Yosemite Lodging

Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 08:12 AM
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Yosemite Lodging

Initial planning for an early (2nd week) June visit to Yosemite (1st visit). We normally like to stay in the park when we go to NPs and a typical park lodge would be minimal standard (no tents, etc.).

One wrinkle is that we are going to try to go with another family (total of 4 adults and 4 teens). Am I likley to find any VRBO type 4BRs close enough? In what areas should I look? Or is the strong recommendation to stay at the National Park facilities?

We'll be interested in 1/2 and full day hikes. We have a week (coming from Indiana) and will consider King's Canyon and Sequoia as well (or a full week in Yosemite).

Budget? don't know -- I need to see the going rates. It's all relative to me.

Apologies for not doing all my reseach first, but I assume I'm already behind the curve.

Thanks as always.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 08:27 AM
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Hi IndyDad.

Try Yosemite West. These are privately owned condos and houses just inside the park boundaries and are really the only viable alternative for large accommodations.

http://www.yosemitewest.com
https://www.scenicwonders.com

Otherwise for motel type accommodations (if you decide against staying at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls in the Valley) there is Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal.

Anyplace else will be too far and too long a drive.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 09:44 AM
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We like Yosemite Lodge at the Falls because the location is perfect for everything. It is overpriced, but we don't go to Yosemite that often (and the adjoining restaurant is good).

HTtY
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 10:00 AM
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Cabin accommodations at Curry Village are also a big step up from tents. Some have bathrooms, some do not so you use a shared camping area bathroom that is ok.

"1/2 day" hikes in Yosemite depend on your fitness & therefore pace.


Here are some typical half day hikes in the valley area.
Halfway up Yosemmite falls.
John Muir or Mist trail

Full day
Glacier point down - i think it's the Panorama trail

Shorter hikes include Bridal Vail, lower yosemite falls (to the base), or walking any part of the valley loop trail, or Mirror Lake.

your pace may vary.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 10:01 AM
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I liked Yosemite View Lodge- easy drive into the park- you can even take the bus into the park from there if you don't want to drive.

It would be a good place for kids- swimming pool, restaurant and a pizza parlor

The rooms have small kitchens so easy to do your own breakfast or make a lunch for the day
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 12:51 PM
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Pretty much Yosemite Lodge is the best option, but IndyDad was also asking about self catering accommodations (they lived in the UK for a while so will know what I'm talking about)

By all means -- Yosemite Lodge is THE place to stay, but for a multi bedroom, multi bathroom, self catering house or condo, it would have to be Yosemite West.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 02:18 PM
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Thanks for the input. (hi janisj -- I turned back up after a break!) It gives me a good place to start.

I did have "self catering" in mind but I will also look into the on site options (Yosemite Lodge is already full though).

Any thoughts on how (or if) to split the week between Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia?
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 03:05 PM
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W/ all the hiking I know you do I'd probably do 4 full days in YNP and 2 in S/KC . . . W/ the time needed to travel between them 4/2 would pretty much be a full week.

W/ 4 days n Yosemite you'd have approx 2.5 days for the Valley and around, part of one day for Wawona, and a day for some of the high country.

Re Yosemite Lodge it is booked up just about year round. But because folks book months/years ahead they also often have to cancel. Cancellations come up daily. There won't be many cancellations this far out for next June - but as it gets closer to the date more folks have to bail. Your problem is you'll need two family rooms so the chance of getting them on the same dates could end up nail biting time.

If it was me I'd book a condo if it has a liberal cancellation/refund policy, or Yosemite View (which does allow canceling til late) and then about next Feb or March start calling Yosemite Lodge to check for cancellations.

By April I'd call almost daily . . . and you'll likely get in. If not, you'll have the Condo to Yosemite View.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 03:06 PM
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OOps -- went to preview and posted by mistake . .

>>If not, you'll have the Condo or Yosemite View to fall back on.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 06:21 PM
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Yosemite View Lodge is not the same as Yosemite Lodge- you probably know that but it is a bit confusing

http://www.stayyosemiteviewlodge.com
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 08:30 PM
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We have stayed at Evergreen Lodge. It is outside of the park but it is not a bad drive. It has cabins and houses to rent and lots of things for the kids and family to do when you are not in the park. They also have a nice restaurant. The place is on the road to Hetch Hetchy reservoir and it has a really nice hike with some great views. Oh and thanks for the advice you gave regarding Ireland. We went in May and had a great time! Have fun in Yosemite.
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Old Sep 22nd, 2014, 08:55 PM
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I have to disagree - Evergreen Lodge is 'only' about 35 miles from Yosemite Village -- but that take about 1 hour 20 minutes - a long commute twice a day w/ 8 folks in tow. And it is about 50 miles/2 hours from Wawona.

I just wouldn't. Yosemite West (35-ish minutes), Yosemite View Lodge (30 minutes), and Yosemite Lodge (no minutes), are all MUCH closer.
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Old Sep 23rd, 2014, 07:54 AM
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There appear to be some rentals in Foresta "inside the park" from www.4yosemite.com

Know anything about the location or company?
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Old Sep 23rd, 2014, 09:10 AM
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Eiher Yosemite West or Foresta would be OK. The reason I suggested Yosemite West - it is a bit more central and allows easier access to all parts of the Park. It is a much easier drive to Glacier Point/Wawona etc.
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Old Sep 24th, 2014, 02:02 AM
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Any suggestions for King's Canyon and/or Sequoia NP? Do those from a single base or is that too much?

Thanks again.
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Old Sep 24th, 2014, 06:37 AM
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Suggest you concentrate on Yosemite - and the tent cabins in Yosemite have even been upgraded a bit and are just fine.

They also have a very good pizza place in Curry village and a decent cafeteria.
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Old Sep 27th, 2014, 03:42 AM
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We might tack on a few extra days, hence the Kings Canyon/Sequoia question. Any suggestions?
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Old Sep 27th, 2014, 07:04 AM
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Since you are going to Yosemite first, see Mariposa Grove in the south end of the park to see Giant Sequoias.
The trees are a little bigger in Kings Canyon/Sequoia but not too much.
For scenery, you can't beat Yosemite IMO. That is unless there is a lot of smoke from forest fires as there was late this summer.
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Old Sep 27th, 2014, 10:18 AM
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I come to a different conclusion than tomfuller. Assuming that you are going to Sequoia/Kings canyon (SEKI), which I can heartily recommend, then skip the Mariposa grove and head for SEKI. The largest tree in the Mariposa Grove is the 17th largest in the world. The rest are elsewhere, mostly in SEKI, and the General Sherman tree is fully 46% larger than the largest in the Mariposa Grove. See the list on this page.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...giant_sequoias

There is much more to SEKI than just trees. Check the NPS site for what you can experience there.

http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm

After I visited Yosemite and SEKI in succession many years ago, when I got home I realized that that I had (by a small margin) liked SEKI the best. But in fairness, that was in August and the falls in Yosemite were not much more than a trickle.
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Old Sep 27th, 2014, 12:41 PM
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The park is very nice but I'd have trouble convincing myself to go back. It's just the way they run the park.

It's been about 3 years since I was there. Maybe they made some changes. Maybe not.

Since I'm writing this I'll tell you what I liked and what I didn't.

Always stay in the park. They have (had) a free shuttle but it doesn't go on summer routes until July (not even Father's Day weekend). That means to get to the incoming tunnel from the valley you have to drive. Unfortunately I was there Father's Day weekend. I spent 4 hours trying to get back into the park after spending a good part of the day doing a few hikes along Glacier Road.

If you stay at Yosemite View Falls (very good location), make sure you don't stay in the units right opposite the office. Or ask them if they still have the policy of no parking in "your own" parking lot between 8AM and 8PM (at least) as the parking lot is reserved for tour buses and those with restaurant reservations (maybe they no longer do that). Good luck finding a space in somebody else's parking lot.

If you go down to the Grove, make sure that all of the "free" buses from the parking lot to the Grove are running. They're not so quick to fix a "free" bus as one that is charged. When I was there 3 of the 4 buses were out of service. A lot of pushing (with good reason) by those who waited over an hour and wanted to get there.

If/when you go to Glacier Point either go early in the morning or late in the day. The parking lot is small and the crowds (with good reason) could be large. One big traffic jam. California laws (if any apply) aside, if I was running the park I would build a big parking lot at the junction of the main road and Glacier Road. Then put 4 buses (maybe 2 or 3 would be enough) on the route between the parking lot and Glacier Point. Charge some nominal amount to park (maybe $2 per car) and a nominal amount (maybe $1 per person return) to ride the bus. After a while they'd start making a profit and everybody could get to see the spectacular views.

I took my daughter and granddaughter to Yosemite. The day I went to Glacier Rd to hike they went on a Jr Ranger hike and then took an art class. I have to thank the park for these activities. This part July I took them both to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. My granddaughter remembered the art class and made sure they brought paint and drawing paper. They spend a few hours at Artist Point in Yellowstone painting. We were lucky enough to get a bench facing the falls and that's where they set up to paint.

One of the evening activities (slight charge) was a star gazing activity kids. We all enjoyed that.

I really enjoyed getting up very early each morning and driving around the valley stopping all over to photograph the scenery.

I can't comment on Tioga Road since we never got there. Partly because it open during the trip and partly because we lost a day due to a flight from "hell" getting there. We got there a day late due to bad weather in Atlanta that cancelled our flight and we had to sleep over there.
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