Yosemite Hotel

Visitors to Yosemite National Park that don’t want to camp will have better luck booking accommodations. The first hotel in 25 years is opening in the park in spring 2016, which also marks the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service. Rush Creek Lodge will be a sister property to the Evergreen Lodge. The new hotel will provide 143 guest rooms around a central lodge.

The property is situated in 20 acres of forest on a hillside less than a mile from the Highway 120 West entrance. According to its website, the location promises contemporary and rustic design using natural materials. Lodgings will range from guest rooms and suites to hillside villas with private decks. Flexible indoor and outdoor meeting spaces will accommodate up to 250.

Food options are to include a restaurant with a wood-fired oven and open kitchen, and a general store stocked with provisions and souvenirs.  An onsite, full-service recreation department with more than 30 types of guided excursions is also in the works.