Re: Yosemite experience (with covid closures)

Spent Wed night at the lodge; Thursday day up in Tuolumne.

Repaving of the road on 120, past Groveland. Added about 10-15 minutes extra.
Check in at Big Oak Flat entrance: Took ID of person whose lodging was booked under and checked it (on computer? on a list ?). Issued a one week or so permit for entry/exit into park.
Drove from Big Oak Flat entrance to 120/140 junction without any car in front of us, or behind us, around 4 pm. Very rare experience for summer season.

Check in a lodge. Easy. Room seemed same as usual. Nothing different. Paid $337 for just a room for one night (for 2 adults, 2 teenagers). That's a lot for a lodge room that doesn't even have screens.
Café at Lodge open, but just used the Starbucks. Mask wearing: employees: 100%, visitors outside, hardly any, visitors inside: 60%. lodge store hours limited due to covid19.

Curry village - we were there after 7:30 pm and everything seems closed. pizza shack/cafeteria is all under major construction.
The guest lounge is closed but they have left the rockers outside. A few people sitting there.
Curry village parking lot + dirt lot about 1/4 full.
Enough smoke from upper pines camping to make the air unpleasantly smoky
Taco truck? out there.. but didn't use it.
Two of the rooms of Stoneman house were occupied, but everything else looked dark.

Bridal Veil fall parking lot closed for construction.

The park is definitely not busy.

Tuolumne visitor center open so you can get water there in the bathrooms.
They haven't blocked off the road to the lodge, so you can park there
They have blocked off the road into the campground
Hiked Mono pass trail. Saw 4 people total.
Walked out to the twin bridges over Lyell Fork and saw maybe 10 people

[Unrelated: had pizza from June Pie pizza. Excellent.
Virginia lakes campground was packed.]

Bug report: present in the valley but surprisingly good in Tuolumne. Perhaps because of the storm/winds. I did spray with deet. Masks can double as bug protectors on your face. :-)

Thanks for the thorough overview.

Quote
recycling1991
They have blocked off the road into the campground

This is especially helpful as I will be there next weekend for a day at the TM backpackers cg. Didn't realize that there won't be an option to offload next to the cg.

Thanks for the update. Yeah, $337 is outrageous for the lodge. Is that the pre-Covid price as well?

We have 3 nights in a bunk bed room reserved at the Lodge for next month (made the reservations last week). The 'rack' price was $278, but $314 after taxes and fees. We stayed there 3 years ago and the rate total cost per night was $289 with $36 of that being taxes and fees. So a $25 increase over 3 years...not really that bad (the increase, not the totals).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/28/2020 10:39AM by calberry.

I also think that is the regular high season price. It's $276 if it's 2 adults, but if you have 2 adults, 2 teenagers (they count as adults), then it's 4 adults. $296, and then with taxes you end at $337.

I think my comment on price was re: the total price. In most places, $337 gets you a pretty nice room or suite. Even in National Parks. I have stayed at Zion Lodge (in their rooms and suites), Old Faithful Snow Lodge and Bryce Canyon Lodge,in all cases you get a lot more for your money. Yosemite's lodging prices for are very expensive.

Location, Location, Location...

Quote
JustKeepWalking
Location, Location, Location...

Exactly...

---

"They went a-boating on a lake with no name... because when the boating don't count no one remembers your name... La la - la - la la *sigh* *sigh*" #notbitter

Quote
basilbop
"They went a-boating on a lake with no name... because when the boating don't count no one remembers your name... La la - la - la la *sigh* *sigh*" #notbitter

---

Ah-maz-ing shot!! with the mountain perfectly poised in the backdrop.
Nice blue and red combo too . Looking forward to some red, white, and blue for the July 4th

Chick-on,
What kind of boat is that? The Merced ate three of my boats in June.

beautiful, inspiring photo. I'm planning a trip next weeknd to Yosemite with the kids (6 and 3), both pretty good hikers. Is there a calm lake or waters which anyone would recommend with kids for wading and perhaps boating like chick-on? Looks wonderful and think the kids would love it. also have searched for good hikes with kids and also would like any hike recommendations this time of year (no overnight).

thanks

Quote
wrysys
beautiful, inspiring photo. I'm planning a trip next weeknd to Yosemite with the kids (6 and 3), both pretty good hikers. Is there a calm lake or waters which anyone would recommend with kids for wading and perhaps boating like chick-on? Looks wonderful and think the kids would love it. also have searched for good hikes with kids and also would like any hike recommendations this time of year (no overnight).

thanks

Housekeeping camp beach on the Merced River. Housekeeping tent cabins are closed but you can walk between the cabins to get to the river. There's a nice beach with a shallow area along the river along the beach. Don't go too far out, it gets deep.It's about 80 yds. down river from the foot bridge, on the west end of housekeeping. Mirror lake is another area that I believe you can wade in, but I haven't been there in years.

If you want to go specifically to a lake, there's a nice beach at the east end of Tenaya Lake, you can park close.

If you want to hike some, Dog Lake in the Tuolumne Meadows area. The trail is dusty if you start by the Lembert Dome parking lot, but it's only about a 500 foot climb.

Or May Lake, which has some nice scenery on the way up and is an easy hike. Have done both with young kids.

thanks! great suggestions that i will look up

Quote
wrysys
beautiful, inspiring photo. I'm planning a trip next weeknd to Yosemite with the kids (6 and 3), both pretty good hikers. Is there a calm lake or waters which anyone would recommend with kids for wading and perhaps boating like chick-on? Looks wonderful and think the kids would love it. also have searched for good hikes with kids and also would like any hike recommendations this time of year (no overnight).

Many parts of the Merced near the campgrounds/lodge looked quite calm. I wasn't paying attention to depth and safety for a 3-year old, but I can tell you that it seemed like just about every other person at the lodge had some type of flotation device (tube, boat) with them. Of course the weather was hot when we were there. So even though the valley is not crowded, be prepared for crowds at the beaches.

If you make it to the high country ... Tenaya lake also had plenty of cars and people on both shores. When my kids were younger, they would often wade into the Tuolumne River. Just need to find a spot that's not dangerous, and since water levels are not high this year, that's not too challenging. But the store/snack bar are all closed, so no soft serve to make the kids happy at the end. It's a long drive from the valley with little kids.