NOTE: Park entrance fees as of this writing is $30 per vehicle and permits are valid for 7 days. Please check the park website for any updates or changes.

There are so many places to stay within Yosemite National Park, The Valley, and even some places just outside of the Park. We will be in Yosemite from 6/13/16-6/18/16 staying at Cedar Lodge in El Portal (info below). It would be wonderful for everyone to stay in the same area for evening BBQ's or for carpooling to the Valley in the mornings. However, we understand the closer you are to the Valley, the more expensive it is, so please find a spot that's right for you, your family, and your budget. It is important to note that the park itself is HUGE (about the size of Rhode Island) and any place that states they are just so many minutes from the 'entrance' is likely 1-2 hours from the Valley, which by itself is about 8 miles long. Also consider that a place that might cost a little more but has a kitchen will save immensely on eating out.

Travel tip: A good way to figure travel time from lodging outside of the Valley is to map to Curry Village and estimate an average of 30 miles per hour. If staying outside of the park, also consider that traffic can be very heavy in summer and bottleneck at the entrance stations and where the highways converge in the Valley during peak times.

Below is some information to help with your search. If in doubt, give us a shout! We have done extensive research on the area and one of us has visited the park and traveled all three major roads in and out of the Valley and may be able to provide additional insight. Also, if you are going solo and would like to be matched up with some others, please let us know and we may be able to connect some folks together for shared accommodations or travel.

Yosemite Valley - Inside park boundary. Operated by the concessionaire. All hotel rooms are likely booked but there may be some tent cabins and campsites available. Please read descriptions of accommodations before booking as some options are in the high country quite a ways from the Valley. www.yosemitepark.com

Yosemite West- Inside park boundary. One of the closest accommodations to the park, about 20-30 minutes to the Valley. This is a private neighborhood inside the park that has a number of cabins/homes and several condos available.

www.scenicwonders.com

www.yosemitewestreservations.com

You may also try www.airbnb.com or www.vrbo.com.

Wawana area- Inside park boundary, about an hour to the Valley, (Yosemite West is halfway between Wawana and the Valley)

The historic Wawana Hotel is here but may be booked . It is operated by the park (see above link) and you can visit their website to check for cancellations. Please note that due to its historic nature, this lodging may contain rooms that have shared bathrooms.

The Redwoods- is a residential hamlet near Wawana. There are a number of cabins available at the time of this writing. Bear in mind, one of the selling points is its proximity to the Mariposa sequoia grove, however, the grove is closed for restoration through 2017. http://www.redwoodsinyosemite.com/.

***Each of the routes to the main entrances to the park have areas where there are hotels and lodges; some are closer to the valley than others. The following list will offer some places and recommendations for each of the main roads into the park; accommodations are listed from those that are closest to those that are farthest from the gate.

Hwy 140 to Arch Rock Entrance:

Highway 140 is considered one of the All Weather Routes to Yosemite National Park as this road is the lowest elevation choice (about 3,000 ft elevation near Midpines.)

El Portal: Just outside of park boundary. Some of the closest accommodations to Yosemite Valley are in a small hamlet known as El Portal. There is a motel/hotel and a bed and breakfast there: the Yosemite View Lodge (in El Portal) and Yosemite Blue Butterfly Inn (bed and breakfast). These are located alongside the Merced River and about 5-10 minutes from the Arch Rock entry station. About 8 miles further down river toward Mariposa is Cedar Lodge. The Indian Flat RV Park has a few tent cabins and cottages. There are restaurants and a small grocery store in El Portal, and there is a (very expensive) gas station located there as well. 20-35 minutes from Yosemite Valley provided there is minimal vehicle back-up at entrance station.

Farther away is a rustic lodge called the Yosemite Bug located in Midpines; the Bug also offers hostel accommodations. 60 minutes from Yosemite Valley

Mariposa: Outside park boundary. The nearest large town to Yosemite on Hwy 140 is the gold rush era town of Mariposa. There are a number of chain motels, bed and breakfasts and restaurants in the Mariposa area. Count on about a 45 minute drive from Mariposa to the Arch Rock entrance or 65-80 minutes to the Valley. http://www.yosemiteexperience.com/ is the website of the Mariposa County Visitor's Bureau for more detailed hotel information. A listing of Bed and Breakfasts can be found at http://www.yosemitebnbs.com/.

Hwy 120 to Big Oak Flat entrance:

Highway 120 is another one of the highways that is open year round. It is the closest entrance to San Francisco Airport. Most of the places to stay along this stretch of Hwy 120 can be found at www.StayNearYosemite.com . Note that this route goes up to 6,192 ft in elevation at Crane Flat inside Yosemite National Park, but chains can be purchased at the gate in the extremely unlikely event of snow in June.

Outside park boundary. The closest accommodation to this end of the park is the Sunset Inn cabins which are actually just off Hwy 120 on Hardin Flat Road. There are also a few private cabins at The Spinning Wheel. The Evergreen Lodge is a lodge and camping facility that caters to families. Evergreen has a restaurant on the premises and is located on Evergreen Road, six miles from the gate to Hetch Hetchy. It offers a more rustic experience with evening programs offered in lieu of television or cable entertainment. They also offer a nightly bar-b-que around the pool. Note that the Evergreen Lodge is not inside the Park (incorrectly listed on the TripAdvisor hotel page.)

Buck Meadows: Outside park boundary, 50-60 min to Valley. The next settlement along Hwy 120 is Buck Meadows, although any place in the greater area will have a Groveland address. Buck Meadows is located 12 miles from the gate to the park. It has a selection of lodging facilities including a B & B, cabins, an RV park with full hookups, and a motel. There is also a restaurant, a small store and gas station. The Yosemite Westgate Lodge, the Yosemite Ridge Resort and the Blackberry Inn Bed and Breakfast are located in the general area.

Groveland: Outside park boundary. Groveland is located 23 miles from the Hwy 120 park entrance, 70-80 minutes to Yosemite Valley. It is also a gold-rush era town and boasts one of the oldest continuously operating bars in the state, the Iron Door Saloon (now also a family friendly restaurant.) This area does not have larger chain motels. However, there are a large number of B&B's and historic hotels including the Groveland Hotel and Hotel Charlotte, as well as vacation rentals and RV facilties. Budget travelers might like the Oso Hostel's dorm rooms or private rooms. The Yosemite Lakes compound has campsites, RV sites, yurts, and cabins.

Count on about a 30 minute drive from Groveland itself to the Big Oak Flat entrance, then another 45 minutes to the valley floor or 1½ hours to Tuolumne Meadows. Since many accommodations are listed as "Groveland", check to see if they are closer or farther to the National Park entrance than the town of Groveland itself.

Hwy 41 to Southern entrance:

This route is also open year round, but has more elevation changes and curves on the road. Hwy 41/ Wawona Road is 5,000' at the South Entrance, down to 4,000' at Wawona, up to 6,039' at Chinquapin, and finally down to 4,000' at Yosemite Valley.

Fish Camp: Outside park boundary. The small community of Fish Camp is just minutes away from the southern gate but count on 50-60 minutes to reach the valley from the South Entrance. Fish Camp offers the largest full service hotel near the park: The Tenaya Lodge. It is parked owned and operated by the concessionaire. There are restaurants, a pool and all amenities available here year round. In the winter there is also a snow park nearby. Other facilities in Fish Camp include three bed and breakfasts, Big Creek Inn Tin Lizzie Inn and Little Ahwahnee Inn, as well as the Narrow Gauge Inn hotel. The White Chief Mountain Lodge is another basic option.

Oakhurst /Bass Lake: Outside park boundary. About 1/2 hour from the southern gate and 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hrs from the Valley is the town of Oakhurst. There are many hotels, chain motels, and B&B's in this area, as well as a full range of restaurants from fine dining to fast food. The Bass Lake area, about 10 minutes out of town, has vacation rental homes and a small village with restaurants, a market, and boat rentals.

CAMPING: There are many, many options for those who like roughing it. Please touch base with us and we can hopefully point you in the right direction.

Commercial Airports Near Yosemite

Fresno-Yosemite International (FAT)
Drive north on Highway 41 to Yosemite. Allow about 1.5 hours to the park's South Entrance or 2.5 hours to Yosemite Valley.

Merced Airport (MCE)
Drive east on Highway 140 to Yosemite. Allow about two hours to Yosemite Valley.

Modesto City-County Airport (MOD)
Drive east on Highway 120 to Yosemite (or head south on Highway 99 to Merced, then take Highway 140 east into Yosemite). Allow about 1.5 hours to the park's Big Oak Flat or Arch Rock Entrance or about two hours to Yosemite Valley.

Commercial Airports in the Bay Area

San Francisco International (SFO)
Drive on Highway 580 east to Highway 205 east to Highway 120 east to Yosemite (you can also take Highway 99 south to Merced, then Highway 140 east into Yosemite). Allow about four hours to the park's Big Oak Flat or Arch Rock Entrance or five hours to Yosemite Valley.

Oakland International (OAK)
Drive on Highway 580 east to Highway 205 east to Highway 120 east to Yosemite (you can also take Highway 99 south to Merced, then Highway 140 east into Yosemite). Allow about four hours to the park's Big Oak Flat or Arch Rock Entrance or five hours to Yosemite Valley.

San José International (SJC)
Drive on Highway 880 north to 580 east to Highway 205 east to Highway 120 east to Yosemite (you can also take Highway 99 south to Merced, then Highway 140 east into Yosemite). Allow about four hours to the park's Big Oak Flat or Arch Rock Entrance or five hours to Yosemite Valley.

Commercial Airports North and East of Yosemite

Sacramento International (SMF)
Drive south on Highway 99 to either Highway 120 or Highway 140 east to Yosemite. Allow about four hours to Yosemite Valley.

Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH)

Late May/June through October/November, depending on conditions
Drive north on US 395 to Highway 120 west into Yosemite. Allow about an hour to Tioga Pass Entrance or 2.5 hours to Yosemite Valley. (Check on the status of the Tioga Road.)

All year
Drive north on US 395 to Highway 88, then take Highway 88 west to its junction with Highway 99. Once on Highway 99, drive south to either Highway 120 or Highway 140 east into Yosemite. Allow about seven hours to Yosemite Valley.

Reno/Tahoe International (RNO)

Late May/June through October/November, depending on conditions
Drive south on US 395 to Highway 120 west into Yosemite. Allow about 3.5 hours to Tioga Pass Entrance or five hours to Yosemite Valley. (Check on the status of the Tioga Road.)

This is not an all inclusive list but gives an idea of just some of the infinite once in a lifetime experiences you can have. If there is something you are particular interested in, let us know as we may already have additional information and references.

This website is the direct link to Yosemite and will be a great tool to you when you are getting ready to plan your stay

http://www.yosemitepark.com/default.aspx

Some photos that will make you fall in love with Yosemite

http://www.rsvlts.com/2014/02/06/yosemite-travel/.

For a great 15min idea of what Yosemite has to offer, here is a link to a ranger made video about Yosemite

http://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=F8790915-E5C3-6F36-E64E7BEB175886A9

Some popular things to do and see

http://www.yosemitepark.com/what-to-see.aspx

Here is a top 10 must see list

http://www.yosemite.com/things-to-do/

Here is a link to the shuttle system and guided tours of the valley

http://www.yosemitepark.com/valley-floor-tour.aspx

A couple of links to helping you plan your stay

http://www.wikihow.com/Plan-a-Trip-to-Yosemite-Valley

http://www.nps.gov/YOSE/planyourvisit/index.htm