If you’re thinking about coming to Yosemite one of the first things you’ll wonder is where to stay in Yosemite National Park. We’ve got all the information to help you out. First, you’ll have two questions to answer.
Are you looking to stay in a hotel or camp? Do you want to stay inside Yosemite Valley or outside?
There are pros and cons to each choice, but lucky for you we’ll cover that all right here and make sure you pick the best place to stay in Yosemite National Park.
When you enter Yosemite National Park, you’re still about an hour from the Yosemite Valley Floor. Of course, staying as close as possible to the Valley Floor is ideal, but unless you’re camping, vacancies are limited and prices will be high.
There are two true hotel options on the Yosemite Valley Floor, The Ahwahnee Hotel and Yosemite Valley Lodge.
The Ahwahnee Hotel:
Formerly known as the Majestic Yosemite Hotel, the Ahwahnee hotel is by far the premium lodging option. I’ll just start off saying that this option will be very expensive. However, if you’re willing and able to stay at the Ahwahnee Hotel, do it. This hotel is incredible and full of history. You can expect to pay $500+ per night to stay here.
Regardless if you stay at the Ahwahnee Hotel or not, make sure you visit and walk around. The hotel has a fine dining restaurant, stunning architecture, enormous fireplaces, and a few gift shops to pick up a keepsake.
Yosemite Valley Lodge:
The second option is much more affordable and still provides a prime location on the Valley Floor. Here you’ll have some dining and drinking options on site, free WiFi, comfortable living quarters, and more. You can expect to pay anywhere between $250 – $350 per night to stay at the Yosemite Valley Lodge. If you decide to stay on the Valley Floor, this would be my recommendation.
You can check the availability of both these hotels as well as perks and nearby attractions here.
Other Options on the Valley Floor:
Although these options won’t be as glamorous as the two hotels, they’re much more economically friendly.
Camping:
Are you a camper? If you are, there are plenty of camping sites on the Valley Floor. These sites are cheap and provide everything you need. There are bathrooms and showers on site, water fountains, parking, and keeps you on the Valley Floor. Some sites also allow pets and RVs, be sure to check the NPS website to check for details.
Camping Structures:
If you don’t like traditional camping but want to save some money, try Housekeeping Camp and Half Dome Village. Housekeeping Camp is a solid structure camping option that comes with electricity. At Half Dome Village you can reserve a canvas tent nicer and more spacious than your average camping tent. Both of these options come with onsite bathroom, shower and laundry facilities. As well as a small grocery store which you can happily pay premium price for food.
What We Did:
My group and I decided to stay outside of Yosemite Valley. Obviously, the one con associated with this is you’ll need to drive to everything rather than walking. However, if you’re okay with staying 45 minutes from the valley then there are plenty of options at very affordable prices. I would strongly recommend looking into an Airbnb. Below is the Airbnb that my group booked for the week.
During our trip to Yosemite National Park we stayed at the “Foxes Lair” Airbnb which came out to about $170 per night. This condo was about 40 minutes from the Valley Floor, but a scenic drive through Yosemite National Park is hardly a bad thing. When driving to and from the Foxes Lair you’ll pass the iconic Tunnel View overlook. The road to Glacier Point, which is a must see attraction, is also right next to the Foxes Lair Airbnb. So, although this location isn’t on the Valley Floor, it’s still in a prime location for other attractions. If you’re interested in booking the Foxes Lair that has multiple condos, check out the link below.
There are plenty of other NPS approved lodging options as well as Airbnb, HomeAway, VRBO, and more privately owned options. Truthfully, anywhere you stay in Yosemite National Park will be incredible. I hope this advice helps make your trip even better!
For more Yosemite insight, check more of my blogs like the Complete Guide to Hiking Half Dome or videos on my YouTube channel below where I upload my travel experiences.
