For years, our family visited Yosemite regularly—camping under canvas, staying in tent cabins, and hiking between the Sierra High Camps. During off-peak months, we booked rooms at the valley lodge. We once splurged on the Ahwahnee Hotel but found the experience underwhelming. Today, standard rooms at the Ahwahnee command $515 to $1,259 per night depending on seasonal demand, and reservations must be secured months in advance. Over the past three years, I’ve endured last-minute cancellations and struggled to secure any reservations at all. I began questioning whether Yosemite was worth the frustration. Here is how to visit Yosemite without reservations.
Discovering an Alternative
This summer, I decided to research alternative approaches to experiencing Yosemite’s high country—hopefully with fewer crowds and complications. I discovered three lodges near the Big Oak Flat entrance: Evergreen Lodge, Rush Creek Lodge, and Blackberry Inn. We secured several mid-week nights at Evergreen Lodge without difficulty, drawn by its reputation for secluded, natural accommodations.
Evergreen Lodge: A Hidden Retreat
Upon arrival at Evergreen Lodge, I immediately began exploring the property, photographing the individual cabins, swimming pool, spa facilities, and extensive recreational amenities. The 22-acre grounds house both traditional cabins and 22 luxury tents, scattered throughout the forested landscape to create an authentic wilderness experience. The lodge has clearly become a sought-after wedding destination—staff informed us that every weekend through fall was completely booked with wedding ceremonies.
Photo Credits of Evergreen Lodge: Kim Carrol
The recreational facilities are impressive. Four distinct play areas offer slides, wooden fort structures, swings, ziplines, rope climbing webs, challenging ropes courses, oversized chess sets, bocce ball courts, and tightrope walking stations. While these amenities clearly cater to families, we appreciated having adult-oriented spaces as well. I found a perfectly positioned hammock in the afternoon sun, where I could relax before swimming laps in the pool and soaking in the hot tub beneath towering pine trees.
The lodge organizes various activities including horseback riding, fly fishing, morning yoga sessions, and both full-day and half-day Yosemite tours covering the Valley and Glacier Point, the High Country, Big Trees hiking and swimming excursions, and Alpine Adventures. Since we had our own vehicle, we opted to explore independently. If you stay outside the park, you can find a way to experiece Yosemite without reservations.
Into the High Country
After enjoying a leisurely breakfast of lemon pancakes, crispy bacon, and fresh eggs on the lodge’s front porch, we drove twenty minutes to the park entrance. Rather than joining the crowds heading to Yosemite Valley, we followed Tioga Road (Highway 120) toward Tuolumne Meadows.
Our first stop was Olmsted Point, renowned for its unobstructed views of Half Dome and Clouds Rest. A park ranger had positioned a telescope to show visitors the climbers ascending Half Dome’s famous cable route—tiny figures against the massive granite face.
May Lake: A Perfect High Country Hike
The May Lake trail offers an ideal introduction to high-elevation hiking during summer and early fall. At 2.5 miles round-trip with 500 feet of elevation gain, the trail leads to May Lake at 9,270 feet above sea level. The altitude becomes immediately apparent—expect to feel your breathing deepen as your lungs work harder in the thin mountain air.
The reward of hiking to May Lake is the views, the solitude and perhaps the climb to Mount Hoffman.
The trail’s appeal extends beyond its manageable distance. Views of Half Dome and the surrounding granite peaks unfold continuously along the route. May Lake itself sits in a dramatic granite amphitheater beneath Mount Hoffmann’s imposing cliffs, creating one of the Sierra’s most photogenic alpine settings. While the hike covers relatively short distance, it climbs steadily from an already high starting elevation.
Years ago, when our daughters were six and nine, we hiked to May Lake before continuing to Mount Hoffmann’s summit. They completed the longer trek with strategic encouragement involving lemon drops, red licorice, and elaborate stories about magical flutter ponies inhabiting the surrounding trees.
Tenaya Lake: Alpine Grandeur
We drove to Tenaya Lake for our picnic lunch. Located directly alongside Tioga Road at 8,150 feet elevation, Tenaya Lake stretches over a mile in length, making it Yosemite’s largest natural lake. We easily found parking beside the water—a stark contrast to the overcrowded conditions we imagined in the Valley below. This experience reinforced our belief that Yosemite’s high country represents the park’s most accessible and enjoyable region outside of winter months.
Other remarkable destinations we’ve explored in previous visits include Lembert Dome, Pothole Dome, and the historic Soda Springs. We’ve found the optimal times for high country visits are immediately after the road opens in late spring or early summer, and again during the spectacular color displays of late August through October.
Evening at the Lodge
After a full day exploring the park, we returned to Evergreen Lodge to relax in a hammock, then the hot tub before a BBQ outdoors by the pool. Two couples were playing bocci ball and kids were still enjoying the zip line as darkness fell across the mountains. We gathered with another family around the communal fire pit to make s’mores. The lodge offers complimentary smores every night. The combination of warm marshmallows melted chocolate, and graham crackers under a brilliant canopy of stars provided the perfect ending to our day—simple pleasures that capture the magic of mountain evenings. Staying at the Evergreen Lodge, outside the park, and visiting mid-week proved to be a relaxing, hassle-free way to experience Yosemite.
The Challenge of Modern Yosemite
Is there still an easy way to visit Yosemite? The park has faced legitimate criticism this year due to severe staffing shortages caused by a federal hiring freeze and the termination of 1,000 probationary Park Service employees over the summer. These personnel shortages have disrupted camping and lodging reservations while creating confusion about park entry requirements.
Planning Tips
Best Times to Visit:
- Late spring offers waterfalls at peak flow
- September and October showcase vibrant fall colors
- Spring, fall, and mid-week visits mean fewer crowds
Entry Requirements: You’ll need timed entry reservations to enter the park during peak season (typically May through August or September). These passes can be booked up to five months in advance on Recreation.gov and often sell out quickly.
IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION:
The Tioga Pass Entrance is open for the 2024 Summer season in Yosemite National Park (but seasonal closure applies).
Tioga Pass Closes for the Winter Season… The closure begins at Crane Flat Road inside Yosemite National Park, as winter weather conditions have made the high-altitude pass unsafe.
Reservation system to visit the High Country.
- High Country areas accessed via Tioga Pass STILL require park entry reservations during peak season (April 13-October 27, 5am-4pm)
- Tioga Pass closes seasonally (typically November-May/June)
- Wilderness permits may still be required for backcountry High Country access