Rooms Scarce but Yosemite Mob Thins

Looking to visit Yosemite National Park this month? You’ll probably find somewhat smaller crowds than usual, but getting a room on-site can be as hard as ever.

Use of the park, as gauged by revenues from lodging, shops, restaurants and other facilities, is off about 20% from normal after plunging by 30% to 40% during spring and early summer, according to Keith Walklett, spokesman for Yosemite Concession Services Corp. The rebound came after media reported the drop-off in mid-July--variously attributed to higher entrance fees ($20 versus $5 per car), publicity about damage from January’s floods and traffic backups at the gate in earlier years.

Still, it’s actually more difficult than normal to book the moderately priced Yosemite Lodge because about half its 495 rooms and cabins are still out of service, due to flood damage, Walklett said. And there’s only “a smattering of rooms” at the undamaged, upscale Ahwanee this month, he added; the Wawona is also tight. But if you’re flexible, calling about two days in advance sometimes yields rooms due to last-minute cancellations, he advised.

Best bets are campsites; only about 400 of the 1,800 sites were lost. And after Labor Day, canvas tent cabins and housekeeping units become “dramatically” more available, Walklett said.

The 242-room Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, in Fish Camp about two miles outside the park, last week reported only two to three rooms available for Aug. 15-16 and Aug. 22-23, but good availability for Labor Day Weekend. The brochure rates for standard rooms start at $199, plus tax.

Later this month, park guests will get their first glimpse of the new Glacier Point Winter Lodge and a new 150-seat outdoor amphitheater nearby, due to be dedicated Sept. 10, at the famous outlook visited by 1 million each year. The stone-and-timber structure includes food concessions and a retail shop; in winter only, it will also provide overnight lodging for cross-country skiers. It replaces what Walklett described as two “green plywood shacks” that were designed for temporary use but stood for nearly 28 years.

To reserve Yosemite lodgings, call (209) 252-4848; for campsites, call (800) 436-7275.