What is the best area to stay in Yosemite?
On the grass, it is nestling between forests and a pond. Attached to the mountain cliffs that radiate rose-red as the sun rises. We would all prefer to settle down and camp in Yosemite. Alternatively, you can find comfort in one of Yosemite’s hostels. (bug-free🎇)

Can you sneak into Yosemite? Well sure, but after you escape park rangers and settle down. Your conscious will ache as you chew your beef jerky. Like almost everyone parked in America, Yosemite is continuously under threat by industrialization, pollution, and human encroachment. The funds the park receives from guests helps maintain it’s beautiful nature.
How about you avoid the bugs. Check out some of the best priced hostels near Yosemite on our list.
Feeling Freaky At Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort
Just 13km from the Yosemite Valley on Highway 140, this resort & spa offers very affordable rooms and is spitting distance to the national park. This hostel combines wooden lodging with art deco rustic aesthetics.
Backpackers trying to avoid the bugs, stick with the bunks in the dormitories, private rooms, hand-built homestead style home or barn studio apartment.
Like any hostel, you have ample room for Yoga, Live music, classes, or even a wedding.
Take advantage of this unique staple of Yosemite. Enjoy a meal at the June Bug Cafe and make some new adventurous friends.
Check The Best Price Here
Smell The Lake Near Yosemite International Best Hostel
Minutes outside of Yosemite National Park & Mammoth Lakes, The Yosemite International Hostel has something for everyone and is always light on the wallet.
If you’re trying to maximize your trip’s eco-friendliness, staying at the Yosemite International will get you as close as possible to the park without sleeping under a rock.
This facility stays true to the word “hostel” by providing the lowest prices in the area. Give your wallet a break by booking here. Unfortunately, it does come with some cons:
Breakfast, coffee, or tea isn’t included in the reservation. Also, you will probably pay more than the described price because of VAT. Mariposa county does have an additional tax as well.
This isn’t the best hostel for glamping. The dorms are clean and simplistic for anyone, only looking for a place to rest their feet.
Check The Best Price Here.
Feeling Fancy at Tenaya Lodge – Not Quite One Of Yosemite hostels
A bit further down the highway but still very much on the way to all the nature is Tenaya.
You may be asking why I’m listing a resort on a list for Yosemite hostels. The answer is quite simple, sometimes the best deals come from the most unusual places.
If you take advantage of the deluxe cabins available on the lodge, you can comfortably fit six people. Let’s say the price is 512 USD after taxes, you can cut the costs to 85 USD per person! Most hostels will charge more for a private room in the area.
Is Tenaya Lodge too far from Yosemite?
It can’t be denied that for backpackers that don’t have access to a car, this hotel isn’t an option for you. If you have a vehicle, you can take advantage of the fact that you’ll be located just 1 hour away from the park. It may shock you that it takes 1 hour to travel 37 minutes, but much of that is a curved highway through the forest.
” How far is it to Yosemite Valley? Count on roughly one hour and 15 minutes to drive the 37 miles from Tenaya Lodge to Yosemite Valley.”
Tenaya
- Tenaya Lodge is the pinnacle of comfort for this area.
- You don’t have to risk chemical toilets or backhouses.
- You have access to a pool.
- You have access to gourmet restaurants.
- You’re close to nature and catered by staff.
Check The Best Price Here.
No Hostel here. This is the sweet life in the Apple Blossom Inn
We all have different priorities, some travelers’ lives are a bit more fantastical, while others like it dirty.
Here, at Candy Arthur’s Apple Blossom Bed and Breakfast, you get Instagram ready flower-shaped apple blossom pancakes.
That gentle aroma that wafts its way into your bedroom is splattered with a cheesy apple blossom quiche, sausage, and the infamous Candy Apple French Toast.
Don’t go with a full stomach. Don’t go if you’re diabetic.
You can’t get any closer to the definition of ‘glamping’ in the Mariposa county. I’d suggest booking the Golden Delicious Suite with a group of friends to maximize value. This is a carriage, ensuite with a mountain view that swallows your attention with its magnificence.
Each room in this lodge is decorated with granny smiths and golden delicious themes. I find this to befitting of a home situated in an organic apple orchard.
How far is the Apple Blossom Inn from Yosemite National Park?
With just a 36 minute drive from the beginning of the park, you’re pretty close to nature. From the entrance, it may take more time to reach the ‘center.’
Reservations can be a bit old fashioned but they’ve recently started an online booking system as well. Rates per night can be found here.
Frequently Asked Guests Questions:
How much does it cost to get into Yosemite?
Currently, as of 2018, the park fee structure is as follows:
- $35 per vehicle
- $30 per motorcycle
- An annual park pass will cost $70
I highly suggest getting a ‘park pass.’ Especially since this deal may not last in the future. Many U.S parks are shifting to a seasonal pricing schedule to make up for lost revenue.
“The NPS last October proposed a plan to adopt seasonal pricing at Yosemite and 16 other national parks to raise additional revenue for infrastructure and maintenance needs.”
According to the NPS
How many days can you stay in Yosemite?
There is a 30-night camping limit within Yosemite National Park in a calendar year; however, May 1 to September 15, the camping limit in Yosemite is 14 nights, and only seven of those nights can be in Yosemite Valley or Wawona.
Mostly, you have a 30 night limit within Yosemite National Park per calendar year.
From May 1 to September 15, you can only stay 14 nights in total. (only seven can be within the Valley or Wawona).
Can I sleep in my car in Yosemite?
You can sleep in an RV or car in an official campsite. You cannot sleep in your vehicle along the side of the road.
You may avoid the 5-20 dollar fee for a campsite, but mischievous backpacks put themselves at risk for fines. Just stick with a cheap hostel.
Where Should I Stay When Visiting Yosemite?
It depends on your budget. When I first visited Yosemite, I spent most of my time at the Bug Rustic Mountain Hostel. After spending about a week surrounded by smelly travelers, I moved on to Tenaya Lodge.
I would suggest two paths that depend entirely on how many people you’re traveling with.
- Solo Trip: Spend most of your time at one of the best hostel to avoid renting a car.
- Group Trip: Rent a car and treat yourself at a place like Apple Blossom Inn or Tenaya Lodge.
Is 2 days enough For Yosemite?
Not really, but also, yes!
You have enough time for one big hike if you start the day early in the morning. This UNESCO region encompasses 1,200 square miles, so for 48 hours, you can barely have a glimpse.
I’d suggest starting with the ‘Valley Floor,’ this area is the accessible 7 miles of the park that is most photographed and easy to trek.
The famous Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls are within a distance of this trail. Some people even rent cruiser bikes to get more distance.
What is Half Dome in Yosemite, an example of?
A geologic illusion! This granite dome is located at the eastern end of the Valley. At Yosemite, it’s one of the critical identifying rock features. The only reason it feels like a broken piece of rock is that it contrasts the other three smooth, round sides. It wasn’t cut in half by an angry elk, just a unique protrusion.
Is there good fishing in Yosemite?
It’s hard to find a national park without fish. During the 1930s, rangers like George Melendez tried to bring equilibrium back to the park after years of abuse.
“Everywhere he went, Wright discovered disturbing evidence that the equilibrium of nature was out of kilter in the parks. Coyotes, wolves and mountain lions – even badgers, hawks and owls – were routinely shot as unwelcome predators. Elk, deer, and antelope were being fed hay in the wintertime, and buffalo were kept in corrals like domestic cows.”
Yosemite – PBS
Another frequent tactic to attract tourists was adding fish spawns to national parks. They previously didn’t have native populations. To this day, you will find large populations of fish in some of the most unusual places.
“Originally all of the northern and western waters of Yellowstone were barren of fish. Most of the better streams and lakes of Yosemite were devoid of fish, likewise those of Sequoia, Crater Lake, Glacier, and other high-altitude parks.”
Yosemite – Oh, Ranger!
It’s a fly fishing paradise, just go ahead and bring a rod. No live bait allowed.
Learn more here.
Hey Backpackers, what’s with the hesitation?
The lakes are calling.
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