How to Find Hotels In Yosemite, California

Yosemite is a world-renowned and stunningly beautiful U.S. National Park located in California, on the eastern border with Nevada.

Things You'll Need

• A computer with Internet access

Instructions

Know Your Destination

1. Know that Yosemite's weather is unpredictable, so check for road conditions and weather updates before you travel. The summer is the driest time of year. Average high temperatures in the summer reach the 80s F; lows in the winter dip into the 20s F.

2. Book in advance. Yosemite is tremendously popular, particularly on summer weekends. Make reservations early.

3. Map out your must-see items, such as Yosemite Valley, the Giant Sequoia redwoods, and the many waterfalls.

Get to Yosemite, California

1. Fly into the Yosemite area. There are half a dozen regional airports within a half day's drive from Yosemite. The largest, San Francisco International Airport, is about five hours to the west of Yosemite.

2. Drive into Yosemite. Most visitors drive into one of the four entrances to the park. The Tioga Pass entrance is closed during the winter due to snowfall.

3. Use mass transit to get to Yosemite. Amtrak serves Yosemite with a combination of trains and buses. Yosemite Area Regional Transport System (YARTS) buses connect with Amtrak trains and Greyhound buses.

4. Take the shuttle. Inside Yosemite, you can take the Yosemite Valley Shuttle Bus to get to various locations within the park.

Choose Accommodations in Yosemite, California

1. To book accommodations, contact Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau at [phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources below).

2. Decide whether you would prefer to camp, stay in your RV, or reserve traditional indoor accommodations like hotel or motel rooms, cabins or bed and breakfast inns. All of these accommodation types can be found within the park.

3. Call for rates since they vary widely by season. Due the variety in accommodations types, there is no standard range for in-park lodging.

4. Make reservations early or consider staying outside the park itself, particularly if you're planning to visit during the summer. There are private motels (and campgrounds) near the park.

5. Go camping. There are a couple of RV parks within Yosemite and a number of places to camp. Use a map of Yosemite to decide where in the park you want to camp.

6. Choose your route through Yosemite to find accommodations that are close to where you will be visiting. Remember that Yosemite is a huge park. Make your final selection and reserve space as far in advance of your trip as possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Follow Yosemite's food storage regulations. They are intended to protect you and the black bears that live in the park. These regulations have the force of Federal law, so don't break them.