Yosemite and DLR

[DonnerB]

I visited in early May 2022. The reservation system hadn't kicked in yet for summer, the Half Dome chains weren't up, and Tioga Pass was still closed (along with Glacier Point). The dining room at the Ahwahnee wasn't even serving non-guests (it was mostly empty when we checked - pretty sure this was 100% due to staffing shortages), but we ate in the lounge (the limited selection of food was good, but expensive). The traffic on our weekend days in the Valley was outrageous even though it wasn't quite peak season yet. Parking wasn't impossible, but it wasn't great.

We had rented a cabin in Fish Camp, which I loved. We had a full kitchen and a fireplace in the living room for less than half of what the Ahwahnee would have cost us. We did drive to Oakhurst one night for dinner at the Elderberry House (wonderful). But it was a trek in and out of the park every day. If I were going in August, I'd probably pay to stay in the Valley for the convenience. We had visited Sequoia and King's Canyon at a similar time in 2021, and the experience in the parks there was far easier and more relaxing in regards to parking and traffic (I'm sure the pandemic had a lot to do with that).

 

[bcla]

I visited in early May 2022. The reservation system hadn't kicked in yet for summer, the Half Dome chains weren't up, and Tioga Pass was still closed (along with Glacier Point). The dining room at the Ahwahnee wasn't even serving non-guests (it was mostly empty when we checked - pretty sure this was 100% due to staffing shortages), but we ate in the lounge (the limited selection of food was good, but expensive). The traffic on our weekend days in the Valley was outrageous even though it wasn't quite peak season yet. Parking wasn't impossible, but it wasn't great.

We had rented a cabin in Fish Camp, which I loved. We had a full kitchen and a fireplace in the living room for less than half of what the Ahwahnee would have cost us. We did drive to Oakhurst one night for dinner at the Elderberry House (wonderful). But it was a trek in and out of the park every day. If I were going in August, I'd probably pay to stay in the Valley for the convenience. We had visited Sequoia and King's Canyon at a similar time in 2021, and the experience in the parks there was far easier and more relaxing in regards to parking and traffic (I'm sure the pandemic had a lot to do with that).

Yosemite West or Foresta cabins might be in a better location than Fish Camp, but I'm not sure about the relative prices. Apparently there are some rentals in the private Wawona inholding, but I think that's more residential while Yosemite West seems to be dominated by vacation homes/condos/cabins available for rental and not used by year-round residents.

Not sure about Elderberry House now since Erna Kubin retired and sold that and Chateau Du Sureau. I remember thinking about it years ago when they had weekend brunch, although it was something like $60.

https://abc30.com/ernas-elderberry-house-madera-county-oakhurst/2799975/

 

[bennifer]

We stayed at Yosemite Valley Lodge in June 2022 and loved it. It was a basic room with a small balcony, but the location was perfect for us. I had originally booked Ahwahnee but couldn't justify the cost. We did stop over for breakfast one morning and it is a beautiful lodge!

When we had the plan to go in June 2020, we had booked a condo in Yosemite West because of the reviews and advice we had received. The customer service was impressive and we had no problem moving our reservation until we ultimately canceled because we weren't sure when we'd be able to get there.

 

[GoldeneyezCA]

We stayed at Ahwahnee in June 4 years in a row - 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and also stayed at Tenaya once on the way to the Ahwahnee. Hands down, if you can afford it, I recommend the Ahwahnee. It’s gorgeous, and you won’t have a 45-60 min drive each way every day. The traffic at the park entrance can get very backed up, which really adds to your travel time.

We drive from SoCal, so we usually stay at a cheap hotel in Oakhurst on our travel day, stop by Mariposa Grove or Glacier Point (if open) first thing in the morning, then head down to the Valley. I don’t recommend driving into the Valley at night. And FYI - Yosemite to OC/Anaheim is consistently a 7-hr trip due to LA traffic, so pace yourself and have fun!

We’ve stayed in rooms, cabins and suites at the Ahwahnee. The Junior suites are very nice, if you can snag them. And the Ahwahnee has A/C, which the Valley Lodge lacks. (Our friends stayed there on our last trip, and they brought a portable A/C unit.) We’ve been there when it was nearly 90F, and coming back to a dip in the pool and a cool room was wonderful. Tenaya Lodge is nice, but location is everything on vacation.

We tend to eat breakfast at the hotel, sometimes order a packed lunch from the bar to take while exploring, and maybe do dinner 1-2 times per stay (advance reservations are available on Open Table). We get our other meals from Degnan’s Deli in Yosemite Village.

With the time you’ll save, you can hike or take bike rides in the early morning before the day-trippers arrive (think Yosemite Falls at 7:30 am with 3-5 people instead of a hundred), and you’ll have energy to drive to some of the most lovely places, such as Tuoloumne Meadow and Tenaya Lake.

 

[bcla]

We stayed at Ahwahnee 4 years in a row - 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and also stayed at Tenaya once on the way to the Ahwahnee. Hands down, if you can afford it, I recommend the Ahwahnee. It’s gorgeous, and you won’t have a 45-60 min drive each way every day. The traffic at the park entrance can get very backed up, which really adds to your travel time.

We drive from SoCal, so we usually stay at a cheap hotel in Oakhurst on our travel day, stop by Mariposa Grove or Glacier Point (if open) first thing in the morning, then head down to the Valley. I don’t recommend driving into the Valley at night. And FYI - Yosemite to OC/Anaheim is consistently a 7-hr trip due to LA traffic, so pace yourself and have fun!

We’ve stayed in rooms, cabins and suites at the Ahwahnee. The Junior suites are very nice, if you can snag them. And the Ahwahnee has A/C, which the Valley Lodge lacks. (Our friends stayed there on our last trip, and they brought a portable A/C unit.) We’ve been there when it was nearly 90F, and coming back to a dip in the pool and a cool room was wonderful. Tenaya Lodge is nice, but location is everything on vacation.

We tend to eat breakfast at the hotel, sometimes order a packed lunch from the bar to take while exploring, and maybe do dinner 1-2 times per stay (advance reservations are available on Open Table). We get our other meals from Degnan’s Deli in Yosemite Village.

With the time you’ll save, you can hike or take bike rides in the early morning before the day-trippers arrive (think Yosemite Falls at 7:30 am with 3-5 people instead of a hundred), and you’ll have energy to drive to some of the most lovely places, such as Tuoloumne Meadow and Tenaya Lake.

Yosemite Lodge has a pool.

Honestly the best location for any and all activities is probably Upper Pines Campground. We stayed there and walked right to the Happy Isles trailhead and did the Mist Trail. Our only problem was charging our devices (and showers since the campgrounds don't have any). We charged with a car charger, but when we had breakfast at The Ahwahnee Dining Room one server helped us by letting us charge at an outlet near one of their work stations. And we just hung out at the Ahwahnee Mail Hall or Yosemite Lodge registration lobby and nobody shooed us away while we charged. Heck - we even bought an internet pass at Yosemite Lodge and basically the only good spot for it was in the lobby. But these days we would just bring large USB power packs although they would probably need to be charged eventually.

 

[Psymonds]

Our family has enjoyed curry village over the years. not quite camping but not overrun. Good location for hiking to most of the valley floor amenities, and August is actually usually a little slower, as some of the waterfalls have dried up (Although that may not be the case this year with the snowpack). IF you're there the 10-12th, you can go out on the boardwalks and watch the Perseid meteors.

Just keep in mind it's also about a 4 hour drive from the Bay up to Yosemite, and that can be variable based on traffic too.

and

This pool photo Reminds me of the Lair of the Bear, just one valley north. Go Bears @bcla

Yosemite Lodge has a pool.