Traveling to Yosemite
Best hikes, activities, lodging, and food
Lodging & Food
Our Favorite Yosemite Lodge
Cozy, comfy cabins in the woods
We can’t get over how cozy and cute The Evergreen Lodge was! We loved the location, the community, and the history of the lodge. It truly is a special way to experience Yosemite.
The Roam Down
- Price: Save 25-50% off during the winter months!
- Location: Nestled perfectly just outside Yosemite
- Highlights: We loved our cabin, the activities, and coziness
- Host: Everyone was so welcoming and friendly
We LOVE the cozy, comfy feeling of a cabin in the woods and that’s why we chose to stay at The Evergreen Lodge in Yosemite! We have been to Yosemite many times, and so far this has been our absolute favorite place to stay! The Evergreen Lodge is definitely at the top of our favorite Cabin list!
It was the perfect balance of seclusion as well as feeling like we were in a quiet community. The Evergreen is located just outside of Yosemite and all the crowds and noise that you’ll find in the park. It’s on a secluded property isolated in the woods, but we still felt a great sense of community there as we enjoyed spending time with other travelers each night at the fireplace roasting s’mores, playing games, and getting to know the staff members. We found out that many staff members actually live on-site which we thought was really cool. We wish we could live there too!
We loved the character of the Evergreen. It was build in 1921 and most of the historic features are still the same. Pictures line the walls of the Cavern where you can see what it looked like back in the day and know you are standing somewhere really special.
We stayed in the Deluxe Cabin, which was just the cutest! We had vaulted ceilings, a comfy king bed and a couch which can turn into a queen bed. We also loved the fireplace in our cabin and warming up after our daily adventures. Outside, the balcony opened up to pine trees and a little stream. We enjoyed our mornings sitting on our rocking chairs on the balcony, listening to the little birds chirping and the wind in the trees.
Staying at the lodge almost felt like a resort but more cozy and traditional. There is an amazing swimming pool and hot tub area, the most gorgeous place to watch the sunset. There is a daily schedule of activities that everyone is invited to participate in, an entertainment room, a 24 hour lounging room with a constantly lit fireplace, two outdoor play areas, ping pong tables, ziplines, geocaching, hammocks, pool tables, board games, yoga classes, and massage therapy! The staff were so fun, inclusive, and helpful during our entire stay there!
The Evergreen is definitely a family friendly lodge, with an entire game room that we definitely took advantage of! We visited during what we feel is the best time of year, December, when the weather is still great and there are very few visitors at Yosemite National Park. We loved playing Christmas music in our cabin each morning and night in between our adventures. It really made for the perfect Christmas, we may just have to come back to visit every winter!
Historic Evergreen Tavern
Best food you can ask for!
A perfect place to eat in the Evergreen Lodge Village. We didn’t have to travel far to get the best food in Yosemite. Worth every penny, you’ll have no regrets dining out at this historic restaurant.
The Roam Down
- Price: $$ Very reasonable for the quality and location!
- Location: The Tavern at the Yosemite Evergreen Lodge
- Highlights: We highly recommend the Salmon and any of the desserts, they were all amazing!
The Yosemite Evergreen Lodge Tavern is a historic restaurant that has served guests for 90 years. The classic all-wood tavern is a focal point of the Evergreen lodge property and easy to get to from any of the cabins.
The food was absolutely amazing, even through I have gluten allergies, the chefs prepared the salmon to perfection, and James (who doesn’t normally enjoy fish) thought it was amazing too.
The price was reasonable and well worth it because we were so satisfied with our food 🙂 In fact, it was the best Salmon I’ve ever had!
Yosemite Hikes
Vernal Falls
Spectacular little hike along the mist trail
A historic Yosemite hike along the John Muir trail
The Roam Down
- Duration: 1.6-2.4 miles, 1-3 hours
- Difficulty: Moderately strenuous
- Wow Factor: Walking through the mist from the waterfall
- Essentials to Bring: Water
- Highlights: We loved hiking on the famous mist trail!
As a teenager, I had the opportunity to make the intense hike up Half Dome 5 times! That was back in the day, when you didn’t have to get a permit first to climb the cables. Since Half Dome was closed for the winter, we decided the next best thing was to hike the beginning of the climb to Half Dome, the Mist Trail! This trail never disappoints! First off, be prepared to climb over 600 hundred stairs on the way up, they are tiring! But it’s totally worth experiencing the mighty Vernal Falls. The water hits the granite next to the trail which creates an environment full of mist. It’s such a beautiful experience and a must do if you visit Yosemite. In fact, we do this hike every time we visit. Be prepared to get wet! You’ll want to make sure you’re okay getting soaked in the mist and protect your camera and other valuables from the water. Also, since the rocks on the trail and stairs are constantly soaked, they are typically very slick so be sure your shoes have excellent traction. Enjoy this amazing hike and let us know how you liked it!
Yosemite Falls
Can’t miss hike to iconic Yosemite Falls
Probably the most beautiful and easy hike in Yosemite
The Roam Down
- Duration: 1 mile, 30 minutes
- Difficulty: Easy, wheelchairs okay
- Wow Factor: The views will keep you in absolute awe!
- Essentials to Bring: Hiking shoes
- Highlights: This hike was filled with amazing beautiful sights of the waterfall
Easily the most beautiful waterfall in Yosemite has to be Yosemite Falls. This waterfall can be seen from so many different locations across Yosemite Valley that it’s hard to picture Yosemite and not have this waterfall immediately come to mind. It truly is the iconic waterfall of Yosemite and rightfully named!
The hike is more of a flat walk to get to the bottom of Yosemite Falls. Its paved the entire way there, clear from the parking lot and also is wheelchair accessible for all our friends! We loved that this experience was more of an easy enjoyable walk to the waterfall. The views from the beginning of the hike were just as amazing as up close so just be ready to be amazed pretty much the entire way there.
Bonus Adventure: The historical (and kind of secret) Spider Caves are located at the beginning of the hike. These caves were used by Native Americans, the primary inhabitants of Yosemite, to survive during the Spanish Exploration and takeover. If you are lucky enough to find the caves, send us a pictures of you to prove it!
Tunnel View
The perfect picture taking spot
Enjoy the expansive views of Half Dome and the valley
The Roam Down
- Duration: Stay as long as you can!
- Difficulty: Drive up, wheelchair accessible
- Wow Factor: Off the Charts
- Essentials to Bring: Camera
- Highlights: Taking in all the views at this amazing lookout!
You really can’t visit Yosemite without enjoying some great lookout spots over the valley. Tunnel View really paints a picture of how small the valley is, but how many beautiful natural creations there are in it! Yosemite Valley is so dynamic and beautiful in such a small space. It really is breathtaking. This is a great place to enjoy the views of Half Dome, El Capitan, and Bridalveil Falls.
It’s amazing to experience a viewpoint that painters, photographers, and other artists have been enamored by since the 19th century. Be sure to get there early to avoid the crowds and so you can enjoy the peaceful breeze and sounds of the valley!
Recent Comments