We checked in and immediately ran around the property of Evergreen Lodge Yosemite to take tons of photos of their maple trees which had turned bright yellow. The air smelled like a pine candle, the birds were chirping and the leaves crunching under my feet – I knew instantly that this would be one of my favorite places to stay near Yosemite on future trips.
Let me show you around the Evergreen Lodge!!
Justina and I were just up in Lake Tahoe at the Coachman Hotel but on the rainy drive back decided, on a whim, to check out Yosemite National Park the week after to try and catch more fall foliage before the snow.
We both are low-key hotel snobs at this point in our travel blogging careers and knew we wanted a cute hotel with great food to crash at after what would be long days of exploring the park from sunrise to sunset. Justina had stayed at the Rush Creek Lodge outside the Groveland Enterance and knew the historic Evergreen Lodge was part of the same hotel family, so we decided to check them out. And I’m so glad we did!
All the rooms are in cabins, some are connected and some are private. They’re scattered around the 22-acre hotel property so you are really out there in nature. So out there that when we checked in, I was startled to open our patio door and see a herd of deer hanging out right below the deck!
We got to experience two types of cabins, a standard and a deluxe suite. The latter is best if you need extra room to spread out or if your partner goes to bed at a different time than you. All the cabins have patios with different views (some face the mountains at sunset, some face trees, etc). They have fireplaces and some of the best smelling hotel body wash I’ve ever found, I swear they bottled fresh pine needles in that thing.
So, we checked in and took a ton of fall photos and then hung around the hotel that even to do a little reading on our porch, hang by the hot tub and catch the sunset from their Sunset Point, which overlooks a valley and has a great view of the sunset.
Evergreen Lodge Tavern Food Is Super Tasty
After we headed to the lodge’s Tavern for dinner and holy smokes, the food here is AMAZING. If you travel to remote spots a lot, or National Parks, I’ve sure you know how hotels in the middle of nowhere can go either one of two ways: their food totally sucks, or it totally rocks.
Thankfully, the Evergreen has one of the best National Park hotel menus I’ve ever found (and I’ve been to a lot of National Parks!) It’s clear the chef here is allowed to get creative with flavors – for dinner the first night I had Rootbeer Braised Ribs with Popcorn. It sounds weird but was incredibly good.
All the cocktails are unique, too, and many are old-world style from the 1920’s. I loved the Woodland Sour and the Sazerac. A few nights of the week they also host a Speakeasy Night starting at 10pm if you’re craving some late-night action!
Evergreen Lodge At Yosemite Amenities
- Free parking
- Free wifi (it’s strong!)
- Heat and A/C
- Fireplaces in room
- In-room coffee
- Housekeeping
- Patios
- Comfy beds
- Phones in room
- Minifridge
- Coat rack
- In-room games
- Tavern
- Restaurant
- Spa
- Pool
- Hot Tub
- Firepits
- Daily S’more
- General Store
Make sure to set aside an evening or morning to soak in the hot tub, especially after a day exploring Yosemite National Park. Your body will thank you!
We didn’t have time for a spa treatment since we were busying running around the park but I was VERY tempered to book a massage for myself. If we had an extra day to lounge around the resort, I totally would have.
As with any hotel review, I always share the cons. There’s only two for the Evergreen. The park entrance is about 15 minutes from the hotel (yay!) but, like with all Yosemite lodging that’s outside the park, you need to drive about an hour to actually get into the valley. This drive is really only an issue on major holiday weekends, so if you are booked at Evergreen on the Fourth of July let’s say, make sure to get up super early to hit the park before the crowds.
The other downside is the road to the hotel is a bit bumpy. Our 12-year-old car made it just fine, but it was a little iffy at night when we left before sunrise to go into the park. My word of advice is to take it slow and budget an extra 10 minutes on your Yosemite commute to tackle the road safely and avoid deer, etc.
That being said, I think Evergreen is one of the best lodges by Yosemite and makes a great home base for your national park trip!! I totally want to come back with my husband!
So, is Evergreen Lodge on your hotel bucket list yet? If you need more Yosemite hotel recommendations, this is my guide for where to stay in Yosemite.
