Yosemite Lodging Guide: Where to Stay to Maximize Your Trip

Entrances & Regions of Yosemite

Yosemite is a huge park! It takes about 2 hours to drive between the two entrances on CA-120, and often longer when factoring in road side stops and hike detours!

Each region of Yosemite has something special to offer. Depending on your travel style, I’d either choose one spot to stay for the duration of your trip, or split your time between two locations.

If you are visiting during fall – spring, just stay in one spot. If you’re visiting during the summer when Tioga Road is open and you want to experience the high country, I’d try to split your time between the Valley or southern Yosemite and Tioga Road, especially if you want to do lots of hiking!

I don’t think the entrance route you take matters as much as where you base yourself once inside.

If you want to spend the majority of your time in Yosemite Valley, you should stay inside the park or in El Portal. If high country hiking is important to you, try to camp along Tioga Road or stay in Lee Vining.

If visiting Yosemite is part of a larger road trip, it might be best to stay a few nights closer to your entrance area, and then another couple of nights near your exit path.

Staying Inside vs. Outside the Park: How to Best Experience Yosemite

Here’s the honest truth: staying inside Yosemite is always better if you can swing it – but it’s not realistic for everyone.

If you stay inside the park boundaries, you are just so much closer to everything and you don’t have to spend 2+ hours driving every day of your trip just to experience a tiny bit of Yosemite.

If you’re like me and want to feel fully immersed – watch a sunrise or sunset, do multiple hikes per day, or just feel like you can relax by the Merced River for the afternoon without driving to get there – you’ll want to stay in the park.

However, I know that it’s simply not possible for everyone who visits to stay inside the park boundaries. There just aren’t enough rooms!

Staying outside of the park will be best for people who want to do 1-2 activities in the park per day, and would like elevated hotel amenities or more space for larger groups. Some hotels even offer packages that come with guided tours inside the park!

One of the biggest cons with staying outside of the park is when day use reservations for Yosemite are in effect. You must get a day use reservation for the time frame you want to visit the park. In contrast – people staying inside the park do not need this extra reservation.

Day use reservation rules change yearly, but be sure you have one if you want to drive into the park yourself. If you can’t get a reservation, taking YARTS is an option, and it stops at many popular hotels on the roads into Yosemite!

2. Yosemite Valley Lodge

📍 Yosemite Valley | 💰💰 Midrange | ✅ Great for families & first-timers

I stayed at the Valley Lodge one time during a winter trip in Yosemite. And I was so happy to be there instead of the tent cabins at Curry on that trip because we had lots of rain! The Valley Lodge is my top lodging pick for winter and fall trips to Yosemite.

The Valley Lodge has a variety of room sizes and even has bunk beds in some rooms, making it great for families or groups of friends. It’s more of a traditional hotel and you don’t need to worry about storing your food and toiletries in a special way.

It’s super close to Lower Yosemite Falls and Swinging Bridge, and has tons of food options on site.

• Top Food Pick: Mountain Room Lounge
• Seasonality: Open year-round

🤩 See Yosemite Valley Lodge Availability here →

3. The Ahwahnee

📍 Yosemite Valley | 💰💰💰 Luxury | ✅ Best for couples & special occasions

The Ahwahnee is a National Historic Landmark and you’ll believe it when you see it! It definitely has an air of elegance and magic inside, and I highly recommend checking it out if you’ve never seen it before.

I have stayed at the Ahwahnee once, in a Classic Room, with my mom and grandparents. It was tight! I’m going to be honest, I think the Ahwahnee is cool, and I LOVE the breakfast buffet, but I don’t think it’s worth the price. The rooms are small and feel old. I’m sure the suites are amazing, but they’re also crazy expensive.

But, the location is outstanding, and I’m happy to say that I’ve stayed in a little slice of history. The service is also really great at this hotel, so if you’re accustomed to housekeeping and concierge, the Ahwahnee is for you!

• Top Food Pick: The Ahwahnee Dining Room (Monday – Saturday breakfast buffet is worth it!)
• Seasonality: Open year-round

🤩 Check rates for The Ahwahnee here →

4. Wawona Hotel – currently closed for renovation

📍 Southern Yosemite (Wawona) | 💰💰 Midrange | ✅ Best for relaxed visits & history buffs

I got to stay in the Wawona on a family trip back when I was in middle school! This will make you laugh… but I was VERY annoyed that there were no TVs in the room at the time.

Now I have a less harsh take on the Wawona, another Historic Landmark, but I still wouldn’t recommend it as a top pick for staying in Yosemite, simply because it is quite a drive from everything in the park (except Mariposa Grove), it is pretty dated, and not all rooms have a private bath.

But, if you’ve got a golfer in the family, it might be the perfect spot for you: the 9 hole Wawona course is right across the street! It also acts as a disc golf course on select days.

Sadly, the hotel is closed for an undisclosed period of time while a comprehensive building assessment is completed.

• Food tip: The Wawona does have a dining room, though I haven’t eaten there since I was a kid, and it’s currently closed with the hotel. The closest open dining options are at the Tenaya Lodge or in Oakhurst.
• Seasonality: Is usually closed for a few weeks-months in the winter

🤩 See Wawona Hotel Availability here →

5. Housekeeping Camp

📍 Yosemite Valley | 💰 Budget | ✅ Best for campers who couldn’t get a campsite

Housekeeping camp is a very budget-range option. It’s basically camping, but you don’t need to bring a tent (but you do need to bring a sleeping bag or sheets). These are three-sided enclosures, and you’ll be sharing a wall with another party, so privacy is minimal.

I’ve never stayed here and don’t really have a desire to, but there are people who totally love it and the access to the Merced River is a unique feature.

• Food tip: No dining on-site. Curry Village is nearby and has all the options! I love the Pizza Deck but Bar 1899 is also good.
• Seasonality: Open April – October

🤩 Grab budget digs here →

6. Tuolumne Meadows Lodge

📍 Tioga Road | 💰 Budget-Midrange | ✅ Great for glampers

While I haven’t had the chance to stay here, it’s on my Yosemite bucket list! Mainly because I’m enchanted by the in-tent wood-burning stove, and I love the idea of being on Tioga Road and so close to the best high country hikes in the park.

These cabins are just like the ones in Curry Village, but even more remote and quiet. This would be a perfect spot to stay if you’ve been to the Valley before and want to experience a different side to Yosemite.

• Food tip: Dinner reservations are required at the lodge! I haven’t personally tried it here yet, but I have been to the Tuolumne Meadows Grill for lunch and it’s decent. A friend of mine also loves the breakfast options at the Grill and after I saw his breakfast burrito picture… I’m dying to try it out!
• Seasonality: Open June – September (can open later depending on snow levels)

🤩 Check Tuolumne Lodge opening dates and availability! →

7. White Wolf Lodge – currently closed for renovation

📍 Tioga Road | 💰 Budget-Midrange | ✅ Best for an off-the-grid experience

I haven’t had the chance to stay here, but I have camped at White Wolf campground and have walked around the closed property. This is the smallest of the Yosemite lodging options – only 28 cabins! You’re situated right across the street from the car camping campground, but it’s overall very quiet and remote, located about 30 minutes from both the Big Oak Flat Entrance and Tenaya Lake.

Issues with the water lines have kept this lodge closed for many years, but hopefully one day it will be open for all to enjoy!

• Food tip: White Wolf has a dining room for breakfast and dinner (reservations required) – but both the lodge and dining room are currently closed.
• Seasonality: Open June – September (can open later depending on snow levels)

🤩 Check opening dates for White Wolf →

Private Lodging

There are multiple Airbnb’s, VRBOs, and other private rentals located within Yosemite. You’ll find them in:

• Foresta: Off Big Oak Flat Road near Yosemite Valley
• Yosemite West: At the intersection of Wawona and Glacier Point Roads
• Wawona: In southern Yosemite, close to the Chilnualna Falls trailhead

Cabins range from rustic to updated, and some even have amenities like decks and hot tubs!

I haven’t stayed in any personally, but I’ve had family and friends stay in these condos and cabins and it has worked well for them – especially for families and bigger groups. Kitchen access is always touted as awesome to have so they aren’t entirely reliant on park dining choices, which are far away from the private rentals.

Camping

There are 13 campgrounds inside of Yosemite in each corner of the park! Car camping is the most economical way to stay inside Yosemite, but comes with the most work.

You can read my full guide to car camping in Yosemite to see if it’s the right choice for you! Just be aware that campgrounds are super popular and it’s even harder to score a cancelled campground vs. in-park lodging!

Best Locations To Stay Outside of Yosemite

I’ve never personally stayed outside the park because I live close enough to jump on last-minute cancellations for inside the park and it’s what I prefer.

But I have helped friends and readers plan trips for all these areas, and I’ve gotten feedback from friends & family about their favorite places to stay nearby. Basically, I’ve done the research and crowdsourcing so you don’t have to!

Each gateway town offers something a little different depending on your budget, travel style, and how long you’re willing to drive each day. Realize that no matter which gateway town you stay in, you’ll need to drive at least 30-45 minutes into Yosemite Valley.

If you are mostly visiting Yosemite Valley on your trip, I highly recommend using Google Maps to route distance and drive time from the lodging to a location in Yosemite Village. I like to put “Yosemite Valley Welcome Center” as my main Yosemite destination. That way you see the real drive time into the Valley vs. one of the entrance gates.

Here’s what you need to know:

Buck Meadows & Groveland

• Entrance Gate: Big Oak Flat & Hetch Hetchy
• Drive time to Yosemite Valley: 60 minutes
• Further away town for cheaper accommodations: Sonora
• Closest hotel to entrance gate: Rush Creek Lodge & Spa
• Need to know: The town of Groveland has the most amenities including a grocery store, multiple restaurants, gas stations, and EV charging. Once you drive further east of Groveland towards the park, amenities become limited.
• My take: This is my #2 ranking for staying outside of the park. There’s lots to do outside of the park in this area, plus you don’t need a reservation to visit Hetch Hetchy, which is close to this town. Groveland is also the jumping off point for river rafting excursions on the Tuolumne – which could be a fun activity for your trip!

Top 3 options

Luxury: Rush Creek Lodge – Full-service resort vibe with a spa, pool, fire pits, and daily activities. Great for families who want all the amenities right next to the Big Oak Flat Entrance.

👉Check rates for Rush Creek here →

Mid-range: Evergreen Lodge – Quiet, woodsy cabins tucked into the forest. Perfect if you want a peaceful base with good food on-site.

👉See what Evergreen costs for your dates →

Budget: Yosemite Lakes Base Camp Lodge – Rustic cabins and RV spots 15 minutes from the entrance. Basic but convenient for budget travelers.

👉Grab budget cabins or RV spots here →

El Portal

• Entrance Gate: Arch Rock
• Drive time to Yosemite Valley: 25 minutes
• Further away town for cheaper accommodations: Mariposa
• Closest hotel to entrance gate: Yosemite View Lodge
• Need to know: El Portal has practically nothing for tourists. If you’re looking for restaurants, some hotels have them on-site, but otherwise the closest ones will be in Yosemite Valley. Mariposa to the west has more variety. El Portal does have a gas station and EV charging.
• My take: This is my top recommendation for towns to stay in. While the town itself doesn’t offer much, these hotels are the closest to Yosemite Valley, and CA-140 is the lowest elevation road into Yosemite, making it ideal for year-round visits.

Top 3 options

Luxury: Autocamp – Upscale Airstreams and glamping tents ~30 minutes from the Arch Rock entrance. Great for couples or anyone wanting a cute outdoorsy getaway.

👉Book your Autocamp Airstream here →

Mid-range: Yosemite View Lodge – Simple riverside motel – my pick for anyone who wants to be as close to the Valley as possible without staying inside the gates.

👉Check Yosemite View Lodge prices here →

Budget: Yosemite Bug – Hostel-style lodge and private cabins with a laid-back vibe. Good pick for budget travelers who don’t mind basic accommodations.

👉See Yosemite Bug’s latest rates here →

Fish Camp

• Entrance Gate: South Entrance
• Drive time to Yosemite Valley: 60-75 minutes
• Further away town for cheaper accommodations: Oakhurst
• Closest hotel to entrance gate: Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite
• Need to know: Like El Portal, Fish Camp is super tiny and is made up of vacation homes, bnbs, and forest. There is EV charging and the closest gas station is actually inside the park at Wawona. Otherwise, Oakhurst is a full service town with a grocery store, fast food, restaurants, and more! It’s the largest Yosemite gateway town.
• My take: I don’t spend a ton of time in Southern Yosemite, so I don’t have a big opinion about this area. It’s great for people who are driving up from Southern California, but I think everything is pretty far from the best & most accessible spots in Yosemite.

Top 3 options

Luxury: Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite – True resort near Yosemite: pools, spa, restaurants, and even an ice rink in winter.

👉See Tenaya’s current deals here →

Mid-range: Sierra Sky Ranch – Cozy historic ranch-style lodge with a casual mountain feel. Great if you like charm over chain hotels.

👉Check Sierra Sky Ranch availability →

Budget: Best Western Plus Yosemite – Reliable chain hotel with free breakfast. Solid choice if you just want an easy, budget-friendly base near the South Entrance.

👉Grab your Best Western room here →

Lee Vining

• Entrance Gate: Tioga Pass
• Drive time to Yosemite Valley: 90 – 120 minutes
• Further away town for cheaper accommodations: Mammoth Lakes
• Closest hotel to entrance gate: Lake View Lodge (but they’re all basically tied)
• IMPORTANT: Tioga Pass is open seasonally June – October. Do NOT stay in Lee Vining or along Highway 395 in the winter if you want to visit Yosemite.
• Need to know: Lee Vining is a small town on Highway 395 with some access to food options and gas & EV charging, but you’ll need to venture to Mammoth Lakes for a larger selection.
• My take: Lee Vining is fine, but I’d hate to drive up and down Tioga Pass every day I’m visiting the park. I do think this is a great spot to stay though if you’re road tripping from Reno or doing a larger Eastern Sierra vacation.

Top 3 options

Luxury: Double Eagle Resort – Great for couples who want extra comfort near June Lake.

👉Check Double Eagle rates here →

Mid-range: Murphey’s Motel – Solid reviews for price & location along Highway 395

👉See Murphey’s Motel pricing →

Budget: Lee Vining Motel – Bare-bones, but fine for a few nights near Mono Lake.

👉Book a basic Lee Vining room here →

Find the Best Lodging Option For You

Key Lodging Considerations

I just threw a lot of information at you, so I want to break things down a little more in a different way so you can think about what truly works for your visit!

Seasonal Closures

Yosemite may be open year-round, but not every part of the park is!

Most camping and lodging along Tioga Road closes by the end of September, and overnight parking is illegal on Tioga & Glacier Point Roads beginning October 15th. This makes these options great for summer visits, but not good for fall – spring!

Yosemite Valley and all of the western gateway towns are much better options in the winter.

Budget

Prices are kind of all over the place! You can find budget and luxury places to stay both inside and outside of the park.

Prices for in-park lodging are actually very stable – they don’t do “surge” pricing or last-minute discounts or price gauging, which is great if you’re trying to book cancelled rooms 8 days in advance.

Outside of the park though – you will see more market fluctuations in room pricing, and the closer you stay to the park, the more expensive it will be.

Don’t forget about “hidden costs” to staying outside of the park: driving time, more gas costs, YARTS fees, etc.

Commute & Park Entry

If you’re visiting in peak summer, remember that you’ll need to factor in park entry if you’re staying outside of the park.

This looks like: making an entrance reservation, waiting in lines to drive into the park, and dealing with parking once you’re inside. Or, needing to stick to a prescribed YARTS schedule to get around the park.

This can be mitigated by being an early riser (enter the park before 6:00 am), or a later-afternoon visitor – when the entry reservation timeframe has ended for the day (2:00 pm in 2025).

Remember, all lodging outside of the park is at least a 30 minute drive from Yosemite Valley, most are more like 50 min – 1 hour. If you’re planning to spend all day in the park, do you want to do an hour drive on mountain roads in the dark on the way back to your room?

The same is true for some in-park lodging though. For example, I wouldn’t stay at the Tuolumne Lodge if you want to spend most of your time in Yosemite Valley. Driving 90 minutes each way every day would be terrible!

Splitting up your stay in Yosemite if you plan to have a longer trip is definitely something to consider!

Time in Hotel Room

This one is super personal and depends on your travel style.

If seeing the park is the main focus of your trip and you’ll only be at your lodging to sleep – maybe you only need a basic bed and a small room (like in Curry Village).

But if you want to spend time at your hotel and treat is as part of the experience, or want more upscale amenities, you’ll want to look at outside-the-park lodging to give you those benefits.

For myself, I like to be up and hiking, watching sunrises and sunsets, and spending my days relaxing by the Merced or Tuolumne River vs. a pool or spa when I’m out in our National Parks. So “roughing it” by camping or in Curry Village is my idea of a great time!

Pets

If you’re traveling to Yosemite with your furry BFF, you’re going to be limited to camping inside of the park, or some private lodging options. There will be more pet availability in lodging outside of the park!

Remember, Yosemite isn’t very pet friendly. Pets are allowed on-leash, on paved and boardwalk paths only – no hiking trails. The National Forest land around Yosemite is better for the pups.

Where’s the Best Place To Stay For Me?

This so depends on your travel style and what is most important to you. But see if you match into any of these categories, and I’ll give you my best advice based on my years of visiting Yosemite:

If you only plan to see Yosemite Valley: Stay inside the park in the Valley or a hotel along CA-140 between Mariposa and El Portal. These are great places to stay when you only have one day to see Yosemite.

If you’re looking to avoid the summer crowds: Head up to Tioga Road and camp or stay at the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge. Lee Vining is another good option.

If you are visiting in summer and want to see all of Yosemite: Groveland-area lodging is best for this. You’ll have easier access to Hetch Hetchy and Tioga Road from Groveland & Buck Meadows. On my last trip through the park, I timed the drive from White Wolf to the Big Oak Flat Entrance and it’s only 30 minutes! Not too bad!

It is a little further from southern Yosemite, so if you’d rather prioritize that area vs. Hetch Hetchy, El Portal would be a better option!

If you’re visiting Yosemite in the winter: Yosemite Valley and El Portal are your best options since they are the lowest elevation, and CA-140 is the least likely road to close if there is a winter storm.

If you’re traveling with a group: Vacation house rentals in Yosemite West, Foresta, and Wawona will have the most room and come with kitchens. There are also private rentals in the western gateway town areas as well.

If you want a full-service town nearby: Oakhurst in the south is by far the biggest town near Yosemite and has fast food options, grocery stores, and more chain hotel options to stay in (think: Best Western, Holiday Inn, etc.).

If you want a luxury resort: Rush Creek Lodge and Tenaya Lodge are your best options! Choose whichever one fits better with your park plan – Rush Creek will be better for Hetch Hetchy & Tioga Road, while Tenaya Lodge is better for exploring Mariposa Grove and Glacier Point.

If you want to see Kings Canyon too: I don’t recommend staying in one spot to visit both Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon. You’ll spend way too much time driving and not enough time hiking & exploring. But if you need a day to bridge the gap between those two parks, Fish Camp and Oakhurst are the best options.

Your Perfect Yosemite Stay Awaits

I hope this guide helped you feel less overwhelmed about where to stay for your Yosemite adventure!

I know planning a trip here can feel like piecing together a giant puzzle – but it’s so worth it. Whether you decide to book one of my top picks inside the park, try your luck with last-minute cancellations, or stay just outside the gates, you’ll still get to experience Yosemite’s magic.

If you’d like personal help planning your itinerary or figuring out the perfect stay for your travel style, I offer quick 1:1 Zoom calls through my partnership with Outdoorable. It’s the easiest way to get my customized Yosemite advice: no hours lost scrolling Facebook groups or outdated forums.

👉 Click here to book a 25-minute Yosemite trip planning call with me today.

And if you still have any lingering questions, drop them in the comments below. I love helping people make the most of this amazing park!

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