Best Lodging Options for visiting Yosemite National Park

Since moving to San Francisco in 2016, I have gotten the opportunity to visit Yosemite National Park at least 3-4 times every year. The park is so big that it is not hard to find some new place to explore every time I visit. I will write another post on my favorite things to do in Yosemite but for now I want to discuss different lodging options inside the park and the aspects I like or do not like about them.

All accommodation options being discussed below can be booked here. Pro tip: If you are traveling for multiple nights and are having difficulty finding a reservation – I would still recommend booking whatever night is available. Options keep opening up due to cancellations so it is easier to book one night at a time. You may be able to get your reservations merged by calling the reservation help-desk (although this isn’t always possible). 

You can also find hotels and AirBNBs outside the park but I would highly recommend staying inside the park, if you can, as this will save a lot of time in commuting in and out of the park. 

Below I am listing all non-camping stay options inside the park (camping is even harder to find). If you plan to stay in the valley, your options are Housekeeping Camp, Curry Village, Yosemite Valley Lodge and Ahwahnee Hotel. If you want to explore the east side of the park, you should consider Tuolumne Meadows Lodge. For the West, Wawona hotel is your option.

Housekeeping Camp

Located in the Valley, Housekeeping camp is a preferred option for many visitors who want to camp but find it hard to reserve a campsite or do not want to deal with the hassle of setting-up a tent. The accommodation is very basic with concrete walls on three sides and canvas in the front and the top. The room we got had a double size cot and a bunk bed with a mattress on both. Guests can either bring their own sleeping bags, pillows and towels or rent it at the front desk. Each camp also has a front porch with wooden walls for privacy.

There are two different kinds of units to reserve 1. Standard unit 2. Riverside unit. They both cost the same but riverside units get booked sooner as they are closer to the river. We stayed in a standard unit but the walk to the river was just about 2-3 minutes. More details can be found here. Housekeeping camp is closed during winter months (mid October – March).

Highlights

1. Allows cooking – This is the only accommodation option in Yosemite (other than campsites) that allows cooking. Our unit had a bench-table set-up in the front porch which was pretty convenient for cooking. They also have a fire pit with a grill, for each unit, that can be used for cooking too. 
2. Parking next to the camp – Each unit allows parking next to it which makes it super convenient to load/unload stuff from your car.
3. Access to the Fire pit – Perfect for chilly evenings or ending your day with S’mores. 
4. Located next to Merced River – Makes it perfect for water activities. There are many points from where you can enter the river. There is a dedicated beach area too. I saw families having a great time swimming in the river or floating in their tubes. 
5. Cheapest of all – This is the cheapest option inside the park (other than campsites) starting at 113 USD per night including taxes.

Lowlights

1. Availability – Housekeeping Camp is one of the harder ones to find a reservation at. However, if you keep checking often, you might be able to find a spot. 
2. Shared bathroom – Bathrooms are shared. Cleanliness is average. There is a shower room close to the registration office. 
3. Maintenance can be better – Mattress is ok, not super comfortable. The walls have some little holes that make you wonder if something will crawl out of it 🙂 It was not a big deal for us as we took it as a part of being out in the nature. 
4. Rooms cannot be locked – There is no way to lock your room as the front is made of canvas. You can tie them up to get some privacy. The park is in general safe so this was not a big concern but if you have valuable items, you probably want to store them in the trunk of your car. 

Curry Village

One of the most popular options in the Valley due to the availability of amenities like a store, restaurant, pizza place, Peet’s Coffee etc. Curry village offers several different kinds of accommodation options like Wooden Cabins with private bathrooms, Wooden Cabins with shared bathrooms to heated and non-heated Canvas tents for different group sizes. Canvas tents are priced starting at 165 USD per night including taxes. More details can be found here.

Highlights 

1. Rooms come with linens – Irrespective of what kind of accommodation you book, all rooms have bed sheets, comforters and towels. 
2. Peace of mind with the doors that lock – All cabins and tents have a wooden door that can be locked.
3. Easy to reserve – Curry Village is the easiest one to find availability. If you can’t find it the first time, just check again in a few hours. 
4. Restaurant on site – Curry Village has a couple of restaurants and coffee shops which serves a variety of different options. Their pizza place always has a long line. They also have a grocery/gift shop in case you forgot to pack something.
5. Open all year round – They do not close during winter.
6. Ice Skating Rink – They have a wonderful ice-skating rink which is open during winter months. You may not have seen such a scenic rink in your life before 🙂

Lowlights

1. Feels crowded – The canvas tents are situated next to each other with a gap of a meter or two which makes it feel a bit crowded. Also, there is no sound insulation so you can easily hear the person in the next tent.
2. No cooking allowed – Curry Village does not allow cooking near the tents. There are a couple of picnic tables in the parking lot where you can cook. 
3. Far from parking – There is a dedicated parking lot for guests which means you will need to carry your stuff from parking to your tent which could be a bit of a walk. Yosemite does not allow you to store any food or scented items in your car so you need to carry them and store them in the bear container next to your tent. There are some bear containers available in the parking lot too. 

Yosemite Valley Lodge

Valley lodge is like any other good hotel but what makes it special is the location – It’s inside the park, in the valley. After you spend a few nights at Housekeeping Camp or Curry Village, this place will feel like a 5-star accommodation! More details can be found here.

Highlights

1. Very comfortable – You will have everything you need for a comfortable stay – private bathroom with a bathtub, comfortable beds, coffee machine, small refrigerator etc. All rooms come with a balcony. 
2. Parking option closer to the room – There are few different buildings in the Valley lodge – each come with their own parking lot. So, it is possible that you can find parking close to your room. All food and scented items need to be stored in the room. 
3. Restaurant and store on site – There are two different restaurants at the Valley Lodge with a lot of different options. There is also a store which sells all basic things you would need.

Lowlights

1. Expensive – The rooms can cost around 290 – 350 USD per night including taxes. It adds up quickly if you are staying in the park for multiple nights.
2. Wifi – It’s only available in the hotel reception area.

Ahwahnee Hotel

A luxury hotel in Yosemite Valley. I have never stayed here because it is beyond my budget but I would consider it to celebrate a special occasion. The rooms start at about 550 USD per night. The hotel has a gift shop, a dining room and a bar. For the dining room, you need to make a reservation and follow the dress code. More details can be found here.

Highlights 

1. Luxury and comfort – Beautiful historic building. The hotel provides everything you need to have a great time including a swimming pool. 

Lowlights 

1. Expensive – Can be outside the budget for many people.

Tuolumne Meadows Lodge

If you plan to stay in the Tuolumne Meadows area (which I highly recommend) then this is your only stay option (other than campsite). This lodge is located on Tioga Road close to the East entrance of the park. Tuolumne Meadows features canvas cabins similar to curry village, just a bit more spread out. Each room has 4 Twin Beds or 1 Double Bed with 2 Twin Beds, Sheets, Pillows, Towels, Lanterns, Wood Burning Stove, Firewood (no additional charge). More details can be found here.

Just FYI, the lodge was closed in 2021 and 2022 due to COVID. In general, it is closed during winter and spring months when Tioga road is closed due to snow. 

Highlights

1. Located next to Tuolumne River – You can have your morning coffee or afternoon picnic right next to this beautiful river.
2. Restaurant on site – The lodge has a restaurant onsite which serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Make a reservation to ensure you get a spot. 
3. Public fire rink – There is a fire rink next to the restaurant where you can enjoy campfire along with fellow campers.

Lowlights

1. Shared facilities – Shared toilets and shower rooms. Cleanliness is average.
2. Heating in the room – Because of the higher elevation, it can get pretty cold at night even during summer months. All rooms have a wood burning stove for heating but this means you need to get up at night to add firewood so the fire keeps going.

Wawona Hotel

The only accommodation option on the west side of the park. Wawona Hotel is a historic building with Victorian charm built in 1856. This features rooms with or without private bathrooms. The rooms without bathrooms start at 165 USD per night including taxes whereas the rooms with bathroom are 255 USD per night. 

Most rooms open onto an expansive veranda where you can relax on an Adirondack chair and enjoy the views of the beautiful lawn. More details can be found here. 

Highlights

1. Comfortable rooms – Irrespective of what type you book, the rooms are very comfortable. They are comparable to any other good hotel. Rooms feature a comfortable bed, side tables, chest with towels and bathrobes.
2. Cleanliness – The shared facilities like toilet and shower rooms were super clean.
3. Restaurant on site – Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner – probably one of the best options in the Wawona area. 

Lowlights

1. Limited options to explore – Wawona does not have as many things to see or do when compared to Yosemite Valley. You can explore Merced Grove or drive to Taft point, Sentinel Dome and Glacier point. I would not recommend exploring Yosemite Valley while staying in Wawona as that would be too much of a commute.

Hope this gives you a great idea about the different options and can help you plan your next Yosemite trip. My personal favorite is Housekeeping Camp if I plan to stay in the valley – mostly because they let you cook at the camp and it has access to a river. Otherwise, Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, as I love that part of the Park.