Yosemite National Park guide · 1 min read
From Tent Cabins to The Ahwahnee
Every room, cabin and tent bed inside Yosemite is run by Yosemite Hospitality. The choices stretch from simple tent cabins at the High Sierra Camps to deluxe rooms at The Ahwahnee.
Bookings open 366 days ahead, and reserving early is strongly recommended, especially for holidays and the busy months from spring through fall. If the park is full, private lodging in neighboring communities is the fallback.
The Ahwahnee is the park's only luxury hotel, set in the middle of Yosemite Valley. It is a national historic landmark known for its granite facade, massive stone hearths and Native American artwork. Guests come for the fine dining and the architecture, and rooms look out toward Half Dome, Glacier Point or the West Valley.
For a simpler stay in the valley, Yosemite Valley Lodge sits near the base of Yosemite Falls, with several places to eat and easy access to popular sights. Far to the south, the Wawona Hotel is a historic Victorian lodge near the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. It grew out of Clark's Station, built by Galen Clark, the first state-appointed guardian of Yosemite.
The High Sierra Camps offer a very different night: a canvas tent cabin and meals deep in the high country. The High Sierra Camp Loop links Tuolumne Meadows with the Vogelsang, Merced Lake, Sunrise, May Lake and Glen Aulin camps over 48.2 miles, climbing about 6,450 feet through meadows, forests and passes. Permit demand is high, and the backcountry campgrounds near these camps require a wilderness permit.
Yosemite also has 13 campgrounds, and reservations can be very hard to get in the busy season. Keep in mind that sleeping in a car or RV is allowed only in a campsite you have registered for.
