Cabins put comfort concerns to bed
Some people just don’t like sleeping on the ground. Others, craving privacy, don’t want to share a wall.
For some, camping still means a restroom and a shower. And heaven forbid you’re outside the range of a cellphone connection.
Mid-August means improving availability for cabins and cottages — rustic to fluffy — from the Bay Area to the remote north state. Beginning next week, you can have your pick Sundays through Thursdays in many locations.
Truth is, if I had my way, I’d always awaken out of cellphone range — but it doesn’t always work that way. And there is that sleeping-on-theground thing that some people never get: You can have the deepest, most restful sustained sleep of your life in a bag on the ground once you figure out the right pad and air pillow.
At a cabin or cottage, you don’t have to deal with that. There’s a bed, even at the most rustic sites where you throw a sleeping bag on it and “camp.”
Everybody has a different idea of what’s a good fit, of course, and here’s a selection of some of my favorites across the full spectrum of accommodations. And please, if you call, don’t ask if there’s a TV.
Rustic cabins
These often provide no electricity, no running water, have a short walk to a shared restroom and require you to bring a sleeping bag, flashlight, food and camping gear. Costanoa: Costanoa is located just off Highway 1, 26 miles south of Half Moon Bay. The facility is well concealed by tree frontage, with a short walk to a hill with ocean views. Lodging ranges from canvas bungalows (best chance to get a reservation) to cabins and lodge rooms (booked most weekends), tent and RV sites. (877) 262-7848. www.costanoa.com.
West Point Inn: Perched high on the southern slope of Mount Tamalpais, there are five cabins, seven inn rooms with beds, full kitchen (gas) and outside chemical toilets. No electricity on site. Info: (415) 388-9955 (not for reservations), http://westpointinn.com. Big Basin tent cabins: Located on the Huckleberry Loop at Big Basin Redwoods State Park, these canvas-sided camping cabins (with rental camping equipment available) offer beds and a table inside, a grill and picnic table out front. Info: www.bigbasintentcabins.com, reserve at www.reserveamerica.com. Mt. Madonna: What started as a test — yurts — has turned into a hit. Mt. Madonna County Park is located just off twisty Highway 152, between Watsonville and Gilroy (10 miles west of Gilroy). (408) 842-2341 (for park info), www.sccgov.org/sites/parks; reserve yurts at www.gooutsideandplay.org, (408) 355-2201 (for reservation questions). Manzanita Lake cabins: Nestled in lodgepole pines within walking distance of Manzanita Lake, kayak rentals, just inside Lassen Volcanic National Park; no electricity, but they include heat and camping-gear packages are available. Reserve at (877) 444-6777; info at www.lassenrecreation.com. MacArthur-Burney Falls State Park: Park model-style cabins are set amid Ponderosa pines, about a mile from Lake Britton. Reserve at (877) 4446777. Lewiston Lake: Six gorgeous tent cabins with decks overlooking Lewiston Lake and beds with linens make this very special. (530) 275-8113, www.shastatrinitycamping.com — click on Lewiston.
Limited-facility cabins
They often include running water and electricity, bathrooms, beds with linens, and many have kitchens.
Big Sur Lodge: Located in the heart of Big Sur, with 61 cottages, (no TVs, radios, telephones or alarm clocks), (800) 424-4787 or www.bigsurlodge.com. Others in the Big Sur Area: Ripplewood Resort, (831) 667-2242, www.ripplewoodresort.com; Big Sur Campground and Cabins, (831) 667-2322, www.bigsurcamp.com. Caples Lake Resort: Caples Lake is nestled at the 8,000foot range along Highway 88 near Carson Pass. Nine cabins are available, plus six B&B style lodge rooms. A small marina with fishing boats, kayak rentals, fishing supplies. (209) 258-8888, www.capleslakeresort.com.
Full-facility cabins
All of the basics, including running water, electricity, bathroom, fresh linens on bed. The Redwoods, Yosemite/ Wawona: The Redwoods is an association of more than 100 vacation-home cabins, part of a woodsy subdivision off Highway 41, that are available for rent. (877) 753-8566, www.redwoodsinyosemite.com. Lake Tahoe, Zephyr Cove: On the Nevada shore of Lake Tahoe, a short distance from South Lake Tahoe. It provides a mile of beach frontage, 28 cabins and five lodge rooms, (800) 238-2463, www.zephyrcove.com. Others at Tahoe: Camp Richardson, (800) 5441801, www.camprichardson.com; The Cottage Inn, (530) 581-4073, www.thecottageinn.com; Meeks Bay Resort, (877) 326-3357, www.meeksbayresort.com; Tahoma Lodge, (844) 755-2226, www.tahomalodge.com. Yuba River: In a canyon above the river near Sierra City along Highway 49, Yuba River has 10 log cabins. Reserve only at (530) 862-1122; Sierra Shangri-La is also gorgeous, just outside Downieville; (530) 289-3455, www.sierrashangrila.com. Dorrington: The Dorrington Inn is a settlement of A-frame cabins along Highway 4, a short distance from Calaveras Big Trees State Park and the Stanislaus River, with Lake Alpine up the hill. (877) 7952164, www.dorringtoninn.com. Mount Shasta: Fifty gorgeous cedar chalets are set in ponderosa pines. The north shore of Lake Siskiyou is on one side, a golf course on the other. (800) 958-3363, www.mountshastaresort.com. Humboldt: The cottages at View Crest Lodge are well kept (some in the Redwood Empire are not) and located in the woods near the Trinidad Headlands near Patrick’s Point. (707) 677-3393, www.viewcrestlodge.com.
Luxury cottages
Fluffy pillows, fancy comforters and everything else anyone could desire; usually expensive, desirable and require reservations far in advance. Point Reyes: 10 inns with cottages, suites and lodges, check availability at www.ptreyes.com. Mendocino: The Inn at Schoolhouse Creek, located in the town of Little River, 3 miles south of Mendocino, has 11 pretty cottages, set up for privacy or ocean views. (707) 937-5525, www.schoolhousecreek.com. Others Mendocino cottages at www.mendocino.com. Central Sierra: The Cabins at Strawberry are located at 5,230 feet at along Highway 108 near Dodge Ridge. Elegant, yet still feels off the grid. (888) 9650885, www.cabinsatstrawberry.com. North Yosemite: Evergreen Lodge is a gorgeous lodge with cedar cabins set in the forest on the road to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (Camp Mather is across the road). (800) 9356343, www.evergreenlodge.com.