Yosemite National Park: $69 rooms with off-season hotel deals

In Yosemite National Park, summer crowds have long dissipated. And now is good time to think about visiting the California park, where you’ll find bargain room rates this month and in December in Yosemite Valley and nearby. Sure, it may get nippy, but the scenery is gorgeous and the atmosphere is peaceful.

The deal: Live it up at the venerable Ahwahnee, a AAA four-diamond hotel, where nightly room rates in December drop as low as $199 per night from as high as $469 in the high season.

Lower-priced options include Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, with nightly rates starting at $79, including breakfast. Or you can stay at the Wawona Hotel, a Victorian edifice and a National Historic Landmark, starting at $69 for a room with shared bath and $139 for a room with a private bath. Both Wawona rates include a breakfast buffet. All rates are quoted pretax.

Use the promotional code “YOSFALL” to get these deals online or by phone from the park’s lodging concessionaire. You’ll also find seasonal discounts for Curry Village tent cabins in the park.

When: Dates vary by hotel and are subject to change. Check the online calendar for an overview.

Tested: I first went to the “Save This Fall in Yosemite” section on the lodging website, chose Yosemite Lodge at the Falls and entered the dates Dec. 5-7. I was given the rate of $79 plus tax per night, or $175.38 total for two nights with tax, under the “Fall Special Offer” for a king- or double-bedded room including breakfast.

By comparison, when I checked online for an Aug. 14-16 stay in the same Yosemite Lodge room category, the rate shown was $218 per night plus tax. What a difference a season makes.

Contact: DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite Inc., (801) 559-4914.