Sue, I live in Merced, CA which is about 80 miles from Yosemite Valley. It takes a couple of hours drive if we go the main road and pay the entry fee. We also go camping just outside the park on 4x4 roads. From this spot we go into the park on a dirt road that enters at Wawona by the golf course. This road is called Chowchilla Mountain road. This is one of the original stage routes into Yosemite. The best part is that it is free, but not recommended for low clearance vehicles!

John