Just thinking about Yosemite
 

Greetings!Thinking about Yosemite in early June.We are open to any airport, but have a feeling that SFO may provide us the cheapest fares from Denver.We are particularly interested in the large sequoisas...Which entrance would be the best for us to enter? We want to stay in a town just outside the park. Seem to be alot of choices.Any suggestions? Thanks!

I would also check into OAK and SJC. Maybe also Sacramento.

For towns just outside the park, you've got El Portal on Hwy 140 and Fish Camp on 41. Mariposa is is larger - it is about an hour from the park on Hwy 140. Groveland it about the same on Hwy 120. And then from the south entrance, Oakhurst is about 20-30 minutes down Hwy 41.

The Mariposa Grove of Sequoias is near the south entrance, so if you want to see those first, then you would come in there. Otherwise, I would choose the entrance based on where you are staying.

Any particular reason you prefer to stay outside the park?

&quot;<i>We want to stay in a town just outside the park</i>&quot; Definitely wouldn't be my choice. You'd have an hour's drive each way into/out of the Valley. &quot;Just outside of the park&quot; doesn't meant just outside of the valley. Is there a special reason you want to stay outside of the park?

If you are going to Yosemite, it makes most sense to stay in the Valley IMHO. Only exception is if you just can't get a room, then as a last resort look for a place outside. With as much lead time as you have, that shouldn't be a problem.

OAK, SJC and SMF would all be easier drives to Yosemite, and probably cheaper from Denver than SFO.

You might check to see if Frontier flies from Denver to Fresno; from there, it's a straight shot up Highway 41 to Yosemite.

If you want to spend a couple of days elsewhere before you head home, though, I would fly into the Bay Area.

Lee Ann

Thanks for all the info! I was hoping to stay out of the Park because after reading the posts, it seems as if the lodging is horrible except for the one that cost $400-500 a night. I will take any suggestions.We do not need anything that expensive, but we would prefer not to stay in bare bones cabins. Thanks for your help!

MyBailey
The lodging is not horrible. We stayed in Yosemite Lodge in the Valley and would stay there again. The room is basic but very, very clean and I understand they now have tv which they didn't when we were there. But to stay in the beauty of stone mountains raising around you is wonderful. The restaurant next to the Lodge has a view of the Falls if you take a window seat. It is just a great place to stay. They have transportation that stops right outside the Lodge and the only time we drove our car was the day we went to Mariposa Grove to see the sequoisas, which are awesome!
http://www.nationalparkreservations....mite_lodge.htm

We flew into SF, spent some time there and then drove to Yosemite. We stayed just outside the park and it is literally, just a few minutes away. Try Tenaya lodge. It was a great place to stay and you could drive into town if you needed to.

We visited Yosemite twice and always stayed in Mariposa.It's a nice ride to the park.The accomodations in the park dont look very nice exception made for the Ahwannee hotel.Paul

Flying into Sacramento is easy- and the drive from Sac is easy also. We stayed in ElPortal at its only about a 15 min drive into the park and its a BEAUTIFUL
drive in.
We stayed at Yosemite View Lodge which was fine, nice restaurant and you can take public transportation into the park from there if you choose not to drive- which could be a nice option
if dont want to battle with some of the traffic on valley floor.

We were there in May last year and it was fabulous- it was very busy but not as bad as apparently it gets later.

Enjoy!

Stop dawdling and get your reservations in the Valley at The Lodge-IF they are still available. I made mine for June 2007 in June 2006!

We've also stayed at the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal and found it very easy-15-20 minutes to the Valley within the park.

Yet, nothing compares to staying IN the park!

R5