Get Away at Tenaya at Yosemite

Tori Peglar
·4 min read

This article originally appeared on My Yosemite Park

Less than two miles from Yosemite's South Entrance, Tenaya at Yosemite offers a full-resort vacation. A world-class spa, four swimming pools, on-site activities and restaurants and a grab-and-go deli await you.

Named one of the best resorts in the West for families and pets by Sunset magazine, Tenaya at Yosemite strikes a Zen-like balance between providing a natural setting and high-end amenities.

Kids will love a private cabana rental surrounding one of the many on-site pools where you’ll get a secluded experience complete with watermelon-cucumber water and pool toys.

With restaurants on-site, you don't need to spend time driving to eat. The renovated Jackalopes Bar & Grill features gluten-free and vegan options, along with made-to-order burgers. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Timberloft Pizzeria offers wood-fired pizzas to fuel up after a day outside.

One of the most fun, family-friendly experiences the resort offers is the Gold Rush BBQ, Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Dine on classic barbeque fare like tri-tip, chicken, corn on the cob and apple cobber under twinkle lights. There’s a real firepit, live music, a bean bag toss and haybale steer roping for the kids. Be sure to book ahead.

Jackalopes Bar & Grill at Tenaya Lodge near Yosemite
Jackalopes Bar & Grill at Tenaya Lodge Courtesy Tenaya at Yosemite

If you’re looking for relaxation, head to the world-class Ascent Spa, the only full-service spa at the South Entrance. It has a sauna, steam room and treatment rooms where you can opt for a body wrap, facial or massage. The spa only uses organic and thoughtfully sourced products, making for a more sustainable experience.

Then rest your head in the lodge, a cottage room or suite or get cozy in a two-bedroom Explorer Cabin. The cabins are under a 10-minute walk from the lodge, but if you're feeling tired from a day in the park, you can ride a Tenaya shuttle available 24/7 to and from the cabins.

"The Explorer Cabins are set away from the lodge, so you really feel like you are having that cabin-in-the-woods experience," says Nia Huerta, Tenaya's marketing manager." But you get all the lodge amenities like going to the spa, swimming in one of our four pools and having steak and wine at dinner."

Explorer Cabin at Tenaya Lodge
Two-bedroom Explorer Cabins are great for families. Courtesy Tenaya at Yosemite

Driving Tours of Yosemite and More

Best way to avoid navigating Yosemite and its parking issues? Board Tenaya’s Yosemite 360 Tour Buses with panoramic views, plush-leather seats and USB ports, so you can take photos and not worry about your phone dying. You can choose between a half-day or full-day tour or a Junior Ranger tour for kids. There's even an ADA accessible bus.

The lodge's concierge also can arrange a number of area activities for you, including horseback riding with Yosemite Trails Pack Station, taking a ride on the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, a historic steam train, and off-road Jeep tours and rentals with Sierra Nevada Motorsports. On site, the lodge offers archery classes, a rock-climbing wall and more. Book a free daily guided nature hike into the Sierra National Forest or rent an e-bike or mountain bike on-site to explore roads or trails nearby.

Plus, Tenaya has worked to make its resort more green. It provides reusable water bottles in every room. There also are water filling stations on property where guests can fill their water bottles. For those arriving in a Tesla, the resort has a Tesla charging station. And if you want to stay in a room that harnesses the sun’s energy, request to sleep in the cabin that’s solar-powered.

Bring Your Pet to Tenaya

Dog-friendly rooms and cabins at Tenaya Lodge
Dog-friendly rooms and cabins. Courtesy Tenaya at Yosemite

No need to leave Fido home when Tenaya at Yosemite offers pet-friendly rooms. It even offers pet massages. To clarify, the pets are getting the massages, not giving them. The new Explorer Cabins at Tenaya also are pet friendly. With so much at your fingertips, you'll find yourself wishing you were staying longer.

"Instead of people just visiting the park for a day, we really encourage them to stay with us 3-4 days to have an even better vacation," Huerta says. "We really have something for everyone in the family."

For more information:
(888) 514-2167
1122 Highway 41, P.O. Box 159, Fish Camp, CA 93623
www.visittenaya.com

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