Lodging - Yosemite
 

If I cannot get in park lodging, where should I stay? We are traveling from Sequoia/Kings Canyon to Yosemite and then on to San Francisco.

I will keep calling the park . Where should I stay in the park if I get a choice?

Thanks

If you can't get something better than the tents in Yosemite, the BW in Oakhurst is one of your best options. http://www.yosemitegatewayinn.com/

Check the condos at Yosemite West as well.

Thanks
The Best Western is sold out for my dates
I am checking out the condos

Melissa

You should also look into El Portal. It's outside the west entrance and you could enter through the south from SEKI, see Mariposa Grove, Wawona and Tunnel view. Then stay the night in El Portal with easy 30 minute return access to the valley. Hold onto to your fee receipt as it's good for 7 consecutive days.

http://www.yosemiteresorts.us/

The Tents in Curry Village are fine - and you can also put your name on the standby list (wait in line to get higher on the list). They also have actual Tent Cabins (v. the wooden framed canvas side-tent cabins with beds) but they go first. Definitely recommend trying to stay in the Village/floor of Yo as there is so much to do there early and late.

Also ask if they can put you in a quiet area. In general see - http://www.yosemitepark.com/curry-village.aspx and also google for other pics that show the inside of the tents.

If there is a cancellation in the park you should take it. Be aware that Housekeeping is camping so if you don't want to camp don't take that. Tent cabins are rustic but not like camping. Also no cooking allowed around the tent cabins. Yosemite Lodge at the Falls is like a hotel room - we have found their rooms to be remarkabley spacious and clean considering where you are and how often the rooms are occupied. The Ahwahnee is the most expensive lodging and the location and accommodations reflect that.

Here are some more pics to give you a better idea. Again, in the mornings, they take names for the standby list at the Curry Village desk - so worst cast scenario if you don't get a cancellation ahead of time (keep trying) - somebody can stand in line while the others check out sights close by, look at the schedule for the Ranger talks, have a snack, etc.

http://www.yosemitepark.com/curry-vi...o-gallery.aspx

Thanks so much.

We like the unbeatable location of Lodge at the Falls and that's where we stay whenever we visit Yosemite NP. If they are "all booked up," I keep calling back until my call coincides with a cancellation, and (so far) it always has.

HTTY

Well I called Yosemite and got lodging in a tent cabin in curry village for 2 out of my 3 nights. I will make a reservation to stay Sunday night in Sequoia and then leave as early as we can to drive to Yosemite. I will keep calling and see what comes up for the Sunday night

How long should it take us to get to Yosemite from Sequoia/Kings Canyon?

Thanks

Well that depends on where you are starting in SEKI and do you mean the south entrance when you say Yosemite or Yosemite Valley? Need more specific start and end points.

We will be leaving from Grant Grove Village in SEKI and heading towards Curry Village in Yosemite.How should we go? We will there for 2 nights. What is the order we should see things? We will be leaving from Yosemite to go to SF

Thanks

It's just over 2 hours -180 to Fresno and then 41 to the south entrance to the park. If you stay your first night in Fish Camp you will have more time in the valley and beyond to see other parts of the park.

After entering the park I would visit the Mariposa Grove and Wawona.

Then decide how you want to see other parts of the park like Glacier Point, Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows/Tioga Road.


When you leave Yosemite you can leave via 120 or 140.

So if I understand you, you are saying not to spend 2 nights in Curry Village . Spend 1 night in Fish Camp and then spend the second night in Curry Village. Is that correct?

Also, what is the difference between 140 or 120?

IMO - spend as much time as you can in Curry Village, in the Valley Floor. That is where the most options are and it's the most beautiful.

Take the free buses, watch the climbers at El Cap (btw - take a pair of compact binos), go on Ranger walks/talks, hike or bike along the trial by Upper and Lower Yo Falls, check out Mirror Lake, hike up to at least lower Nevada Falls (or whatever it's called), etc etc etc.

The other places are pretty - but they ain't Yo. :)

If you have the time and the inclination, you could even drive out of Yo through "gold country" - along old hiway 49 (41 in places?) - and then come out near Sacramento/Folsom and on into SF. The old Victorian towns are pretty cute.

see: http://www.distancebetweencities.net...ville_ca/route

NO I was saying spend that night you decided to stay in SEKI because you said you could only get 2 of the 3 nights in Curry Village. I assumed you wanted 3 nights in Yosemite but if I misunderstood then keep it with that night in SEKI & 2 in Curry Village.

120 is a little more winding and some people may have trouble wtih that. 140 doesn't add really any time - maybe 10 minutes but the drive is far less winding and goes along the beautifil Merced River coming out at Merced where you'd head north on 99 to 120 to 5. Take a look at mas and see which route is for you. Either one is fine for getting back to SF. I'd spend every last minute in Yosemite until it's time to get going to SF but that's just me.

No you are correct. I felt that I wanted 3 nights in Yosemite but could not get it. I booked the tent cabin in SEKI because we need to sleep somewhere. Just to clarify, you are saying that if I cannot get the third night in Yosemite , then I should spend that night in Fish Camp instead of SEKI. Is that correct?

Thanks for all the information

That's what I would do. If I couldn't get into the valley I would stay at the point of entry fpr you which is the south entrance. I would do all the sites there on arrival day and before heading to the valley for your curry village nights. You'll be able to see more sites with the additional time.

So if you arrive in the afternoon I would do Mariposa Grove and if there is time Wawona.

The next day you could visit Glacier Point and then the valley. If you were planning to see Tuolumne Meadows do that on day 3 along with any other sites on your must see list.

You can look at the Yosemite Guide to see what sites you want:
http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/guide.htm

If the guide for your visit isn't out yet just look at prior years guides.

I 100% agree w/ suzie. That will be an easier itinerary and allow you to see more in YNP.

Ok I have found a place in Fish Camp that will let me book one night.
You are the best

Just at Yosemite today for a day trip, leaving Fresno at 9am, getting home at 6pm.

We took the 41 up, but the 140 out, since Hubby had never driven that route and was curious.

The 41 has all the mountainous turns expected of such a road. I did see these six deer just standing next to the road, chewing away and watching traffic roll by.

The 140 had a slight detour--actually, it was a 15 minute wait for traffic to pass on a one-lane portion. Not a long portion, but detouring around a rockslide; NO road there. The wait was longer than the drive on the one-lane. Mi don't think the traffic light monitors traffic, just makes it wait a set time. The road had far fewer winds to it, which was nice, and a great nearly-continuous view of the Merced River. But it added an hour to our ride home. You gotta weigh an hour more of mostly-relaxed driving against less driving but more hairpin turns when you might be tired after a day in the sun.

As for our day, we started at Mariposa Grove. The walk up was hard on me (heart issues), which disappeared once we were at the top. Then, we just drove the valley floor, stopping to look and take pics. We opted for lunch at the Ahwahnee. Yeah, $18 burgers, but it was our day out and they tasted pretty good.

Beautiful day, cloudy on the way up, but mostly sunny once there. And I got to check out my new app--it lets me select pics on my iPhone to make a panorama shot. Totally dependent on the photographer to actually take the correct shots, of course, but aligns them well.

Another question - How many days do we need in Yosemite? 2 or 3

I am disabled so we cannot do long hikes

But the OP isn't going back to Fresno so it won't add that much time to their drive vs 120 on the north side of the park. But they should decide what kind of drive out they want. Both are scenic so no bad choices.

If I am going to Muir Woods, what is the best way to go?

You should keep all the nights you have for Yosemite now. Even not hiking you will have plenty to see.

You can take the tram in Mariposa Grove to see all the trees.

You can drive up to Glacier Point and enjoy the sights.

You can take the Valley tram tour to see the sites if you want but you don't have to.

In the evenings you can take in the ranger talks or other great night actities.

It sounds like you are putting together a great vacay.

Just driving on Tioga Road will be amazing - you can get out of the car and stroll around without having to hikeo

We just moved to CA from NC so we are excited about exploring CA.

My question is We will be in Yosemite all day Sunday and Monday.

On Tuesday , should we stay in Yosemite all day and drive to Muir Woods that night or drive to Muir Woods in the morning?

We are going to spend one day in SF and then drive down 101 for two days until we head home

That's a good question. Since you can't actually stay in Muir Woods where were you thinking of staying? I can see the merit of driving in the evening. If you are going in the summer you will have a later sunset.

We are going the end of June.Should we spend the morning in Yosemite and then go to Muir Woods/Muir Beach.
According to their web site, these are their hours

Park closes at 8 PM. Visitor Center closes at 7:30PM. Muir Beach, Muir Beach Overlook and Stinson Beach close at 9 PM.

After that we can drive in SF. How long a drive is that?

Maybe you want to leave Yosemite on your third day late and drive to a good jumping off spot for the following day at Muir woods and then end the day in SF?

So how many hours do you think you might want to drive getting away from Yosemite?

If on your final afternoon you are visiting the Tuolumne Meadows area you will be well located to leave the park via 120.

From the junction of 120 & 140 at Crane Flat to say San Rafael - which is nicely located to visit Muir Woods the next day at less than 15 miles away - the drive is about 3.5 hours as long as you do it outside commute hours. Leave the park around 4 -4:30 stop for dinner so that you arrive in the Bay Area after 7. You'll still have plenty of daylight to make it to San Rafael in north bay.

I'd drive 120 to Manteca to 205 to 580 which I would stay on heading north. Then in Oakland you'll switch to 80 east for a short time till you see the exit for San Rafael which is 580 again across part of the bay to San Rafael.

Hey this is just one idea. Others may have better suggestions.

Definitely keep your two days in Curry Village - and if it were me - I would keep calling to try and add a 3rd day. People cancel all the time. And you would probably taking multiple rides around the valley floor on the trams.

And in the evening - they usually have a slide show/presentatino at the ampi-theater in Curry Village.

There are also nice exhibits over at the main visitor center -and shows - and you might even enjoy going on a float trip down the river. Very easy-smooth trip.

And certainly not to be missed is getting up and personal with lower Yo - wihch might be spraying you if the falls are gushing. From there - you can also look up to see upper Yo falls. Bridal Veil falls on your way in is also very pretty to stop and admire.

I cannot add a third night to Yosemite but we will have all day Monday and Tuesday .

That brings me to my choice- Do we leave Yosemite in the morning on Wednesday and drive to Muir Woods and then into SF OR do we spend Wednesday in Yosemite and then drive over to Muir woods for Thursday. If we spend Thursday in Muir Woods and Muir Beach, that will only leave us one day in SF. We have been in SF before, but it was 20 years ago. Does One day give us enough time to do the typical tourist things?

HELP!!

Thanks

Is this where we are New2CA?

Night 1 - SEKI to FishCamp - spend night visit Mariposa Grove, Wawona & Glacier Point on arrival day and next morning berfore driving to valley.

Night 2- Spend night in Curry Village after spending the day in the valley. (Limited mobility so no hiking)Next morning see sights on Tioga Road like Tuolumne Meadows Olmsted Point etc.

Now this is where it's confusing - leave the park late to go towards Muir Woods? If yes then you are giving up one of your Curry Village nights, is that correct?

Stay near Muir Woods so you can see it early the next morning and then head to SF?

Suzie: Maybe you didn't get the word out in the deep woods? :)

IMO - make the decision about when to leave Yo after you are there, and IMO - you should spend as much time there as possible.

Still think you could add a 3rd night to your Curry Village stay if you kept calling.

Ya whatever tom you are the cool one who is in the know. Can't wait to follow your lead. NOT.

Suzie: have a nice glass of wine and fergit about it. Those who actually know what's what are mostly giving up

Too bad really . . .