Getting there
Mammoth's airport has a $10 shuttle now
New for summer 2026: the ESTA Express runs between Mammoth Yosemite Airport and the Village for $10 a seat, timed to flight days. Here's how it works — and how it beats a $100 taxi.
The last mile of a Mammoth trip has always been the odd one out. The flight from LA is about 55 minutes; the six miles from the runway to the Village used to mean a hotel shuttle you had to arrange, a rental car you maybe didn't want, or a taxi that could cost more than the flight deserved comparison to. This summer, that changed: there's now a scheduled airport shuttle, and it costs ten dollars.
The ESTA Express is run by the Eastern Sierra Transit Authority — the same people behind the Reds Meadow shuttle — with the Town of Mammoth Lakes behind the project. It runs between Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH), the Park & Ride on Tavern Road and The Village (Stop 118), about 25 minutes end to end, for $10 a seat. Reservations are open online at estransit.com or by phone at 1-800-922-1930.
It runs on flight days — on purpose
The airport service runs Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, June 25 through September 7, 2026. If those dates and days sound familiar, they should: they're exactly the days and the season Advanced Air flies into Mammoth this summer, and every shuttle run brackets a flight. Land from Hawthorne on a Thursday at 10:33 AM and the shuttle leaves the airport at 10:55. Flying out Saturday at 12:40 PM? The morning run has you at the terminal by noon.
The summer 2026 pattern, per ESTA's published schedule (confirm times when you reserve):
- Thursday — to the airport: leaves the Village 10:05 AM and 2:15 PM, arriving MMH 10:30 and 2:40. From the airport: 10:55 AM and 3:15 PM.
- Saturday — to the airport: 7:45 and 11:35 AM, arriving 8:10 and 12:00. From the airport: 8:25 AM and 12:20 PM.
- Sunday — to the airport: 10:20 AM and 2:35 PM, arriving 10:45 and 3:00. From the airport: 11:00 AM and 3:15 PM.
Ten dollars, twenty-five minutes, timed to the flight. The last mile finally costs less than the first drink at the Village.
Advanced Air flies Hawthorne (LA) to Mammoth in about 55 minutes and Carlsbad to Mammoth in about 1 hour 25, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday through September 7 — and now the shuttle matches the schedule. Fly up in the morning, ride the ESTA Express into the Village, and you've done LA-to-lunch-at-8,000-feet without touching a steering wheel.
The math against the alternatives
A taxi from MMH into town runs $100 or more each way, per Mammoth Lakes Tourism — roughly ten times the shuttle for the same six miles. Hotel shuttles still exist and still work, but they're property-by-property and need arranging. Rental counters (Enterprise and National) are still at the airport, and still the right call if your trip includes the wider Eastern Sierra — Mono Lake, June Lake, Bodie. But if Mammoth itself is the trip, the town's free shuttles, trolley and gondola already had you covered once you arrived. The ESTA Express closes the one gap that was left.
For the full picture of a car-free Mammoth trip — where to stay so the free transit works for you, and when you'd still want a car — see the Mammoth Lakes destination guide.
Quick answers
The shuttle, answered
How do I get from Mammoth airport to town?
Summer 2026's new answer is the ESTA Express shuttle: $10 a seat between Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH), the Park & Ride on Tavern and The Village, running Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, June 25 through September 7 — every run timed to a flight. Reserve at estransit.com or 1-800-922-1930. Otherwise: hotel shuttles, rental counters at the airport, or a taxi at $100+ each way.
How much does the Mammoth airport shuttle cost?
$10 per seat, per person, each way. Reservations are taken online at estransit.com or by phone at 1-800-922-1930. For comparison, Mammoth Lakes Tourism puts a taxi for the same ride at $100–150 each way.
Does the shuttle meet Advanced Air flights?
Yes — that's the design. The shuttle runs the same three days as the summer flight schedule (Thursday, Saturday, Sunday) over the exact same season (June 25 – September 7, 2026), and each run is timed around an arrival or departure at MMH. Confirm the current times when you reserve.
Where does the ESTA Express stop?
Three stops: The Village (Stop 118), the Park & Ride on Tavern Road, and Mammoth Yosemite Airport. The full run takes about 25 minutes.
Does the airport shuttle run in winter?
The service announced so far is for the summer 2026 season, through September 7. Winter plans haven't been published — check estransit.com or the Visit Mammoth airport-transfers page for what follows, and remember hotel shuttles and airport rental counters run year-round.