A visit to Yosemite National Park is high on most California visitors’ bucket lists. And we can see why: this picturesque national park is one of our state’s most renowned landmarks. But determining the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park can be challenging.
Yosemite is an incredible place with bucolic meadows, giant sequoias, breathtaking waterfalls, and jaw-dropping panoramas. Over time, the Miwok people traded in the Yosemite Valley, John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt hiked its trails, and greats like Ansel Adams photographed its landscapes.
However, a trip to Yosemite National Park requires planning, as millions of visitors (over 3 million!) visit annually. Our California travel services can help with everything from where to eat and when to visit to where to hike and the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park.
I was born and raised in California and grew up hiking, camping, and skiing in its great outdoors. These days, I live in Mammoth Lakes, just under an hour from the entrance to Yosemite National Park’s Tioga Pass. That means I visit the park about fifteen to twenty times a year. So, it’s safe to say I have thoughts about the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park!
As a travel planner, I frequently arrange California road trips for individuals traveling to Mariposa and Yosemite National Park. That firsthand experience means I know what people do (and don’t) like when deciding on places to stay near Yosemite National Park.
Our 13 Picks For The Best Places to Stay Near Yosemite National Park
Most outdoor enthusiasts camp in canvas tent cabins or sleep deep in Yosemite’s backcountry, while day visitors opt for hotels in or near the park.
If you want to stay inside Yosemite National Park, options range from cottages to reservations at a campground. The Yosemite Valley lodging options include campsites, such as Curry Village, cabins at Yosemite West, and hotels like the historic Ahwahnee. Note that as of 2025, we do not recommend staying at Ahwanhee because it requires renovation. We believe that, despite its prime location, the hotel is overpriced for what it currently offers until a refurbishment happens.
Staying outside the park requires about one hour of driving to access the Yosemite Valley floor (the most popular area). But this is the route most of our travel clients choose as it allows them to explore the greater area, including Bass Lake and Gold Rush-era towns. Here are our thirteen picks for the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park:
South Entrance: Oakhurst & Fish Camp
Queen’s Inn By The River (Oakhurst)
What You’ll Love: The Queen’s Inn By The River is one of our top picks for the places to stay near Yosemite National Park, thanks to its excellent service and prime location. Set outside the town of Oakhurst, it is minutes from the park entrance and on the river. Stay in the recently remodeled cabins, taste wine at their on-property winery, Idle Hour, and bask in the sun at their beer and wine garden, which serves seasonal food.
Need To Know: The location near the river means there may be mosquitoes in the summertime!
Distance To Yosemite Valley Floor: About 1-hour drive (~45 miles)
Queen’s Inn By The River, 41139 CA-41, Oakhurst, CA 93644
Château du Sureau (Oakhurst)
What You’ll Love: The most luxurious option for places to stay near Yosemite National Park is this Relais & Châteaux property. The Chateau du Sureau, which feels like a French castle in the middle of the Sierra. Though it’s minutes from Oakhurst and just off the main thoroughfare of Highway 41, it feels like another world. After a long day in the park, our clients love getting pampered with a spa session or a meal at the on-site restaurant, The Elderberry House.
Need to Know: This 5-star hotel is better suited for couples on a romantic trip than for families with kids.
Distance To Yosemite Valley Floor: About a 1-hour 20-minute drive (~48 miles)
Perks Alert! For your information, we offer complimentary breakfast and VIP amenities as perks when you book directly with us. Get in touch to do so!
Chateau du Sureau, 9215 48688 Victoria Ln, Oakhurst, CA 93644
Sierra Sky Ranch (Oakhurst)
What You’ll Love: If you’re looking for places to stay near Yosemite National Park with history, Sierra Sky Ranch is a good bet. This historic spot was the first cattle ranch in Madera County, before it was converted into a guest ranch in 1946. The location is situated between Oakhurst town, the southern entrance to Yosemite, and Bass Lake, providing easy access to all three areas. In addition to the beautiful outdoor setting, they offer engaging programming, such as stargazing.
Need To Know: This is a historic property, so the rooms aren’t as consistently laid out as they are at a new construction hotel.
Distance To Yosemite Floor: About a 1-hour 20-minute drive (~45 miles)
Sierra Sky Ranch, 50552 Rd 632, Oakhurst, CA 93644
Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite (Fish Camp)
What You’ll Love: This hotel is one of our top picks for the best place to stay near Yosemite National Park, thanks to its prime location, excellent amenities, and great value. It is located in Fish Camp, just a few miles from the park’s southern entrance and near the famed Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.
Staying here allows you to be near Yosemite National Park while enjoying access to Oakhurst’s amenities. The property has historic lodge vibes, but the most modern decor of the hotels listed here. It also offers a range of comforts and conveniences, including a gym and a spa.
Need To Know: This hotel has various rooms (some more like cabins and others like hotel rooms), so look carefully to ensure you book what you want.
Distance To Yosemite Valley Floor: About 1-hour drive (~35 miles)
Tenaya at Yosemite, 1122 CA-41, Fish Camp, CA 93623
Arch Rock Entrance: Midpines and Mariposa
5th Street Inn (Mariposa)
What You’ll Love: This 9-room guest house is one of the smaller properties on our list, but it’s worth considering as one of the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park. It’s perfect if you prefer your lodging to have a touch of history. This historic, family-owned 5th Street Inn is located in Mariposa town, allowing you to easily walk to restaurants, boutiques, and the YARTS bus stop.
Need To Know: Some of our clients say it needs a refresher.
Distance To Yosemite Valley Floor: About 1 hour 10 minutes (44 miles)
5th Street Inn, 4994 5th St, Mariposa, CA 95338
Mariposa Hotel Inn (Mariposa)
What You’ll Love: Step back in time at the Mariposa Hotel Inn, whose building has Old West vibes and dates back to 1901. The property features six queen or king rooms, each with antique furniture and walls adorned with historic photos of the old town. Its downtown location can’t be beaten (you can do olive oil tastings downstairs at CostaLivos, FYI), and guests love the homemade breakfast.
Need to Know: The hotel is located above a bar, so it can get noisy at night.
Distance To Yosemite Valley Floor: About 1 hour 10 minutes (44 miles)
Mariposa Hotel Inn, 5029 Highway 140, Mariposa, CA 95338
Yosemite Plaisance Bed & Breakfast (Mariposa)
What You’ll Love: The most positively reviewed property on this list is the Yosemite Plaisance. It is among the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park if you like a bed and breakfast! The only problem with the Yosemite Plaisance Bed & Breakfast is that it’s often fully booked. The location in a residential neighborhood makes you feel like a local, and the guests love the food, including the homemade treats they’re often given for hikes or road trips.
Need To Know: This is set a few blocks off the main drag, so it can feel a bit removed, but that means it’s quiet!
Distance To Yosemite Valley Floor: About 1 hour 10 minutes (44 miles)
Yosemite Plaisance Bed & Breakfast, 4953 Trabucco Street, Mariposa, CA 95338
Autocamp Yosemite (Midpines)
What You’ll Love: The Yosemite outpost of the chic glamping brand Autocamp is set between Mariposa and the park entrance. Like their other locations, the Autocamp Yosemite has various options, including 80 Airstream trailers, 15 luxury tents, and three cabin suites. Stay here to unplug from nature while enjoying conveniences like a pool, a bar, and an artisanal marketplace.
Need to Know: Midpines is a small town, so you won’t have the same amenities as you would in Oakhurst, Mariposa, or Groveland.
Distance to Yosemite Valley Floor: About 1 hour (38 miles)
Autocamp Yosemite, 6323 CA-140, Midpines, CA 95345
Big Oak Flat Entrance: Groveland
The Berkshire Inn (Groveland)
What You’ll Love: The family-run bed and breakfast, The Berkshire Inn, gets high marks from our travel planning clients who want to stay local. As such, consider this when searching for the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park. It is just a couple-minute drive east of the town of Groveland, so it’s the best of both worlds: you can escape in the wilderness while enjoying the conveniences of a town nearby.
Need to Know: Also, as with most historic properties on this list, the water can take a considerable amount of time to heat up.
Distance To Yosemite Valley Floor: About 1 hour 10 minutes (47 miles)
The Berkshire Inn, 19950 CA-120, Groveland, CA 95321
Evergreen Lodge at Yosemite (Groveland)
What You’ll Love: Set between Groveland and the Big Oak Flat Entrance, this sprawling mountain lodge has everything you need, from food to live music. The Hetch Hetchy Park entrance is just one mile away, while the Big Oak Flat Entrance is a few miles away. This is among the top places to stay near Yosemite National Park for those seeking a property with numerous amenities and activities.
Need to Know: The hotel is located off the main highway, down a side road, so it’s a journey from the hotel to the nearby town of Groveland.
Distance to Yosemite Valley Floor: About 1 hour (33 miles)
Evergreen Lodge at Yosemite, 33160 Evergreen Rd, Groveland, CA 95321
Rush Creek Lodge (Groveland)
What You’ll Love: The Rush Creek Lodge is the Evergreen’s sister property. Along with the Evergreen Lodge, this is one of the largest resorts in the area, offering numerous options for lodging, dining, and activities. Both properties also have a youth program that teaches job and life skills to underserved Bay Area youth.
Need to Know: Recent guests have reported that the facilities are no longer as well-maintained as they once were, and that the public spaces could use a refresh. Instead, you could stay at their newer sister property, Firefall Ranch, just down the road.
Distance To Yosemite Valley Floor: About 45 minutes (27 miles)
Rush Creek Lodge at Yosemite, 34001 CA-120, Groveland, CA 95321
Tioga Pass Entrance: June Lake & Mammoth Lakes
Double Eagle Resort And Spa (June Lake)
What You’ll Love: The closest town to the Tioga Pass entrance is Lee Vining (adjacent to Mono Lake), but we recommend the larger village of June Lake, as it offers more amenities.
Our pick of the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park, located on the East Side of the park, is in June Lake at the quaint Double Eagle Resort & Spa. The hotel is situated at the base of Carson Peak, offering a dramatic setting that evokes the Alps. In the summertime, a nearby waterfall is a highlight, and the area offers some of the best local hikes, including those in Yosemite National Park.
Need To Know: There is no air conditioner in the rooms, but there are fans. This area rarely exceeds 80°F, so it’s only an issue during particularly hot weather.
Distance to Yosemite Valley Floor: About 2 hours (48 miles)
Double Eagle Resort & Spa, 5587 CA-158, June Lake, CA 93529
Tamarack Lodge (Mammoth Lakes)
What You’ll Love: Head 20 minutes south to explore Mammoth Lakes. This Alpine town is most famous for its ski resort, but it’s an incredible place to hike, fish, and bike in the summer.
Our pick of the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park in Mammoth Lakes is the historic Tamarack Lodge. This 100-year-old hotel is feet from a lake and has full-on log cabin vibes. The onsite restaurant, Lakefront, is one of the best in town and often has live music in the bar.
Need to Know: This is one of the most historic hotels in California, but it lacks many modern amenities—additionally, some rooms in the main building share communal bathrooms.
Distance To Yosemite Valley Floor: About 2.5 hours (62 miles)
Tamarack Lodge, 163 Twin Lakes Rd, Mammoth Lakes, CA 93546
Since the Tioga Pass entrance is not open year-round (see below), you’ll want to stay here during the warmer months, from approximately June to October.
What Are The Main Entrances To Yosemite National Park?
Now that you have advice on the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park, here is some intel on the park entrances. There are five entrances to Yosemite National Park: South Entrance, Arch Rock, Big Oak Flat, Hetch Hetchy, and Tioga Pass. Three on the west — South Entrance, Arch Rock, and Big Oak Flat — are the most frequented.
South Entrance: Oakhurst & Fish Camp
Known as Yosemite’s South Entrance and accessed via Highway 41, this park’s southwest corner entrance is closest to San Diego, Los Angeles, and Fresno.
The village of Fish Camp is the nearest town to the park entrance on this route, while the town of Oakhurst is nearby. Many of our clients consider this area one of the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park.
Driving along wooded, curving roads from Fish Camp takes approximately one hour to reach the Yosemite Valley floor. However, this road includes some of Yosemite National Park’s most significant sights, like the famed Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Badger Pass Ski Area, and Glacier Point.
The nearby town of Oakhurst has the most lodging options and stores near the park. You can easily access Bass Lake or go horseback riding in the park. The disadvantage is that Oakhurst has chain hotels and restaurants, so it’s not as charming as the other options.
Arch Rock Entrance: Midpines & Mariposa
Coined the Arch Rock Entrance and accessed via Highway 140, this entrance west of the park crosses the towns of Mariposa (pronounced “Mair-eh-pose-ah”) and Midpines before following the Merced River past El Portal and into the park. This is the best place to stay near Yosemite for those who want historic-town vibes or those from the Monterey Peninsula.
It takes about one hour from Mariposa to reach the Arch Rock Entrance, and the valley floor is a few minutes further. This road is relatively less windy than the other park entrances.
El Portal and Midpines are small outposts, and the main town is Mariposa, on the southern edge of California Gold Country. Mariposa offers a variety of activities, including dining at local restaurants and shopping in boutiques, as well as visiting Sierra Foothills wineries and museums, such as the Mariposa Museum & Historical Center.
This entrance allows you to delve into California history in the historic town of Mariposa, offering access to world-class hiking and rock climbing opportunities. As a company that loves to immerse itself in local culture when traveling, we consider this the best place to stay near Yosemite on the park’s western side.
Big Oak Flat Entrance: Groveland
Another option for Bay Area visitors is to drive east on Highway 120 and enter the park via the Big Oak Flat Entrance. After leaving Modesto, this route passes the farm towns of Oakdale and Knights Ferry before climbing the Priest Grade to Groveland. The drive gets windy and steep (with no guardrails) on New Priest Grade Road, so we prefer to take the steeper and windier, but shorter, Old Priest Grade Road.
Staying here means exploring the historic town of Groveland, home to the Iron Door Saloon, California’s oldest continuously operating saloon. It takes about one hour to get from Groveland to the Yosemite Valley Floor via the Big Oak Flat Entrance. This is one of the best places to stay near Yosemite National Park if you want to disconnect.
The least frequented entrance, the Hetch Hetchy Entrance, is also reached from Groveland. It is one of the park’s least visited corners and is quiet and beautiful, but it does not provide access to Yosemite Valley. However, these entrances are the closest to Tuolumne Sequoia Grove and Merced Grove, which are smaller but less crowded than Mariposa Grove.
Tioga Pass Entrance: June Lake & Mammoth Lakes
Yosemite’s east side entrance is known as the Tioga Pass Entrance. Set along Highway 120, Tioga Pass is the highest elevation pass in California at 9,943 feet. This is the closest entrance to Tuolumne Meadows, Olmsted Point, Tenaya Lake, and renowned hiking destinations, including the Pacific Crest and John Muir Trails. It is one of the top places to stay near Yosemite National Park for backpackers, rock climbers, and other adventurers.
Cabins and campsites are on the park’s east side, but most drive-in day visitors stay in June Lake or Mammoth Lakes (home to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area). While all the other entrances remain open throughout the year, this entrance is closed during the winter. It is open from late May to November, but the schedule is weather-dependent, so check before planning a trip there.
This road climbs over 3,000 feet from Lee Vining to the park along Tioga Road. If you are not accustomed to driving steep passes (or fear heights), it’s essential to note that parts of this pass do not have a guardrail, and the drop is several thousand feet to the valley floor below. I have a slight fear of heights, but I have driven it without issue. However, I would not drive it at night or in bad weather.
Where Is Yosemite National Park?
Yosemite National Park is in eastern California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the area has been inhabited for over 8,000 years. Yosemite Valley is known as Ahwahnee, a name given by the Ahwahneechee indigenous people.
The majority of visits center around Yosemite Village in Yosemite Valley. Here, you’ll find the visitor center, the best-known waterfalls (such as Vernal Falls, Yosemite Falls, and Bridalveil Falls), and legendary landmarks like El Capitan and Half Dome.
How To Get To Yosemite National Park?
The park is situated east of California’s Central Valley, a 5-hour drive from both San Francisco and Los Angeles. Visitors centering their California travels around the park often fly into Fresno, the closest major airport, and then drive for 90 minutes to Yosemite National Park.
Most day-trip visitors drive into Yosemite, but you can also take public transportation thanks to the well-organized YARTS network. If you’re driving, be sure to fill up on gas before entering the park, as there is only one station, which is expensive.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Best Places To Stay Near Yosemite National Park
Popular towns near Yosemite National Park for accommodations include Groveland, Mariposa, Oakhurst, Fish Camp, and June Lake. Groveland is located near the Big Oak Flat entrance and offers a historic charm. Mariposa is close to the Arch Rock entrance and provides various lodging options. Oakhurst nad Fish Camp are convenient for accessing the park via the South Entrance and has numerous services and amenities. June Lake is near the Tioga Pass entrance, making it ideal for visiting the eastern side of Yosemite, Mono Lake, and Mammoth Lakes.
The distance to Yosemite National Park can vary by town:
- Groveland is approximately 25 miles from the Big Oak Flat entrance.
- Mariposa is about 20 miles from the Arch Rock entrance.
- Oakhurst is around 20 miles from the South Entrance.
- Lee Vining is about 30 miles from the Tioga Pass entrance.
These distances make the towns convenient for day trips into Yosemite, providing a good balance between accessibility to the park and the amenities available in larger towns.
Yes, during the peak tourist season, Yosemite area regional transit systems (YARTS) offer shuttle services from towns like Mariposa, Groveland, and Oakhurst directly into Yosemite National Park. These shuttles typically run daily with multiple departures, especially during the summer, providing a convenient and environmentally friendly way to access the park. Schedules and fees can vary, so it's advisable to check the latest information on the transit websites or local tourism boards.
The towns near Yosemite offer various accommodations suitable for different budgets and preferences. Options include hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, vacation rentals, and campgrounds. These accommodations often provide more space and amenities than those available within the park, such as swimming pools, restaurants, and easy access to local shops and services.
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Photo Credit: Man looking at Half Dome and A tunnel heading into Yosemite By Kristen Curette & Daemaine Hines; Yosemite Valley photo by photo by Dan Newman on Unsplash; other photos by Salt & Wind Travel
