Hi everyone!

We are traveling from the Silicon Valley to Yosemite the weekend after Labor Day for 3 days, 2 nights. We are staying at Tenaya Lodge with our dog. I have never been, so I'm not familiar with the area and would love any tips or suggestions in making most of our trip.

So far, the plan is to arrive Friday and find something to do that we can include the dog. We'd probably plan on arriving in the area by Noon. Any suggestions here? Any important landmarks or hikes that we can do on the way in?

On Saturday, we are considering leaving the dog with the pet sitter. I have read other reviews that highly suggest not taking the dog to National Park as we will be limited. Is that true?

Please suggest any hikes or landmarks that are definitely a "must see"! If you have stayed at Tenaya Lodge, please share your personal experience!

Thanks so much! I appreciate your time!

Best,
Heather

Yep. Very few places a dog is allowed in terms of hiking in California. In Yosemite they are limited to the road/lodge area and can't walk on any of the trails if I remember right. (Which seemed a little silly to me as the trails I saw were paved but oh well.)

Additionally, it was very crowded when I was there, and I think my dogs would have found it stressful. Petsitter would be wise.

>>So far, the plan is to arrive Friday and find something to do that we can include the dog.>I have read other reviews that highly suggest not taking the dog to National Park as we will be limited. Is that true?

Dear Heather,

I stayed at Tenaya Lodge a couple of months ago while visiting Yosemite. Tenaya is a nice place to stay but be prepared for expensive food and rather thin walls. Unfortunately, the only hotel better than Tenaya is the Ahwahnee hotel, which is extraordinarily expensive and hard to book (but is a must-see in my opinion).

From Tenaya, you will arrive at the south entrance very shortly. Make sure you purchase the annual pass (simple math). Your first sightseeing stop will be the Mariposa Grove. I say skip this and come back later if you have extra time/energy. Go first to Glacier Point instead and get there as early as possible as parking is limited. The view is breathtaking and you will easily spend 1 hour there taking 100 photos.

Your next stop will be the Tunnel View. Depending on what time you get there, you may need to skip this as it might get very crowded and come back later in the after noon. This is the view that you see in so many photographs of Yosemite. It's just that gorgeous.

After a short drive, you will arrive at Brideveil Falls. There's a short trail leading to the fall and it's definitely worth seeing. Just don't climb the big rocks to get closer unless you have good hiking shoes.

After Brideveil, You will then arrive at a chapel (big dark house). There's about 20 parking spots in the chapel lot and I say grab one if you can (it beats parking at the main lot, trust me). If you can manage to get a parking spot here, you can easily stroll across the meadows (very beautiful views) and walk to the Lower Yosemite Falls.

After you spend some time at the Lower Falls (which is the main attraction), you can hop on the free bus to other attractions (Visitor Center, Ahwahnee Hotel, Degnan's Deli, etc.). If you're hungry, there's a very nice restaurant inside Ahwahnee and Degnan's Deli. After you're done with all that, you can hop on the bus back to Lower Falls and walk back to the chapel to retrieve your car.

If you're not lucky enough to get a parking spot at the aforementioned chapel, you will need to park in the main lot, hop on a bus just to get to the visitor center, and then hop on another bus to other destinations (Ahwahnee, Lower Falls, etc.). It's manageable but a pain in the you know what.

If you have time, I highly recommend taking the 120 (Tioga Rd) and visit Tuolumne Meadows and Tenaya Lake. The views are excellent and you might just see some wildlife. Bring an excellent binocular with you as you will need it.

If you have even more time, I recommend driving further on 120 and go north on 395 to see Mono Lake.

Try not to drive at night as the roads are very curvy. I was unlucky enough to run into a wildfire one night and had to re-route to get back to Tenaya. It wasn't until 1 AM until I got back to the hotel when I should've been back by 10 PM.

I can't offer advice on trails nor dogs. I didn't have enough time to walk any trails. I do highly recommend spending 3 full days (which may mean 3 nights as well) to see everything.

Hope this helps.

Here are the NPS info on dogs. http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/pets.htm

Janis has outlined them well. Yosemite is a magical place, and you will be better able to enjoy the visit if you don't bring the dog.

Regarding hotel, I disagree 100% with sgvdomer's opinion about "better hotel." For me, better at Yosemite is all about location, location, location, not how fancy the accommodations are.

The Tenaya being 60min + drive from the valley means 2hr daily commute just to get to the main part of the park & back. Far better are Yosemite Lodge, or Curry Village right IN the park. Yosemite lodge is a basic hotel. Curry Village is a mix of just a few hotel rooms (~10 total), cabins with or without bath, and tents. I've stayed in the cabins with bath off-season, and loved it.

Unfortunatley your chances of getting a room at either of those is likely close to zero at this point, but it is worth calling up until the last minute that you can cancel your other hotel.

There are several hotels close to the main entrance to Yosemite in or near El Portal. I don't recall specific names, but perhaps others here can chime in.

The shuttle buses are handy, but to really explore Yosemite you need to get off the main valley road and explore by foot. You can find trails that vary in length from 1/2 mile to 20+ miles or more. To me, the longer the better, as you get further away from the hordes of people.

>>Unfortunately, the only hotel better than Tenaya is the Ahwahnee hotel, >There are several hotels close to the main entrance to Yosemite in or near El Portal. I don't recall specific names, but perhaps others here can chime in.

Think of your dog's comfort. He'll be happier at home which is familiar, with a pet sitter, or in Doggie Day care, than riding around in a car for hours, or locked in a hotel room which he doesn't know and doesn't smell like you.

Yikes, janisj. I should have resisted the urge to google that was it the news coverage or something else that puts off you locals? Curious because it appears that the crimes didn't actually happen at the cedar lodge...

Tenaya is roughly 30 miles (not 90) from the Valley and it took me 1 hour to drive there each day I was there. By staying at a motel closer to the Valley, you won't save any time going to Glacier Point and you will spend a lot more time going to Mariposa Grove. These are 2 must-sees in Yosemite.

You can choose to stay in a nice resort (Tenaya) or choose to stay a bit closer in a motel. For me, I like to splurge on myself and my family when I travel because I work too hard all year long for such rare road trips. Furthermore, Tenaya is fairly close to some decent restaurants and cheaper gas stations in Fish Camp and I found that incredibly convenient.

I would highly discourage staying at the Curry Village. IMO, the place is a major dump and parking there is a complete mess. Just my 2 cents.

We were "lucky" enough to have stayed at Cedar Lodge just after the guy was caught (the road was lined with satellite uplink vans), and long before it was determined that some of the murders were indeed committed at the lodge.

>>Tenaya is roughly 30 miles (not 90) from the Valley >and you will spend a lot more time going to Mariposa Grove. These are 2 must-sees in Yosemite.part if the crime did happen there . . . It was a long time ago but I still get the willies thinking about it. Was a MASSIVE/HUGE story in Northern CA (and in Argentina) for a long time. And then there is the the tragedy of his brother and his whole sad life.

Oh wow elberko (didn't see your post) - just WOW (!) We'll have something to talk about at the GTG

You guys do realize that the OP said she is going to stay at Tenaya and did not ask for opinions of other lodging options? To say Tenaya is too far from the park when it's only 1 hour away (did it 3 times on a weekend in June) is very misleading and does not contribute to the topic.

Fine - but she may not know Mariposa Grove is closed, or that the dog will be an hour away from them. Just giving the full picture . . .

I respect your preference sgvdomer. Staying at a nice resort and closer to cheaper gas are not high priority for me, especially when it means 2+ hr round trip drive every day. Vive la différence.

You are also correct, the OP did say they were staying at Tenaya. Good point. If you read the whole post you will also see the OP wrote "I have never been, so I'm not familiar with the area and would love any tips or suggestions in making most of our trip. "

In my opinion, changing to a closer location is tip #1.

Marvelousmouse- it still makes me sad when I think about this crime. Seeing Silvina Peloso's father on the news, devastated by what happened, was heartbreaking. I grew up in the same county as the handyman's family and the brother's story was a big deal when I was a kid. I still remember where I was when news hit that the burned out car with the mother and friend was found. So yeah, it was a big deal here.

I have been going to Yosemite three times a year for the past 40 years. So I have been everywhere in the park and did most everything. I started out in my early 20's so I have camped, stayed at every lodge (except the overpriced Ahwanhee) and I have gone alone, with my wife, with kids and even with a dog.

First of all most people are correct that Tenaya Lodge isn't a very good place to see Yosemite Valley. And most of what you want to see is in the valley. Some mentioned you will be close to the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees but that is closed now for two years. The best place to stay is at one of the lodges in the valley. They are probably sold out but there are always cancellations.

But that point is moot because they do not allow dogs. The only places that allows dogs are in the campgrounds. When my son got his dog we would all go and he would camp and we would stay at one of the lodges. They say dogs are allowed only on paved trails but a behaved dog on a leash can usually go on unpaved trails and even on the beach to play in the river. Most park rangers will just look the other way.

But you still have the problem of the one hour ride each way. And that really sucks as it is a slow winding road. I think Paul had this road in mind when he wrote The Long and Winding Road. Plus when you get in the valley parking will be hard o find. And there is so much to do in the valley it will be a shame to spend two hours of it in the car.

But if you must have the dog (and I understand the love of having your dog with you) then you only have a couple choices: stay at Tenaya or try to find a hotel in the much closer city of El Portal. Camping would be the only other option with a dog but I'm sure that option is out for you.

So try to move to El Portal. Then try to find the pet sitter for a day. Enjoy Yosemite Valley that way without the dog one day then bring your dog back the next day so he can enjoy it with you. Taking your dog on the long bike path will be great for you and the dog.

So when you are without the dog you can take the shuttle busses or rent bikes and eat at the inside places. Then on "dog day" you can do the walks, trails and eat at the outside places. You can do both but try to get out of the Tenaya Lodge. I do not like the way they fool people into believing they are right in Yosemite Valley with the pictures they use on in their ads.

Yes they are a mile from the Yosemite entrance but they don't tell you it's a boring one hour ride to the valley. They are probably also not telling people that the Mariposa Grove is closed.

As far as places to see or things to do: Unfortunately one of the parks grandest features will be gone - the waterfalls. They will most likely be dried up or just a trickle at this time of year. But you can still do the walk to Lower Yosemite Falls to get an idea of what it's like there. And there is a nice trail around that area thru the forest and over small wooden bridges.

You did not mention your ages or how many people you will have. If you are able I would definitely recommend you rent bikes. The bike paths are great and they get you away from the traffic. Plus the fresh air of riding is a great feeling.

If you are older or unable to ride bikes I would recommend the valley floor tour. You have to pay for that but they take you around in an open air tram and take you to the points of interest.

So basically the best part of Yosemite valley is that it is very compact and easy to get around. And the views are what your there for. You will see Half Dome, El Capitan, Glacier Point, etc.

Also if you are up to more driving I would recommend taking the 16 mile each way road to see Glacier Point. One of the greatest views in the world. And check out all of the lodges even if you aren't staying there. The Awhanee is amazing to see. And on the other end check out Housekeeping Camp. It is an interesting place to walk thru. And I'm sure you will be at the Lodge or Curry for meals or food.

The Village has a huge gift shop and village store as well as the Visitor Center which is a good place to start. Also there is Degnans Deli where they make great sandwiches to eat there or to take on a picnic. There are tables to sit at in front but take your sandwich around the corner - head to the medical clinic area and there are usually empty picnic tables there for more enjoyable views.

So I would try one day without the dog if you can and one day with the dog. And if there are no pet sitters available then take the dog anyway. You will be somewhat limited but there are enough trails and places to eat even with your beloved pet. You will all have a great time.

I love my dog very much, but I left him with friends when I visited Yosemite this past year. We stayed two nights at the Yosemite View Lodge as Yosemite Lodge inside the park was more than I wanted to spend. Be aware that it will still be busy in the park at the time of year you are visiting. I really encourage you to leave your dog home.

We spent one day driving up Tioga Pass Road (Hwy 120) to Tenaya Lake. It was so beautiful. To be honest, I liked it better than down in the valley due to the crowds. Lots of hikes, vista points, etc. (Ok, as a child I spent one week at camp Curry and LOVED it. But, that was when they had the famous firefall every night. Different perspective now.)

On another subject: I, too, remember all the press on what happened at Cedar Lodge. I felt a special connection as my parents lived in Ukiah when Steven ended up at the Ukiah Police Station when he escaped. Cary was found in a community not too far from where I live. NO way would I ever stay at the Cedar Lodge. Too many horrible/sad memories.

The OP registered to post this . . . and has not returned. My guess is she is sitting there thinking no one responded. Many newbies assume they will get e-mail notification of activity . . . which doesn't happen.

The OP registered to post this . . . and has not returned. My guess is she is sitting there thinking no one responded. Many newbies assume they will get e-mail notification of activity . . . which doesn't happen.