Room at the inn
Planning a trek to the High Sierra? Whether you’re headed for Yosemite’s wild north side or the nearby Gold Rushera town of Groveland, here’s where to stay.
Yosemite National Park: The National Park’s most famous hotel is, of course, the Majestic Yosemite Hotel — the hotel that in our hearts will forever be the Ahwahnee. But other options exist — from lodges and bed-and-breakfasts to vacation rentals. Within the park, Yosemite Valley Lodge offers comfy, affordable rooms in a convenient location. Like roughing it, but not, ahem, completely roughing it? Half Dome Village offers heated cabins and tent cabins. Find details at www.travelyosemite.com. Yosemite Vacation Homes (www.4yosemite.com) offers cabins, cottages and chalets in Foresta, which is within the park borders and just 7 miles from the valley.
Outside the park: Yosemite gateway towns, such as Groveland and Mariposa, offer a variety of lodges, B&Bs and vacation rentals. Groveland’s year-old Rush Creek Lodge (www.rushcreeklodge.com) lies a scant half-mile from Yosemite’s Highway 120 entrance. (Take a peek inside the property, which includes a rustic-chic lodge, 143 rooms and suites, a tavern and restaurant, here.) Its sister lodge, the 1920s-era Evergreen Lodge (www.evergreenlodge.com), is a popular choice, too.
Groveland’s Yosemite Pines
RV Resort (yosemitepinesrv.com) recently added several “glamping” options, including fully furnished yurts and five retro railers. Among the lineup: restored 34-foot and 31-foot Silver Avions, plus a pair of new Silver Beach trailers with a vintage vibe.
Other Groveland options include the charming Hotel Charlotte (www.hotelcharlotte.com), with antique bedsteads, modern bathroom fixtures and a restaurant, Fork & Love; the historic Groveland Hotel (www.groveland.com), built as an adobe trading post in 1849; and the Yosemite Westgate Lodge (www.yosemitewestgate.com), which is 12 miles from the park’s west gate.
Find more lodging possibilities in Groveland, Sonora, Jamestown, Twain Harte and beyond at visittuolumne.com.