Merced, Mariposa residents can travel to Yosemite National Park free on YARTS

Merced and Mariposa residents are eligible for a free round-trip pass to visit Yosemite National Park on the Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) during National Park Week in April.

The passes are being given out on a first-come, first-served basis and must be used during National Park Week, which is held from April 20 through April 27 this year.

In order to obtain the free pass, residents must fill out an application at tickets@yarts.com and provide proof of residence. Once a proof of residence has been verified a voucher number will be issued to the applicant which can be used to make online reservations using the YARTS Reservation System.

“We are excited to be able to invite local residents onto YARTS so that they can experience the wonder of this world-renowned National Park right in their ‘backyard’,” said Serenity Anderson, transit director for YARTS.

The free passes from YARTS are made possible through special state funding by Caltrans with the The Low Carbon Transit Operations Program (LCTOP).

Residents 13 years and older are eligible to apply for the free passes. Children under five are free and children between the ages of 6 and 12 and free with by a full-fare paying adult or an adult with an LCTOP pass.

Trips may be booked on any YARTS run during National Park Week until capacity is reached.

For more information about YARTS schedules, fares, routes, to reserve tickets, visit www.yarts.com or call 877-989-2787.