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Yosemite

Not that Bob

By Not that Bob
in Food and Travel

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mdmost

mdmost 43001

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Our family of 4 went in 2018 and stayed at Yosemite Valley Lodge. Since we were from out of state and weren't driving there from Texas, we didn't want to try camping there so the Lodge worked well. You're close to everything and can take the shuttle to different parts of the park floor. You can either walk or shuttle over to the Visitors Center for food and tours. There's a food court and sit down restaurant at the Visitors Center. You can walk to most of the sites on the Valley floor. We didn't get to do the Mariposa Grove as it was closed at the time. I think it just reopened after the fire close by was contained. We enjoyed the Valley Floor tour and the Glacier Point tour. They also offer some evening activities like star gazing. 

https://www.yosemite.com/lodging/hotels/yosemite-valley-lodge/
 

https://www.yosemite.com/things-to-do/yosemite-tours/

We came in on the tailend of a trip to San Francisco and Monterey. Our route took us through the town of Mariposa and then I went down to enter from the South Gate. Just make sure you stop off at Tunnel View. 

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Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45687

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5 hours ago, Not that Bob said:

No kids. Fancy lodge. End of September first of October 4 days. Easy hiking...olds...but not crippled. 

Hoping you mean 2023 because I would be shocked if there's anything left for this year.

Also, drive up Tioga Road to Tuolumne Meadows one day.  Pretty part of the Yosemite high country.

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Gil Bang

Gil Bang 25959

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I got the best dog I've ever had in the parking lot of Raley's market in Oakhurst.  Was one of a dozen fleabitten pups in a makeshift wooden cage in the back of a rusty, shitty 56 ford F100.   They were giving the dogs away.  The wife and I accepted the pup, and then I went back into the market and dropped 60 bucks or so (in 1985 dollars) in flea medicine, puppy food, etc. 

Hell of a dog.  Aussie/Chow mix.  Really sweet with a perfect mean streak.  She bit all the right people. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
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shnsajax

shnsajax 3591

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Hoping you mean 2023 because I would be shocked if there's anything left for this year.
Also, drive up Tioga Road to Tuolumne Meadows one day.  Pretty part of the Yosemite high country.

Pretty much all of that is 12 months in advance at the very minimum. That said you might be able to get someone’s cancellation if lucky. Always worth a shot if you can do it.
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harold

harold 81

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We booked in January 2021 for a trip in May of 2021 and ended up staying in Wawona.  It was about 45 minutes to the valley floor and it was certainly not a fancy lodge.  We stayed in a small, 60s era cabin that was very clean but far from posh.  The best possible version of a Yosemite trip needs to be planned at least 18 months out.  

Having said that, our trip was absolutely incredible.  We went the week before Memorial day and never had trouble parking in the valley or super congested hikes.  The weather was also perfect.  One thing that the kids (7 and 10) loved was renting bikes and seeing the valley that way.  The food inside the gates was generally not very good as is common in national parks, but there was a decent pizza place/bar in Curry village that hit the spot.  Our big hike was taking the mist trail all the way to Nevada falls.  It ended up being 10 miles 2500 feet in elevation gain, which was about the max we could expect the kids to handle.

We will be going back as we did not hit Toulumne due to staying so far south.  Getting a half dome permit hiking Cloud's rest will also be on the agenda.

We flew in and out of Fresno and paired Yosemite with 2 days in Sequoia/King's canyon.  It was lots of driving but that always comes with NP trips.  Everyone should go to Yosemite at least once in their life.

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Hornbeliever

Hornbeliever 712

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I booked in March 2022 for a late June trip and tried many times to get Ahwahnee and failed.  A friend who has stayed there various times said to call 10 days before and try to get a cancellation as she has had luck with that but that didn't work for us.

Yosemite is amazing and wish we could go back soon.  I recommend renting bikes and riding between hiking trails (easy ones from your olds comment).  It's never that steep if that is a concern.

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  • 7 months later...
Guest

Guest

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So was looking a PNW this summer, but the flights were really bad and expensive. Shifted gears to fly into San Jose, with a visit to Yosemite/Sierra Nevada in mid-July. Never been to Yosemite before and see that everything is booked up in the park. Found one campsite for a couple of nights north of there. Interested in hearing other recs if anyone has them.

Open to campgrounds or reasonable hotels/motels anywhere in the Sierra Nevada. We plan to visit Yosemite, but understand it may be not so great given the crowds this time of year. So any other parks or sights are recommended. 

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