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Pools, private beach, and dining minutes from Yosemite's western entrance
Yosemite Cedar Lodge is a casual hotel in El Portal with indoor and outdoor pools, private beach and river access, and an on-site restaurant and bar. Plenty of guests end up here specifically because in-park lodging was already booked solid, and several say it worked out fine as a fallback. With 3.7 stars across nearly 2,000 reviews, expect a workable but uneven experience rather than a polished stay.
The property's biggest draw is what's right outside the door: private beach and river access across the road, plus both indoor and outdoor pools and a hot tub area. Guests also mention a game room for kids and an on-site grocery store, useful when you don't want to drive back into town after a day in the park. The front desk runs 24 hours a day, every day.
This is a high-volume, no-frills option that trades some consistency for location and river access. It works especially well for families who'll use the pools and game room, less so if you're after a quiet, refined stay.
Guests consistently report about 15 to 20 minutes' drive to the park's western entrance, making it a workable base if in-park lodging is unavailable.
Yes — the property has both indoor and outdoor pools plus a hot tub area, and it sits right across from private beach and river access.
There's an on-site restaurant and bar, plus a grocery store according to guest reports — handy for not having to drive back into town after a day in the park.
It's not guaranteed. Some guests report early check-in being denied, particularly on third-party bookings — call the front desk directly at (209) 379-2612 to ask ahead of arrival.
1,999 reviews
in the last week
Definitely needs updating. Rooms are old. Restaurant was decent - service was great by Esteban. We had to look at different room due to air cond not working very well. Diana at front desk was very nice. Location is very good.
in the last week
I like it. The location is good, service is pretty fast. ROOMS SUCK
in the last week
Beautiful location with superb pools. The reception staff were subpar. And our room smelled awful. But it was close to the park.
in the last week
in the last week
The Yosemite Cedar Lodge is not maintained well, and poorly managed. None of the 3 employees behind the front desk asked about my stay so I thought I would put it here. ALL of the sheets I inspected had significant stains. One of the sheets had a yellow and soiled 12" stain. There is a 1/2"+ gap under my front door, allow any bugs and weather in/out from the outdoors freely. The bathroom sink is not usable, it is plugged and dirty to the point that only three high pressure 1mm streams come out of the faucet. The shower head is usable but barely and very uncomfortable because it is located about my 5" below my chin(I am only 5'10") so I had to bend over 12" to rinse my hair. I understand this is a remote location that only exists for the park and I had low expectations but for $400/day it is reasonable to expect clean sheets and usable water in the bathroom.