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Yosemite National Park - Accommodations
Yosemite National Park is located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of Eastern California. You can drive there by following the Central Valley south from San Francisco or north from Los Angeles. Take Route 99 until you reach the cities of Modesto, Merced or Fresno then turn east into the foothills of the mountains. Yosemite is 50 to 75 miles east of those cities, but it can take two or more hours to drive to the park entrance. The roads are good but they are mountainous secondary roads that require some slower speed driving. In the winter, heavy snowfalls can make them trecherous and you may be required to use tire chains.
There are several small villages in the mountains near the entrances to the park. Most of them offer some limited facilities providing food, fuel, groceries or accommodations. Within Yosemite Valley, the park service offers a good variety of restaurants, groceries and accommodations.
Accommodations in Yosemite Valley
The finest accommodations in or near Yosemite National Park are at the historic Ahwahnee Lodge in Yellowstone Valley. This grand hotel offers beautiful architecture and outstanding service set in the midst of some spectacular scenery. The price for accommodations is about $350 per night but it is a first class luxurious hotel.
Ahwahnee Lodge Reservations
The National Park Service offers a wide selection of other accommodations within Yosemite Valley at more modest prices. Yosemite Lodge is a more traditional motel with nice rooms at a price of $100 to $140 per night. Curry Village has a variety of accommodations ranging from canvas tent cabins at $50 per night and wooden cabins from $75 per night to standard hotel rooms at $100 per night. Additional tent-like accommodations are located at Housekeeping Camp for around $56 per night.
The Park Service also supports some accommodations within the park but outside of Yosemite Valley. Wawona Lodge is a fine old historic inn located within the park near the South Entrance. It offers spacious accommodations for around $100 with shared bath or $150 with private bath. For the more adventuresome, the Tuolome Meadows Lodge and White Wolf Lodge are located in the high country along the road to Tioga Pass. They offer tent cabins for about $55 and some cabins with baths for near $88.
Accommodations fill up early
You can book reservations on-line at the web site of the National Park Service Yosemite Concessioner: Yosemite Lodging. Unfortunately, most of these facilities are fully booked many months in advance and some summer dates are reserved as much as one year ahead. The most popular times for tourists to visit Yosemite are during the months of June, July and August or on weekends throughout the year. If you can avoid these dates, your chances of reserving a choice accommodation will be much better.
Private Accommodation in or near Yosemite Park
Apple Tree Inn is a motel located just outside of the South Entrance to Yosemite Park near the village of Fish Camp. Rooms with private bath and fireplace are in the $100 - $150 per night range. You can book reservations here: Apple Tree Inn Reservations
Tenaya Lodge is a first class mountain resort located just two miles from Yosemite south entrance near the village of Fish Camp. It features three restaurants, two swimming pools, a fitness center any many other amenities. Rooms average $169 to $300 per night. You can book reservations here: Tenaya Lodge Reservations
Accommodation near Oakhurst
The village of Oakhurst is located just 15 miles from the south entry to Yosemite Park and 30 miles from Yosemite Valley. It offers a nice selection of accommodations in all price ranges. It also has fuel, groceries, restaurants and shops.
Americas Best Value: A family type motel with rooms from $89 - Ramada Reservations
Best Western Yosemite Gateway Inn: A family type inn with rooms from $80 - Best Western Reservations
Shilo Inn Oakhurst Suites are equipped with housekeeping amenities from $98 - Shilo Inn Oakhurst Suites Reservations
Days Inn: A nice family hotel with rooms from $98 - Days Inn Reservations
Comfort Inn: A budget priced motel with rooms from $80 - Comfort Inn Reservations
Oak Cottage Bed and Breakfast: A very small intimate Bed and Breakfast Chalet with rooms from $110 - Oak Cottage Reservations
Accommodations near Mariposa
The village of Mariposa is an old gold rush town located in the Sierra Foothills 30 miles from the main entrance to Yosemite and 35 miles from Yosemite Valley. It is about a 45-minute drive to Yosemite Valley and offers a nice variety of modestly priced motels and other facilities including restaurants, gas stations, groceries and shops. You can book reservations directly from these links:
Super 8 Motel Mariposa: Offers nice rooms from $60 per night - Super 8 Reservations
Comfort Inn Mariposa: Has spacious rooms from $80 per night - Comfort Inn Reservations
Best Value Mariposa Lodge: Also offers very nice accommodations from $80 per night - Best Value Mariposa Lodge Reservations
Best Western Yosemite Way Station: Nice family accommodations from $80 per night - Best Western Reservations
Accommodations in the Central Valley
You can find a much wider variety of accommodations in the Central Valley of California to the west of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Depending on location, the drive to Yosemite Valley may take one and a half to two hours over some very scenic mountain roads. The cities of Merced, Modesto and Fresno offer a lot of different accommodations in all price ranges. Merced is a good place to stay as it is close to route 140, the most direct access to Yosemite Valley.
Travelodge Merced: An economy priced motel from $49 per night - Travelodge Reservations
Best Western Inn Merced: A nice inn with rooms from $62 per night - Best Western Reservations
Camping at Yosemite
The National Park Service supports a nice variety of camping options in Yosemite including the cabins and tent cabins mentioned above under accommodations. They also offer traditional camp grounds where you can pitch your tent or park your recreational vehicle, plus extensive wilderness camping out in the untamed lands for backpackers and trekkers. A few campgrounds are located within Yosemite Valley with many more scattered throughout various parts of the park. You can find more information and can book reservations in advance at some of the campgrounds through this web site: Yosemite Camping Information
Wilderness camping is free in Yosemite Park, but you are required to obtain a free wilderness permit. There is a daily quota on the number of permits issued for each trailhead every day. During the popular summer months, the quotas may be filled on some days. You can obtain a reservation for a wilderness permit in advance for a $5 processing fee. Check this web page for more information about wilderness permits including how to reserve: Wilderness Permit Information
Written by: Mike Leco
Top Photo Credit: © Guy Cazalet
Photo Description: Yosemite Valley
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