If you are looking to stay in the heart of Yosemite National Park then you will love Yosemite Valley Lodge. The lodge is located close to Yosemite Falls which makes it a great base for a Yosemite vacation.
Yosemite Valley Lodge
Yosemite Valley Lodge rooms are spread over fifteen buildings. We stayed in the Manzanita Building close to the pool.
The pool is available for hotel guests free of charge. They do have a daily rate if you are not staying at the lodge but want to cool off in the pool.
One thing to know about staying in Yosemite is the hotels do not have air conditioning. We stayed in the Yosemite Valley Lodge on a day it was 95 degrees in Yosemite Valley. I am not going to lie the room was warm.
There are screen doors on both sets of doors so that air can flow through the room. We ended up taking cold showers and sitting on the bed with cold wet towels over us and the fan going to cool off.
The room was still warm at night but it definitely cooled off compared to during the day.
Yosemite Valley Lodge has great dining options available on-site including Base Camp Eatery, Starbucks and the Mountain Room Restaurant.
Starbucks and Base Camp Eatery open early so you can get breakfast and snacks before hitting the trails for the day.
The gift shop has a small grocery section with beer, some food choices and lots of souvenirs.
Yosemite National Park Entrance Fee
Remember that Yosemite National Park has an entrance fee separate from camping and lodging fees.
Park Entrance Pass - $35.00 Per private vehicle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Park Entrance Pass - Motorcycle - $30.00 Per motorcycle (valid for 1-7 days from the date of purchase)
Per-Person Entrance Pass—$20.00. Visitors 16 years of age or older who enter on foot, bicycle, or as part of an organized group not involved in a commercial tour.
Annual Yosemite Park Entrance Pass - $70.00, Admits pass holder and all passengers in a non-commercial vehicle to Yosemite National Park only. Valid for one year from the month of purchase.
America the Beautiful/National Park Pass - $80.00 (Also known as the Interagency Annual Pass or Interagency Pass) covers entrance fees for an entire year to all US National Park Sites and over 2,000 Federal Recreation Fee Sites.
This is very worthwhile if you plan a National Park vacation, especially for visitors to Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks!
The park pass covers everyone in the car for per-vehicle sites and up to 4 adults for per-person sites.
Buy on REI.com, and REI will donate 10% of pass proceeds to the National Forest Foundation, National Park Foundation, and the U.S. Endowment for Forestry & Communities.
Free Entrance Days -Mark your calendars with the annual five free entrance days the National Park Service offers.
Yosemite Lodge Map
Yosemite Valley Lodge Room - Traditional Room 1 King
We booked a traditional room with one king bed for our stay at the hotel. When you book you do not get to choose what building you stay in. We did read that people ask for Yosemite Falls views but we did not ask during our stay. We honestly were so hot with the weather we just wanted to get into the room and cool off for a while.
Our room was in the Manzanita building which is near the swimming pool. There was parking near the building that thankfully had space. There are no set parking spaces for hotel guests so you may have to walk a bit once you find a parking spot.
We would suggest parking and using the Yosemite free shuttle (YARTS) during your stay.
Our room was on the 2nd floor of the building with around 15 stairs to reach it. The room was clean and comfortable. The room was larger than we expected it to be. There was room to stretch out and relax.
We found the bed to be comfortable and easy to sleep on. It was actually hard to leave the next morning but we knew we wanted to have a full day exploring the Tioga Road and Tuolumne Meadows.
The sink and mirror are separate from the toilet and shower making it really easy for two people to get ready in the morning. There is a small college dorm size refrigerator below the sink that was large enough to hold drinks and snacks.
The shower has shampoo, conditioner, and soap so you don't need to pack them if you are ok with hotel amenities.
Amenities
Private bathroom
Hairdryer
Small table and chairs
Small refrigerator
Coffee Maker
TV
Fan
Things to know when planning a stay at the Yosemite Valley Lodge
Check-In at 4:00 pm
Check-Out by 11:00 am
Smoking is strictly prohibited at all accommodations and buildings in Yosemite.
Pets: no pets allowed on the property.
WIFI: WiFi bandwidth is limited in Yosemite National Park. The WiFi is only recommended for checking email or some (very) light web browsing.
Location: Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Valley Lodge Address:
9006 Yosemite Lodge Dr.
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
Phone:
(888) 413-8869
Yosemite Valley Lodge Reservations
Click here to book your stay at the Yosemite Valley Lodge.
Additional Yosemite National Park Resources
Complete Guide to Exploring Yosemite National Park - Complete guide to exploring Yosemite National Park.
Make sure also to check out my articles on Things to do in Yosemite, 1-Day in Yosemite guide, Curry Village, Yosemite Winter Guide, Yosemite Falls, Bridalveil Falls, Yosemite Valley Guide, Glacier Point, Tunnel View, Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Midnight Yosemite Valley Floor Tour, and Bracebridge Dinner - which I have selected as one of my top 100 Experiences in the U.S. National Park!
Yosemite National Park Lodges
Complete Guide to Yosemite National Park Lodges - Guide to all of Yosemite National Park Lodges, including a map showing each location in the park. National Park Lodges include The Ahwahnee Hotel, Wawona Hotel , Curry Village Cabins, and Tuolumne Meadows Lodge.
Yosemite National Park Campgrounds
Yosemite National Park Camping Guide - Guide to all of Yosemite National Park's campgrounds including a map showing their location within the park. Campgrounds include the North Pines Campground, Upper Pines Campground, Lower Pines Campground, Camp 4, Wawona Campground, Housekeeping Camp, Hodgdon Meadow Campground, Porcupine Flat Campground, Bridalveil Creek Campground, Crane Flat Campground, Tamarack Flat Campground, Tuolumne Meadows Campground, and Yosemite Creek Campground.
Additional Information on Oakhurst/Bass Lake, California
Guide to exploring Oakhurst, California, the southern entrance to Yosemite
Bass Lake Camping Guide, including the Lupine Campground and the Cedar Bluff Campground.
Check out all of the National Parks in California and neighboring National Parks in Oregon, National Parks in Nevada, and National Parks in Arizona.
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