time might be four hours or possibly more. In good weather and low traffic it should take maybe an hour for the bus to get from Yosemite Lodge to GP. Can you post the link where you're seeing the four hour trip?

The TM was a joke (but not a good one I guess ) I realize TM is the opposite direction.
http://www.travelyosemite.com/things-to-do/guided-bus-tours/
But now that I look at it that is for the full round trip - I guess 1+ hr up, couple hours to mill about, 1 back. It's a shame there isn't a hiker shuttle. For 5 of us we'll be spending $125 for a one way ride. We are considering the 4 mile trail but it makes the first day of a 5 day hike 12+ miles with that big push right out of the valley to gain GP. We'll see what the group feels like when we get in the valley. We'll be there Sept 13th and they said bus availability is no problem, buy tix that morning. Thanks!

I just replied to your first one here: http://yosemitenews.info/forum/read.php?17,87951,90714#msg-90714

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love2kwilt
Looking for advice on the hikers’ bus to GP. My husband and I plan to take the bus to GP and hike back down to YV via Panorama/JMT. We’ve never taken the bus. Our trip will be mid June. Is it best to buy these tickets in advance since it’s peak season and the bus trips may sell out? Does anybody know the cancellation policy if we purchase tickets for different days and then cancel the ones we don’t want? I can’t find cancellation policy info online and the reservation line has a very long wait. I’ve emailed them, but no reply. Thanks for any advice you can give!

What both DNC and Aramark have told me (and what I've heard them tell other riders in the past) is that if you want to cancel, you need to turn in your ticket before departure time. If you no-show, they say, they'll keep your money. Two days ago I had occasion to take them up on that, and they rang up the refund immediately. I'd paid by card and they refunded the same way, so it may be another day or two before the credit shows up at my bank.

With DNC it was pretty easy to book trips to Glacier point. I couldn't count on finding a seat on a bus the same day, but booking a day or two ahead was seldom a problem. They often added a second bus when it looked like the first one was going to fill up. They tried to arrange it so that the second bus would be all hikers, so the driver wouldn't have to wait to bring anyone back down (or deliver the second hour of their spiel).



Aramark seems to have a stingy new policy where they're trying to avoid running buses half full. They seem to book up almost completely three days or more in advance, so if I ask as soon as I get there (usually early Tuesday), they may not have any seats left till Friday or Monday. I've been completely skunked when I've tried before. This time, I managed to score the last seat (so they said) on one of their Friday buses. Unfortunately my tour didn't go because Glacier Point Road was still being cleared of snow.

Last Tuesday I was in no hurry so I sat down near the bus boarding area to watch what happened. The 10 o'clock bus (just one) pulled in and started to board passengers. It turned out that they already had several riders on a waiting list, and a few more showed up at the last minute and asked to get on the waiting list too. The dispatcher announced that a lot of them were going to be in luck because 13 or 14 hadn't been able to get there due to some problem on the Wawona Road. That bus apparently left completely full after accommodating most of the waiting list, but Aramark might well have been able to fill (or mostly fill) another one if they'd sold tickets for it instead of telling customers there were no more seats till Friday.

I suppose there could be times when Aramark is pretty sure of filling two buses so they do schedule two. I haven't been there to see it happen, though.

Right now I'm looking at buying my bus tickets online or over the phone next time I'm planning to go there.