Where to Stay Near Yosemite (Best Areas & Places)

5 Best Towns & Areas to Stay Near Yosemite National Park

Most Yosemite visitors stay inside the national park. Accommodation options are lean and on the more expensive side, however. Staying in a nearby town like Mariposa or El Portal is an ideal option if you’re traveling on a budget.

Mariposa is a small city by California standards, but Mariposa is the largest gateway community to Yosemite National Park. El Portal, Yosemite West, and Lee Vining are all on the outskirts of the park and hold a large concentration of home rentals.

Yosemite National Park

👉 Best Area For Outdoor Activities | ✨ Best Yosemite National Park Hotels: Yosemite Valley Lodge • Yosemite View Lodge • The Ahwahnee Hotel

Stay in Yosemite National Park if you want easy access to the top Yosemite hiking trails. Try out the expert-level Half Dome or begin the hike to Mount Dana at sunrise. Mirror Lake and Lower Yosemite Falls are two options for people who prefer less daunting adventures.

Yosemite’s in-park lodging options can be pricey and book up quickly. But almost everyone will love staying in its grand national park lodges and backcountry campgrounds. 

Yosemite Valley Lodge is one of the top lodges in the park, complete with a restaurant and communal pool. It’s close to the Lower Yosemite Falls trail. Another great option is The Ahwahnee Hotel, which offers a Yosemite shuttle service and is near the base of Half Dome and Glacier Point.

However, I always recommend camping in the park for a cheaper option. My favorite Yosemite National Park campgrounds include Upper Pines, Lower Pines, and Camp 4. These popular campgrounds typically fill up fast, so I suggest booking them on Recreation.gov up to six months in advance.

Pros of Staying in Yosemite National Park Neighborhood:

• Close to major national park hiking trails and rock climbing routes
• Shuttle service inside the park
• On-site dining rooms
• Highly-rated lodges in the area like the Yosemite Valley Lodge

Cons of Staying in Yosemite National Park Neighborhood:

• Can be crowded during peak season
• Accommodations can be expensive
• Reservations fill up quickly

Mariposa

👉 Best Area For Small-Town Charm | ✨ Best Mariposa Hotels: The Monarch Inn • Mariposa Lodge • Yosemite Inn

Mariposa is a municipality about an hour from Yosemite Valley. This preserved gold rush town is as a charming, historical stop along Highway 140. 

Explore the area by going on a hike in Stockton Creek Preserve. Or take a museum tour at the Mariposa Museum & Historical Center before grabbing burgers and beer at 1850 Restaurant & Brewery. 

Skydive Yosemite operates out of the Mariposa Airport. It’s a great adrenaline-pumping activity to add to your itinerary in addition to rock climbing in the park or tackling Half Dome. But do you want to know the best reason to stay in Mariposa? Affordable accommodation.

The Monarch Inn is a tourist favorite. It’s only 10 minutes from the airport, 5 minutes from California State Mining and Mineral Museum, and less than 2 minutes from Yosemite Ziplines.

Mariposa Lodge is one of the cheapest accommodations in the area. It’s half an hour from the Yosemite South Entrance and has a seasonal outdoor swimming pool.

Pros of Staying in Mariposa Neighborhood:

• Affordable accommodations
• Away from peak season tourist crowds
• Historic things to do 

Cons of Staying in Mariposa Neighborhood:

• Farther from Yosemite National Park
• Not as many rock climbing routes are in the area
• Requires a car to get around

El Portal

👉 Best Area For Solitude | ✨ Best El Portal Hotels: Yosemite Gatekeeper’s Lodge • Cedar Lodge

El Portal in Mariposa County is 35 minutes from Yosemite National Park. It’s the best place to stay around Yosemite to escape national park crowds. El Portal is also unique because it’s the smallest town on this list with a population of around 300.

El Portal is right along the Merced River and has mystical forest-y surroundings. There are lots of fun things to do in this sleepy mountain town despite its size. Bring a good camera to freshen up your photography skills. 

Go for a dip in the Merced River or check out Hite Cove. The latter is the perfect place for hiking trails in the area. And Indian Flat along the Merced is the area’s best campground. 

El Portal is the last place to stop for food before heading into the national park. Stock up on camping gear and hiking snacks while you can.

Cedar Lodge is one of the more affordable accommodations in El Portal for budget travelers. Yosemite Gatekeeper’s Lodge is situated on a fork of the Merced River and is away from small-town crowds.

Pros of Staying in El Portal Neighborhood:

• Away from tourist crowds
• Affordable accommodation
• Situated on a scenic river
• Close to Yosemite’s El Portal entrance

Cons of Staying in El Portal Neighborhood:

• Farther from the main Yosemite entrance
• Few entertainment attractions are in the area
• Not many hotels to choose from

Yosemite West

👉 Best Area For Vacation Rentals | ✨ Best Yosemite West Hotels: YoBee! • Lower Cascades • Yosemite Condominium Loft

Yosemite West has a bulk of the vacation rentals near Yosemite National Park. Yosemite West is both “centrally located and away from it all.” It’s technically inside the gates of the national park but doesn’t feel like it.

This small community is hidden by giant pines, providing privacy from the public and intimacy with the national forest. You’ll find over 100 vacation rentals in Yosemite West. It’s only 20 minutes from top national park attractions like Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley

Yosemite West is a great base camp for exploring the park’s best trails too. Yosemite Falls, Cloud’s Rest, and other trails are easily accessible from this area. 

You’ll find studio apartments ideal for romantic getaways and entire rental homes for the whole family in Yosemite West. YoBee! is a highly-rated rental in the area and includes a park reservation in its nightly rate. Lower Cascades is another top Yosemite West rental that comes with a pool table for extra getaway fun. 

Pros of Staying in Yosemite West Neighborhood:

• Closer to the Yosemite Park entrance than communities on the outskirts
• Plenty of vacation rentals are available
• Ideal for a long-duration stay

Cons of Staying in Yosemite West Neighborhood:

• There aren’t many hotels to choose from
• Few shuttles are available to and from the park entrances 
• Rental prices can be expensive during peak season

Lee Vining

👉 Best Area For Exploring Mountain Towns | ✨ Best Lee Vining Hotels: Yosemite Gateway Motel • Lakeview Lodge • Murphey’s Motel

Lee Vining is the best place to stay to explore mountain towns during a Yosemite vacation. It’s located just north of Highway 395, the Eastern Sierra Highway. 

Incredible mountain towns like Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, and Bishop are all near Lee Vining. Easily take day trips to any of these cool communities when staying here.

Lee Vining is also closest to the Yosemite Tioga Pass entrance. This allows visitors to explore the less-traveled side of the national park. Keep in mind, however, that the road is closed during the winter and spring months due to heavy snowfall.

Yosemite Gateway Motel is one of the few accommodations in the area, and the rooms have a view of Mono Lake. Murphey’s Motel is an affordable accommodation for budget-conscious travelers.

Pros of Staying in Lee Vining Neighborhood:

• Close to Tioga Pass
• Far away from busy tourist crowds
• Near other top California mountain towns

Cons of Staying in Lee Vining Neighborhood:

• Farther away from Yosemite’s south entrance and Yosemite Valley
• Few accommodations to choose from
• Not many entertainment options

7 Tips for Staying Near Yosemite National Park

Pack Layers

Nights in the national park can be chilly year-round, even in the hottest months (July to September). I recommend packing layers for the most comfortable experience when you visit Yosemite National Park.

I never visit Yosemite without a Merino wool base layer (I recommend this one from REI) my Arcteryx puffer jacket, and a rain jacket, just in case. 

Bring a Bear Bag

Black bears are Yosemite residents. You’re most likely to encounter a black bear in the national park boundaries. But they also live near the surrounding communities on the outskirts as well.

I use the Zpacks bear bag but the BearVault bear box is more reliable for overnight adventures, especially if camping in the backcountry. Most campgrounds in and near Yosemite provide bear boxes but I recommend bringing your own if your specific campsite does not.

Hit the Hiking Trails

Yosemite National Park and the surrounding areas are known for hiking. Hit the hiking trails for a true Californian Yosemite experience.

The most popular trails in Yosemite are Half Dome, the Yosemite Falls trail, North Dome, Clouds Rest, and El Capitan. These hikes range from moderate to expert in difficulty. But Half Dome is on the hardest end of the spectrum.

Be sure to pack the top hiking essentials in your day pack before hitting the trails!

Pick up A Map

Head to a Yosemite Visitor Center inside the national park to pick up a map. Yosemite is huge, at nearly 750,000 acres. It’s entirely possible to get lost while exploring the dense natural environment of the park.

Visitor Center maps always have tons of helpful information. This info covers Yosemite hikes, lodges, flora and fauna, and general whereabouts. A handy GPS unit like the Garmin Inreach is always good to have while hiking a new trail, but an old-school map and compass just may save you in case you get lost.

Consider Camping

Camping has always been one of the highlights of my Yosemite trips. There’s something special about having a bonfire deep in the woods in the heart of Yosemite Valley.

Bring the camping essentials like a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and stove to either the Upper or Lower Pines campground in the valley. Sleep under the stars in the backcountry without a neighbor in sight at places like Merced Lake and along the John Muir Trail.

Apply for a Half Dome Permit

Hiking Half Dome is one of the best things you could do in Yosemite National Park. Apply for a permit to climb the Yosemite icon in March via Recreation.gov for your chance to scale the steep granite walls.

Permits are infamously hard to snag for this famous hike but have no fear. You can score a last-minute permit online every day at 7 am once cancellation permits begin to be released.

Get to the Park Early

Yosemite on the weekend during peak season is a nightmare. Popular places like the Valley and Arch Rock Entrance are extremely crowded. I’ve counted as many as 200 hikers on my descent down Clouds Rest on the weekend.

Get to the park around sunrise or a more remote experience in an otherwise heavily trafficked California national park. 

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FAQs About Where to Stay Near Yosemite

Is it better to stay inside or outside Yosemite?

It’s better to stay inside Yosemite National Park to avoid afternoon and evening tourist crowds. Staying inside the park allows you early access to top hiking trails and rock climbing routes in the park. Yosemite Valley Lodge, Yosemite View Lodge, and The Ahwahnee Hotel are the top lodges in the park.

When is the best time to go to Yosemite?

July to September is the best time to go to Yosemite. The national park receives the best weather at this time and is ideal for overnight adventures. It is the peak season, however, and may be crowded.

How many days in Yosemite is enough?

2 days in Yosemite is enough to see the main attractions. This gives you enough time to hit popular hiking trails like North Dome and see top sites like Tuolumne Meadows.

Is it worth staying in Yosemite?

It’s entirely worth staying in Yosemite. You’ll be closer to the top Yosemite attractions and get a true national park experience while submerged in peak California beauty.

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That’s it for my guide on where to stay near Yosemite National Park. Which area sounds most appealing to you? Comment below to let me know when you plan to visit this top Northern California attraction.