Picnic locations in Yosemite
 

Hello! Going to Yosemite in late August. I love eating dinner on our deck in summer. I've read posts advising to take a picnic dinner with you. Looking for picnic locations and places to buy the food. Planning on checking the sunset out one evening at Glacier Point. Is it ok to drive a bottle of wine outdoors to check out the stars? Staying in Yosemite Valley Lodge. Family of 4. I know our room will have a refrigerator. Wondering if we should purchase food before entering the valley. I've read the food is not good at the Lodge so thinking we'd enjoy truly eating "out"!

Coming from San Francisco. Thanks!

One of my favorite Yosemite memories is of my DH, DS, and I trying to eat the lunches we carried to the top of the Mist trail. We ended up sitting on a large rock facing out and fighting off squirrels and jays.

We saw a bear at a picnic area, too.

Make of that what you will. ;)

The best picnic location is wherever you happen to be around meal time. When I visit Yosemite (or other parks) I tend to hit the trail early in the morning and have 11sies, lunch, and afternoon snack picnics wherever my wanderings take me, then enjoy a prepared meal for dinner.

There is a small supermarket in Yosemite Village - enough of a selection to get by so no need to pre-buy anything. It would not hurt to have some snacks with you ahead of time, but not necessary.

At the lodge there are 2 places to eat. The cafeteria, which serves, well how best to put it? Cafeteria food. And a very good restaurant that serves dinner. Maybe lunch too - don't know.

"Looking for picnic locations and places to buy the food."

The grocery at the Village Center has all the basics needed for a picnic and over time, we started buying food there versus hauling stuff into the park. You will pay higher prices in the park so really it's up to you. We always brought our own wine and any specialty items (you can buy wine/beer in the grocery).

As far as picnic locations, there are several designated picnic areas with tables that you can see on the NPS website including one close to the Lodge at lower Yosemite Falls. Of course lots of people picnic at unofficial sites which I've never seen be a problem so long as you are not violating any other park regulations (walking where you're not supposed to walk, leaving food unattended for animal safety, etc). Do keep in mind that all food must be stored properly in your room with windows shut and you can't have food in a car after daylight hours. So having a bunch of food out after dark may be frowned upon since the picnic areas technically close at dusk but we certainly have sat outside with our traveler plastic cups of wine many times!

My personal favorite dinner spot is the outdoor pizza deck at Curry (now Half Dome) Village as I don't have to do any work and can have family friendly pizza and beer outdoors under the shadow of Glacier point.

The restaurant at the Lodge (the Mountain Room) is a nice setting with big windows/views. The food is a bit overpriced for what you get but that's par for the course in National Parks IMO :) The food court at the Lodge is what you would expect from a cafeteria.

Have fun!

Be sure to not leave ANY food of any sort in the car.

Yes - it is OK to have alcoholic beverages in any picnic area

Re the Cafeteria at the Lodge -- some of the food is just carbs/calories -- good for the backpackers but there are some decent offerings.

The Dining Room is quite nice, the Ahwahnee/<strike>Majestic</strike> is great, and In the Village Degnan's has build-your-own rice bowls and pizza, and the Village Grill Deck has burgers/sandwiches/milkshakes.

In Curry <strike>Half Dome</strike> Village there are several decent places to eat.

Thanks, everyone! I'm afraid to make reservations for dinner anywhere since I have no clue where we'll be at that time of day.

Well -- you won't be out and about after dark so you should safely be able to book dinner . . .

afik, there are only two places you can reserve tables. The dining room at the Lodge, and Awahnee. No reservation needed or taken for rice bowls & pizza, village grill deck burgers, or cafeteria.

Thanks, everyone.