UKC

Looking for reasonably priced self catering accommodation near tuloumne meadows. Nearest seems to be mammoth lakes which is at least 1hours drive each way every day at about £5-600 per week. Looking for 2 beds with kitchen facilities. Any recommendations? Thanks

In reply to Removed UserGRUMPY MONKEY:

Have you looked in Lee Vining?

In reply to Removed UserGRUMPY MONKEY:

Best to camp or campervan it I would have thought.

In reply to Removed UserGRUMPY MONKEY:

I'm pretty sure it's the campsite or nothing in Tuolumne. Lee Vining is the nearest habitation and that's at the foot of the Sierra. On the west side it's the best part of two hours down to the Yosemite gate area...

In reply to alan moore:

There is Tuolomne Lodge...

http://www.nationalparkcentralreservations.com/hotel/tuolumne-meadows-lodge

In reply to Removed UserGRUMPY MONKEY:

Or this:
http://www.lakeviewlodgeyosemite.com

In reply to Removed UserGRUMPY MONKEY:

We did the Tuolumne camp this year and it was an expensive dump. The facilities are very bad. Personally I wild camp every time but the rules there are very strict. Can't speak for the solid accomodation.

In reply to jon: too expensive

In reply to Removed UserGRUMPY MONKEY:

More expensive than staying in Mammoth and driving every day (in terms of time as well as money)? How much, out of interest?

There are other places between Lee Vining and Mammoth, June Lake, maybe? Or going north along 395 from LV? Campgrounds in LV creek if everything else fails?

In reply to olddirtydoggy:
The facilities are fine (like Camp 4 its one of the few with facilities with unbookable spaces for those like climbers who just turn up) and if you share a pitch its pretty cheap for such an amazing place. Also in the weeks before it closes in September you are almost certain to see a bear (get a pitch on the outside if you want this... closer to the entrance if you don't). Its also the closest site to the Tuolumne climbing which given the occasional bad traffic speed limits and fuel cost, makes a difference (every extra 10 miles must use getting on for a dollar of fuel). Climbers can be mean and dumb at times.

In reply to jon:

I found the motels just got more expensive heading north. There is a big nice place next to a lake thats cheap and handy, just over the Nevada border, if anyone is heading up to Lovers Leap and needs a rest from the driving.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:


I'm surprised that you judge it so harshly. IME campgrounds in the park may only have basic facilities but they are invariably well maintained and clean.

In reply to Removed UserGRUMPY MONKEY:

Hope the following is useful.
You will be lucky to find cheap self catering, there are few towns, (Lee Vining is a one horse town, Mammoth Lakes isn't that big and is a bit of a trek, you would tire of the drive pretty quickly). The area is a major tourist draw and the demand for accommodation far exceeds supply so prices are high. There are some cabins not far from the Tuolumne entrance to YNP, They are at a place called Tioga Pass Resort, don't be put off by the word resort - the place is some log cabins and a bar/restaurant, I am afraid that I have no idea of prices. You may be able to rent a static caravan in Lee Vining, some posts give the site staff bad press, they were fine with us when we used their showers and laundry. If you are in or passing through you should try eating at the whoanelliedeli restaurant at the mobile petrol station at the bottom of the Tioga Pass road.

A good option could be camping (we camped for a month using various sites, the weather is so good that even i enjoyed the camping) or hiring an RV (as they are called over there). Camping in YNP is in short supply and very regulated, however once you have left Tuolumne (YNP) at the Tioga Pass you enter the Inyo National Forest which has many Walk-On campsites and RV camping sites (look at their website under Mono Lake Ranger Area. Saddlebag and Tioga Lakes are closest to Tuolumne (near Tioga Pass Resort), you can also camp at these sites. The Forest Service campsites at Junction and Ellery Lake are also very convenient (all those named are also convenient for Mt Conness (West Ridge looks superb). The Forest Service also have lots of camping and RV sites between Lee Vining and Mammoth Lakes ( if you go to Mamm other Lakes the N Arete of Crystal Crag is very good), Ino National Forest also manage the Mt Whitney permit allocation. The park authorities seem to like online bookings for many sites and access, research early to avoid disappointment! Take some mosquito repellent!

All the sites and car parks have bear boxes, see the yosemite black bear safety guidance (and the YouTube video showing bears trashing vehicles. If you break the guidelines for storage of items that might attract a bear you might get you transport trashed and/or a big fine (up to $5000!).

I haven' been to Tahoe so can'take give you any thoughts on accommodation thereabouts.

In reply to Trevor Langhorne:
That restaurant at the petrol station just above the main T junction is amazing. Never bothered with RV hire... seems much cheaper camping and the occasional motel. For our winter months trad climbing staying in Vegas or Joshua Tree we rarely have to pay over $40 and long term accommodation is available at below half that in Vegas.

For climbers on a real budget you can camp for free and climb on workd class multi-pitch granite at Tahquitz/Suicide, north again at Needles and further north on the edge of Sequoia Kings Canyon. In the end the cost of NP camping is trivial compared to the flight and your kit.

In reply to timjones:

Well maintained and clean?! The buildings with the toilets in were like something from a labour camp, they were disgusting and never got any better over the week. I can't speak for the sites in the valley but for the money I paid, I would expect much better. Bearing in mind I'm used to facilities in music festivals.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

I think the setting of the Toulomne campsite more than makes up for limited facilities. It is a tedious drive to anywhere with motels etc. I stayed in Mammoth ski resort in the summer once, for a couple of days, and would not recommend it. Like most ski resorts in the summer it it pretty soulless. The main problem with staying anywhere else other than up in the Meadows is that the driving time really eats into your day.

In reply to John Stainforth:

Totally agree, the setting is wonderful, the campers like minded but the site is a dump when you consider what they charge. II understand some of the money is reinvested into the place so that at least is +1.

In reply to olddirtydoggy:

The NP campsites charge per pitch, so if there are one or two of you it's expensive (especially at the moment), but if there are a dozen of you then it's dirt cheap.

In reply to Simon Caldwell:


... and very noisy.

In reply to jon:


Only if you are caamping on the next door pitch

In reply to jon:
Humour asiide, I'd disagree completely with that, as the packing density is really low (they limit numbers to 6 per pitch in any case) and bad behaviour is much less common and dealt with firmly. I've never seen a problem with any of the toilets in my numerous stays there in the last 20 years (proviso: pit toliets do upset some soft folk). This was in massive contrast to a site in Verona where all tent guy lines overlapped and the couple having loud sex kept the whole site awake.

In reply to Offwidth:


I'm glad you added that!