We will be flying into Sacramento on 9/03 and plan to go straight to Lake Tahoe for 3 or 4 days. Next will spend a day in Virginia City then on to Yosemite or where ever then flying back out of Sacramento on 09/12/09. We usually like to take it as it comes and have not always made accommodations except maybe the first night. Will it be difficult to find accommodations in the Tahoe area around the holiday weekend or in Yosemite area right after the holiday weekend?

You should be able to find accomodations in Tahoe with little problem.

I'd make some reservations for Yosemite though. It's still a quite popular destination in Sept.

www.yosemitepark.com

Suzie, do you think that's true of Tahoe even though it will be Labor Day weekend?

Yes I do.

Definitely make reservations for Yosemite. I would predict that every room, cabin, and campsite in the park will be full through September and that quite a few of the lodgings close to the park will be full as well.

You should be able to find accommodations at Tahoe -- but I'd still pre-book. I was at northshore last Sunday and everything was surprisingly crowded. There were 'vacancy' signs out --- but also a LOT of 'no vacancy'. Labor Day weekend is sort of a crap shoot - and this year may be more crowded than many because more folks are vacationing close to home. So yes, you'll likely be able to find a room - but you may not have too much choice re quality/room rates.

For Yosemite Valley -- you really should pre-book any time of the year - and as far in advance as you can. Even now, there may be few openings (or none).

Yosemite gets filled up quickly for holiday weekends so book NOW. The hotels there are few and far between, so don't wait, or you could get stuck without a room or get stuck driving long distances to find a hotel.

The (and I'm not sure I will spell it correctly) Awanee Hotel is in the floor of the park with spectacular views and is one of the GREAT lodges in the park system. If they have rooms, stay there, but I would think they will be booked for that weekend, but check anyway. Also the restaurant there is very good and they also do a lovely afternoon tea.

Enjoy your trip.

Sorry, it's the Wawona Hotel (knew I would spell it wrong), lol. I just checked the website and yes they have rooms available during the weekend, so book ASAP, so you don't loose out. I have stayed there twice and loved the hotel. We lucked out on the second trip there, as they had a cancellation an hour before we arrived. Not inexpensive staying there, but the views really are something special.

I would think that it would be next to impossible to reserve a room at this late date for Yosemite Valley. On our last minute trips to Yosemite we have taken two approaches. When we are in the mood to gamble and do not care about the quality of our accommodations we just show up in the morning and wait in line to see if there are any cancellations. I would call and ask them how early you should get there to do this if you have any chance for success as it has been a few years since we tried this. You would have to do it daily probably. If you can spend $200 a night for a room and do not mind a 1/2 hour drive to the valley you can make a reservation now at the Tenaya Ledge. This is now our preferred approach to last minute Yosemite trips. They have a lot of nice activities. It is a very nice property with a good website. I think it is a bargain for the price. It is near Wawona and other southern Yosemite destinations, but the valley is a little more than 1/2 hour away.
I agree that if you are going to be in Tahoe on Labor Day that getting a room can be hard. Just to make sure you are not closed out you should reserve a room at a hotel that you can cancel before 6PM on the day of arrival. That way, if you find another room you llike better once you are there you can cancel the reservation before 6 and if you do not you can stay in the reserved room. What are your interests in Tahoe? Gambling? Outdoors? Beaches?

Hmmm. I just checked out Tripadvisor on the Tenaya Lodge and they say it is about 1.5 hours to the valley and not 1/2 hour. No matter I love it and would stay there any time I wanted to see Yosemite.

travelbuff: You have two hotels confused. The Ahwanee (and Yosemite Lodge) is on the Valley floor. The Wawona, is in -- ta da - Wawona . . . .

I'd make reservations for Tahoe in advance too if you arriving on the Friday of Labor Day weekend. It's pretty hard to find the best rates if you just drive up there. I'd pre-book Virginia City too or Carson City if that's where you will be staying.

The third of Sept is a Thursday.

Wow, to not make reservations at Tahoe for the trip is just plain silly! What does it hurt to do it??

Not everyone enjoys booking everything in advance. It's an individual style of traveling. I've traveled that way too. Maybe you will get a room, maybe you won't... I'm thinking that after labor day, resorts will not be crowded during the week. Summer is over, kids are back in school. Sometimes when you don't have reservations, you find things along the way that you would have missed--nice little B&B's that don't advertise and you just happen to drive by. I was just in Tahoe and managed an unplanned night on North Shore in Incline. Fun things can happen that aren't planned,sometimes they are the best!

Lisa_D: " I'm thinking that after labor day, resorts will not be crowded during the week."

They won't be at Tahoe after Labor day. They are arriving 2 days before Labor Day weekend and that is still a pretty busy time at Lake Tahoe.

As for Yosemite - it is a special case and one just about ALWAYS needs to pre book.

So yes, winging it is fun. But perhaps not at Tahoe over a major holiday, nor at Yosemite at any time.

?? janisj, I think you misunderstood. The original post said they are going to Tahoe and booking the first night and staying 3 or 4 days which puts them in Yosemite during the week after the holiday weekend. Also they do not book ahead, and reading your post you are advising not to go to Tahoe without reservations, and "nor at Yosemite at any time." Wheres your sense of adventure? Not everyone travels with your rules and regs. Like I said in my post, "maybe you get a room, maybe you won't" but people like me and the person who posted the question are ok with that because we have found that unplanned things work out. You might want to try it sometime. But insisting that people book ahead that don't like to, isn't really helping them out.

Tahoe is able to accomodate the ultra busy ski season including the Christmas break, MLK Weekend, President's day and the 4th of July. Labor Day weekend is considerably less crowded than those times.

Lisa_D: true -- I often don't book ahead. But Yosemite is a very special case. Just like I wouldn't show up in New York City w/o a reservation, I'd NEVER go to Yosemite w/o knowing where I was sleeping. They could easily end up an hour or 90 minutes outside the Valley which would be a real shame.

The accommodations in Yosemite Valley are very limited and hugely popular. Taking potluck is really not such a good option . . . .

I would never visit Yosemite without a reservation for a place to stay.

With a reservation, you have a choice. Without, well, you are staying in the heat, dust, noise, and knife and gun club of Curry Village ( aka: The Barrio)