Where to Stay in Yosemite National Park

This is the floor of the valley, where Yosemite Lodge and The Ahwahnee sit along Northside Drive between Yosemite Falls and Half Dome Village. You can walk from your room to Lower Yosemite Fall in about 10 minutes, or hop the free Valley Shuttle that loops past every major trailhead. The trade-off is crowds. Curry Village fills up by 4pm in July, and the day-use parking at Yosemite Village is gone by 9am. Book here if it's your first trip and you want Half Dome framed by your dinner table at The Ahwahnee Dining Room. Skip it if you came for solitude.

Best for

First-time visitorsphotographersanyone who can't drive

Walk times

Lower Yosemite Fall from Yosemite Lodge 10 min
the Merced River from Curry Village 5 min
the Mist Trail trailhead via shuttle stop 16 15 min

Skip if: You hate crowds or want quiet evenings

Local tip: Book the Valley Shuttle stop nearest your lodging. Walking from Curry Village to Yosemite Lodge takes 35 minutes and the shuttle takes 8.

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Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$314per night

Wawona

South entrance. Mariposa Grove giants. Half the people.

Luxury $220-$450/night

Wawona sits 27 miles south of Yosemite Valley on Highway 41, about a 45-minute drive without traffic. The Wawona Hotel has been here since 1879, with a wraparound porch overlooking a 9-hole golf course and the South Fork of the Merced. Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is a 10-minute drive south, and the shuttle from the Wawona parking area runs every 15 minutes in summer. You won't see Half Dome from your window, but you also won't sit in valley traffic at 7am. Pioneer Yosemite History Center is a 5-minute walk from the hotel.

Best for

Couplesrepeat visitorssequoia-focused trips

Walk times

Pioneer Yosemite History Center 5 min
the South Fork swimming holes 2 min
drive to Mariposa Grove shuttle 10 min

Skip if: You want to be in the valley before sunrise without driving

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$246per night

Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Road

High country. Open four months a year.

Luxury $180-$380/night

Tuolumne Meadows sits at 8,600 feet along Tioga Road (Highway 120), and the road only opens late May to early November depending on snowpack. The Tuolumne Meadows Lodge has been closed for rehabilitation but tent cabins and the campground reopen seasonally. White Wolf Lodge sits 31 miles west along Tioga Road. From here you can hike to Cathedral Lakes in 3 hours round trip, or drive 30 minutes east to Tioga Pass and Mono Lake. It's cooler than the valley by 15 degrees in July, and the stargazing past Olmsted Point is the best in the park.

Best for

Backpackerssummer hikerspeople who hate heat

Walk times

the Tuolumne River from the lodge area 20 min
Soda Springs along the meadow trail 45 min
drive to Olmsted Point 30 min

Skip if: You're visiting between November and May

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$202per night

El Portal and Mariposa (gateway towns)

Sleep outside the gate. Save half the price.

Mid-range $120-$280/night

El Portal sits 14 miles west of Yosemite Valley on Highway 140, just outside the Arch Rock entrance. Yosemite View Lodge and Cedar Lodge line the Merced River here, and the drive to Yosemite Village takes 25 minutes if you leave before 8am. Mariposa is 30 miles further west on Highway 140, with motels along Charles Street and 7th Street starting under $150 in shoulder season. The YARTS bus runs from Mariposa to the valley four times daily in summer, which means you can skip the entrance line entirely. Trade-off: you're driving 50 minutes each way every day.

Best for

Budget travelersfamiliesanyone visiting in peak summer

Walk times

the Merced River from Yosemite View Lodge 3 min
downtown Mariposa shops on Charles Street 10 min
the YARTS stop at Mariposa County Courthouse 2 min

Skip if: You want to catch sunrise from Tunnel View without setting an alarm for 4am

Local tip: Take YARTS from Mariposa for $15 round trip. You skip the entrance queue and don't pay the $35 vehicle fee.

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Prices shown for 1 room, 2 adults. Click to see current availability.

$134per night