Tenaya Lodge or Camp Curry?

[Olaf]

We're heading to Yosemite for a couple of days at the end of May. They only thing still left in the park are the tents at Camp Curry. After reading the reviews at Tripadvisor.com, I'm a little leery. There's still room at Tenaya Lodge, the down side being that it's not in the park. I really don't know what to do. Traveling with DH and DS age 13. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[eduk8r26]

I stayed in the tent cabins years ago and they weren't bad. You have beds with blankets and sheets and wooden floors and a light. You can't keep food in there, but the nice thing is you are right in Yosemite Village. You can rent bikes or walk or take a free shuttle bus anywhere you want to go.

 

[CPT Tripss]

We are also going to be there the end of May and ran into the same issue with lodging. The Curry cabins were OK, when we were there in September but the tents?! It area was crowded, a bit loud, and ever since I stopped doing the boonies in fatigues and a steel pot, I want indoor plumbing. Not sure whether the tents are heated. Tenaya Lodge appears to be very nice, but it is a distance from the Valley, although it is close to the giants.

At any rate we opted for a condo across the "highway" from the road up to Glacier Point. It's a gamble I was willing to take to get "in" the park and be closer to the Valley . . . plus we'll be up to the point a few times if the road is open. The loft unit might work for your family and they also have cabins.

Try this site for info http://www.scenicwonders.com/rentals.html - if it got ***ed out try w w w dot scenicwonders dot com. As I said, I haven't been there yetso all I know is what's on the web.

I sure would like to hear if others have stayed here.

 

[ScooterL]

The tent cabins are ok if you're willing to rough it a bit. As eduk8r26 said, you'll have a bed and you're IN the Valley, though you can't keep food/toiletries in the tent with you. And all the restroom facilities are shared.

The tents are pretty close together and it can be noisy, though "quiet time" starts at 10:00 p.m., and I think people are pretty good about observing that.

If you're at Tenaya Lodge you're looking at a drive of about an hour each way to get to/from the Valley - if you're only going to the Valley one day, and are doing Glacier Point/Mariposa Grove on other days then staying at Tenaya won't be so out of the way. There's also the Redwood Cottages: http://redwoodsinyosemite.com/ - these are privately owned homes near Wawona and many of them are available for rent. These aren't a whole lot closer to the Valley than Tenaya Lodge, though.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I stayed at a cabin from the Scenic Wonders site (Yosemite West) last November, and personally, I like the redwoodsinyosemite.com better, near Wawona. The land is flatter there, there is a stream nearby, a small waterfall a half hour walk away, and a small grocery store, as well as stables (open in summer), and a gas station. At Yosemite West there is nothing there but cabins & a windy road, so once you're at the cabin, there really isn't much of an opportunity to explore (just my opinion, of course). Even though the drive is a bit further from the Wawona area than Yosemite West to Glacier Pt. & the valley, it was worth it in my opinion.

As for Tenaya vs. cabins. Tenaya is a beautiful, 4-star (I think), stay, versus a 1/2-star stay.

Having said that, if you are going to be in Yosemite for just a short while, then the tent cabins are fine. They do offer tent cabins with heating, and the blankets do keep you pretty warm. The tent cabins now have bear boxes next to them, which is a huge improvement over having to walk to the parking area everytime you wanted to get something.

We also stayed at a hard-walled, no-bathroom cabin at Curry Village last November.

 

[Olaf]

Thanks for everyone's feedback. I think we're going to go for the tents. I'm not thrilled at the prospect, but we're only going to be there for two days, and we really want to be in the valley. We're headed to Disneyland and the Grand Californian afterwards, so I just need to keep my eye on the prize.

Can someone recommend which airport to fly into for the best access to Yosemite? We're looking at San Jose. And we're flying Southwest.

 

[ScooterL]

Fresno would be your closest airport to Yosemite - but not too many airlines fly there, so it's going to be expensive. I know Southwest flies to Sacramento - according to Mapquest it's 186 miles from the Sacramento airport to Yosemite Valley, and 183 miles from the San Jose Airport to the Valley, so that might be a wash.

On your stay in the Valley...once you get within ~1-3 weeks of your trip, start calling (or checking the reservations web site) to see if there have been any cancellations - you might luck out and be able to get the Lodge or a cabin with bath in Curry Village. Anyone wishing to cancel has to do it within a week (or more) of arrival to avoid losing their deposit, so sometimes there are cancellations once you get closer to your dates.

 

[Olaf]

Fresno would be your closest airport to Yosemite - but not too many airlines fly there, so it's going to be expensive. I know Southwest flies to Sacramento - according to Mapquest it's 186 miles from the Sacramento airport to Yosemite Valley, and 183 miles from the San Jose Airport to the Valley, so that might be a wash.

On your stay in the Valley...once you get within ~1-3 weeks of your trip, start calling (or checking the reservations web site) to see if there have been any cancellations - you might luck out and be able to get the Lodge or a cabin with bath in Curry Village. Anyone wishing to cancel has to do it within a week (or more) of arrival to avoid losing their deposit, so sometimes there are cancellations once you get closer to your dates.

Thanks! Excellent idea!

Another question. Can someone recommend a hotel outside the Western (I think that's what it's called) gate, that we might stay in during the first night after our drive from the airport? We thought we'd land (we're looking at San Jose), rent a car, and drive to the outside of the park that night. I'm going to need a night in a room with shower before we head into those tents.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Check out the rental car prices at the various airports you are considering. Sometimes you will find one airport's rental cars are a bargain. Tally up the transportation costs (all airline tickets plus car ) to see the best way to go. Keep an eye out for drop off fees if you are renting one way.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Look for lodging in either Mariposa or El Portal (Cedar Lodge).

El Portal is right at the entrance, but Mariposa is a bigger town with more amenities.

click here

 

[ScooterL]

I'd second Mary Jo's recommendation of Cedar Lodge in El Portal - though I haven't stayed there myself, my brother and his wife and friends have stayed there several times and like it. Nothing fancy, but it's nice enough for a night or two!

BTW...you don't HAVE to go without a shower when you're staying in the tents - there are two (or three?) shower houses at Camp Curry. They have private stalls, and they'll provide you with towels. I think there are soap dispensers but you might want to bring your own just in case. There can be a pretty long line at prime times, though.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Are those south portal options the way Olaf would travel from the bay area? I thought it would be something in the Merced vicinity.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

El Portal is off of the 140 (west) entrance.

There are four entrances into Yosemite.

East - From the 395 you take the 120, or Tioga Pass, through Tuolomne Meadows, and down through the "back way" into Yosemite - spectacular, but steep road.

North (west) - You take the 120 in

West (southwest)- You take the 140 (through Mariposa & El Portal), and the 140 merges with the 120 to go to the valley.

South - You go through Fresno & Oakhurst on the 41 to get to the park this way

When my cousins were out here visiting, we went through 120, I believe. Here is a map below that I found with some suggestions of places to stay.

I agree, though, the bathrooms, though common for guests staying at Curry Village, have hot water, and the showers are good. I've used them in the past, and agree that though they have soap, it's a good idea to bring your own shampoo & conditioner.

 

[CPT Tripss]

Great map! It's perfect for my trip planner file. Can you provide a link to it?

 

[KCmike]

GREAT MAP.

May I ask where you found it? Wondering if it contains more info that would be useful.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I liked it, too. Downloaded it for future reference.

I googled Yosemite + map, and may have gone to images to get it. Here's the url to it.

http://www.nationalparkreservations.com/images/yosemite/Yosemite_map.jpg

 

[CPT Tripss]

Now that's tech support that's user friendly. Thanks

 

[Olaf]

MaryJo and CaptTrips, thank you for the information. We're going to do the camps. DH and DS are excited, I'm less so, but I'll make it. I'm hanging onto the believe that the scenary is going to be worth it.

Our itinerary:

May 29 land at San Jose 7:30 pm, pick up rental car and drive as close as we can to Yosemite and overnight it in a hotel.

May 30-31 - Yosemite at Camp Curry

Jun 1-4 head down to Disneyland for three days at the Grand Californian and celebrate our 25th Wedding Anniversary on 3 June with DS at Nappa Rose.

Jun 4-7 - San Diego, visiting family. Fly out Saturday 7 Jun.

It's going to be a quick trip. Quick trip, but we have to get back.

 

[CPT Tripss]

We'll be there the 2 days before you. I promise not to steal all the scenery
I just hope that Glacier Point Road is open . . .
If you decide to eat at the Curry facilities, don't wait until you are hungry . . . it gets crowded, and you will be there at a peak time.