Yosemite Lodge green prototype room

One of the most awe-inspiring views in California’s Yosemite National Park is Yosemite Falls. Gawkers stand for hours at the base and hikers venture up the trail to the top. When you plan your vacation to the park, why not stay as close as possible—Yosemite Lodge at the Falls.

Take advantage of the opportunity to get even closer to nature by staying in one of the new green rooms. Two of the 245 rooms at the lodge have been redesigned to be environmentally friendly as a first step to eventually get all the rooms to follow suit. The green rooms include electronic key cards, insulation made from recycled newspaper, double-pane windows, fixtures to reduce water consumption, organic cotton sheets, recycled flooring, and more.

Now that you’re all hyped up to be green at Yosemite, take note that since these are only two rooms, they may be difficult to get. When you make your reservation, make your preference known, and you may snag one. But if you don’t, you’ll be happy to know that other aspects of the hotel follow environmentally friendly practices.

Yosemite National Park seems like the ideal place to be green.

Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, 801-559-4884
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389

Photo courtesy of Yosemite Lodge at the Falls

More Yosemite-related information:
Award-Winning Ahwahnee in Yosemite Delivers Best Lunch

A tiny Highway 120 town on the way to Yosemite National Park is planning to construct two large hotels with 400 rooms and a conference center.

Yosemite Nat'l Park sign at Big Oak Flat entrance

The Groveland-Big Oak Flat project, currently in the environmental study stage, also includes an indoor water park, an IMAX theater, bowling alley, retail space and other attractions.

Big Oak Flat is about 25 miles west of the Park entrance, and the project’s developer Morgan Burkett says work on the $60 million project will begin in mid-2011 and possibly be completed by late 2012.

Burkett’s plan is not just to provide an alternative to Yosemite hotels, but also to try and attract conventions by offering a cheaper alternative to conference hotels in Monterey, San Francisco, Napa and Lake Tahoe.

Meanwhile, inside Yosemite, the parks superintendent is seeking input on what’s to be done with the 233 historic cabins in Curry Village that were abandoned after a rock-slide rained down on students staying in the cabins in Oct 2008.

The family campground beneath Glacier Point has been fenced off since then, and the park is planning to dismantle whatever needs to be saved and move it to a location near the Wawona Hotel on the park’s south end.

Park officials are asking the public for suggestions and doing an environmental assessment. A public open house on this subject will take place on March 31, 2010 from 1 pm to 4 pm in the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center Auditorium. Park admission fees will be waived for those attending the open house.

 If you want to send in your comments online, you can do so here. Last date for sending in your suggestions is April 7.

Photo by Alaskan Dude

A little while back Sharon wrote a great review of the historic Ahwahnee Hotel in Yosemite National Park, California. It’s a classic art deco-style lodge, and a beautiful place to stay when you visit the park.

The Ahwahnee Hotel in autumn

However, it’s also a death trap. Oops.

A new study has been released, saying that the lodge needs a lot of retro-fitting to bring it up to modern safety standards.

How much? Well, in a big quake, the kind we expect around here on a daily basis — seriously, it’s only a matter of time — the walls and floors could fail,  and “human lives could be lost”.

The lodge was built in 1927, and it’s a huge tourist attraction. But the retrofit will shut the property for two years, and cost $20 million dollars, which the owners don’t seem to have since they’ve requested federal assistance.

Let’s just hope this living piece of history doesn’t fall victim to the lackluster travel economy! No one will care if a few Hyatts and Motel 6 properties disappear, but The Ahwahnee is special.

Photo: Ahwahnee Hotel

Yosemite in winter

Yosemite in the winter is simply beautiful. Many people come here to camp and hike during the warmer weather months, but there is something magical about this grand national park in the colder months.

Snowy meadows, frozen peaks and the quiet can be incredibly conducive to romance or just a great way to recharge your batteries. Whatever you decide, there are many ways to enjoy the Yosemite Valley.

Our stay at The Ahwahnee in January was overall so relaxing and a wonderful time. We had thought about waiting until February and enjoying a Valentine’s escape to Napa, but decided instead to experience Yosemite in snow.

The Ahwahnee Hotel is a splurge compared to other lodging options in or near the park, but worth it if you can swing it.  The architecture and magnificent façade are amazing to see, especially for the first time. There is a grandeur about this stately hotel. No wonder presidents and royalty have stayed here.

Snowy peaks above

Did you know that The Ahwahnee was specifically designed to highlight its natural surroundings, which feature Yosemite Falls, Half Dome and Glacier Point? This beautiful hotel has the warmth of a mountain ski lodge but on a grander scale. The interior rooms have Native American motifs and accents with natural wood furnishings.

View from Ahwahnee Hotel ground floor

This AAA Four Diamond hotel has 123 handsomely appointed guest rooms, including 99 hotel rooms, parlors and suites and 24 cottages. We stayed in the main building in a guest room and found that we ate most of our meals in the grand dining room.

With the chilly air and icy roads, I quite enjoyed staying indoors and staring out the enormous windows at the fabulous views, with a warm drink and book. However Badger Pass is not too far if you prefer to go skiing and the hotel can help with arrangements.

Inside the main dining room

Other types of lodging around Yosemite National Park are available during the winter and summer months but you will need to check ahead of time to see what roads are open, besides availability – I suggest you check directly with Yosemite National Park.  Booking directly with the park may also save you money or get you one of their seasonal packages or other sweet bargains.

Discover your inner Ansel Adams and no matter when you go or where you stay, don’t forget to take your camera!!

Photo credits to sfcphotography