Snow play and tubing near Yosemite National Park

If you are visiting Yosemite National Park or live in the valley communities, playing in the snow around Yosemite can be great fun.  Check weather conditions before visiting to see if there is sufficient snow for good snow play.  Plan on taking snow chains.

This list provides information on locations around Yosemite on Highways 120 and 41. Those within park boundaries are subject to the $20 entrance fee.

Only one location is included for Yosemite Valley, but depending on snow conditions, this can be the best place to play in the snow with it's many meadows, hills, and hikes.

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1. Goat Meadow Snow Play Area

Highway 41
National Forest Fish Camp, California

Comment:

A free snow play area located north of Fish Camp on Highway 41. Access road is 1 mile long and is unplowed. Snow chains or 4 wheel drive required. Located outside of the park boundary.

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2. Crane Flat Campground

Big Oak Flat Road
Hwy 120 Yosemite National Park, California

Comment:

A free snow play area located on the Big Oak Flat Road to the west of Yosemite Valley on Highway 120. Located inside the park boundary.

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3. Badger Pass Ski Area

Yosemite National Park, California

Comment:

Kids of all ages will have fun sliding over the snow in the Yosemite Snow Tubing area of Badger Pass. $15 per person, per 2-hour session. Sessions (dependent on snow conditions) 11:30am to 1:30pm 2:00pm to 4:00pm Located inside the park boundary off of Highway 41.

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4. Wawona Hotel

8308 Wawona Road
Yosemite National Park, California

Comment:

The Wawona Hotel is situated next to a beautiful meadow that can be covered with snow, making for a large area for snow play. The slopes are not steep, so tubing and sledding may not be an option. Located inside the park boundary on Highway 41.

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5. Curry Village

9010 Curry Village Drive
Yosemite Valley Yosemite National Park, California

Comment:

In Yosemite Valley, many meadows will be filled with snow, making for some excellent snow play. Stop at the Mountaineering Store in Curry Village for suggestions of sledding hills. Located inside the park boundary.

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6. Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite

1122 Highway 41
Fish Camp, California

Comment:

This resort offers a tube run, snow play area, and ice skating. Check website for prices and snow conditions. Located outside the park boundary.

reviewed on: September 11 2011

"Family friendly mountain resort"

This mountain lodge is located near one of our favorite places in all of the United States: Yosemite!  Our family loved staying at this resort in the beautiful mountains with so many fun activities to keep us occupied for several days.

What we loved:
- Beautiful location in the mountains near Yosemite National Park.  
- Outdoor and indoor pool that our kids loved to swim in.
- Hikes, rock wall climbing, and archery activities for the whole family.
- A comfortable room that slept all 6 of us.
What we weren’t as keen on:
- Dining options were expensive but the food was good.
- No complimentary breakfast.
- No complimentary WiFi.
- Lots of bees at the outdoor pool.

CLOSE LOCATION TO YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK:
The Tenaya Lodge is located two miles from the southern entrance to Yosemite, but it will take approximately one hour to drive to Yosemite Valley.  Because we have visited the valley many times, we decided to stay at the Lodge for our 2 night stay and just enjoy the pine trees, hike to the creek and all the other fun activities of the Lodge.

OUTDOOR AND INDOOR POOL:
The beautiful summer weather convinced us that we had to be outdoors swimming in the large pool surrounded by pine trees and beautiful plants.  It was gorgeous!  My little kids really enjoyed swimming in the shallow 2 ½-3 foot deep half circle of the shallow end where they could just barely touch the bottom.  My older boys swam the length of the pool, which got no deeper than five feet.  A nice extra touch was the complimentary swim diapers available poolside.  (Thankfully, my kids don’t need them anymore!)  The only drawback to the outside pool was that the local bees also liked it.  We had to carefully avoid stepping on 5-10 bees as we entered or exited the pool.  They were surrounding the pool in order to drink the water that was collecting on the deck.  Because there is a nearby bee colony, they cannot be eradicated, but I was told that they only come seasonally.  If your family cannot handle bees, or you visit in the winter, the indoor pool is just as great as the outdoor pool.  It is very large with a spacious deck surrounded by comfortable lounge chairs.  Skylights and picture windows let in the beautiful mountain scenery.  My kids loved it just as much!

FAMILY-FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES:
Many activities offered by the Tenaya Lodge could keep families busy for days without even venturing to Yosemite National Park or the nearby Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad for an historic train ride.  During our first day, the boys climbed the 25-foot rock wall, shot arrows at targets, and swam in both of the pools.  When I first saw the climbing wall, sitting out in the parking lot, I was a little disappointed that it wasn’t set among the trees or in a mountain setting, but my boys and my husband didn’t care.  My 10 year old told me repeatedly during the afternoon how much fun he had conquering the “easy section” and how he almost made it up the “moderate section.”  Our family took a one-mile hike along a nature trail down to “Big Creek” where we threw rocks in the water and waded in the cold stream.  Along our walk we saw dogwood trees, a lush meadow, and a young grove (100 years old!) of Giant Sequoias that looked relatively small, but will be incredible giants some day.  The dusty climb back up the hill to the Lodge was the hardest part of the hike, but it was still fun.  A five-mile round trip trail from the hotel goes to a waterfall along Big Creek. Mountain bikes in many sizes (down to approximately 16-inch wheels) were available to rent, with the option to take an arduous ride down to a Giant Sequoia grove approximately 12 miles away.  Some of the many other activities that are available are an arcade, a gift shop, flashlight hikes, guided nature hikes, fishing gear, and a kid’s club.  The Kid’s Adventure Club offers five hours of kid activities, a meal, outdoor play, video games, a craft room and many other activities.  It’s a great option to occupy youngsters while parents enjoy time at dinner or the brand new spa.  

COMFORTABLE BEDS AND SPACIOUS ROOMS:
After we had taken our hike down to Big Creek and breathed in as much of the delicious pine scent as we could, we figured that checking into our room would be a good decision!  Our family of six slept very comfortably on two double beds and a pull-out couch in our room.  There was plenty of extra room for a pack-n-play (not needed this time) and suitcases.  We liked using the little fridge in the bathroom for keeping our diet cokes and our leftover dinners cold.  The room had a nice flat screen TV, a couch, a desk, a coffee maker with complimentary coffee, and a porch with chairs to enjoy the mountain air.  Regular suites and deluxe suites with Jacuzzi tubs and dining areas are also available.  WiFi is available in room for $9.95 per day.

WINTER ACTIVITIES:
We visited in August, and I must say that I was almost jealous of winter visitors when I heard of all of the fun activities offered to guests and families when the weather turns cold.  Topping our family’s “wish list” would be to skate at the outdoor ice rink, sled down the sled run, take a ride on a horse drawn sleigh, and participate in the gingerbread house building projects in the large ballroom and conference rooms.  Many other holiday programs, crafts, and activities, such as snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, and dinner with Santa, are offered when the snow glistens on the trees.  The 5,000-foot elevation of Tenaya Lodge promises lots of months of snow and winter activities.

SUMMER ACTIVITIES:
Several special events occur during the summers that families will love.  The Summerdale BBQ invites visitors to the Wild West for an outdoor feast with live music, a campfire and s’mores.  Evening Ranger talks take place on Monday and Friday evenings to share stories, legends, and fun.  Check the website for details.

DINING OPTIONS:
There are four restaurants and a deli to choose from for meals at the Tenaya Lodge.  Our family’s favorite was the Timberloft Pizzeria for it’s family-friendly atmosphere, delicious pizzas, and reasonable prices.  The Jackalopes Bar & Grill and the Sierra Restaurant offer a variety of meals and their patios are more family friendly than the quiet interior.  The average price for an entrée was $17 and a kid’s meal was $7.95, drinks included. The Sierra Restaurant provides a great looking breakfast buffet, but we saved some significant dinero by bringing bananas and granola bars from the grocery store. Embers Restaurant is the perfect place for mom and dad to enjoy an elegant dinner if your children are visiting the Kid’s Club.  The mountain town of Oakhurst is less than 30 minutes down the hill and offers many good dining options as well.

ASCENT SPA:
Down in the lower level of the Lodge resides the brand new spa that invites guests to relax and refresh themselves.  For this visit, I didn’t experience a treatment, but I did get to tour the facilities.  The beautiful spa is decorated in a mountain color theme and offers facials, massages, pedicures, and more to women, men, couples and groups.  What fun it would be to come with a group of moms and get pampered!  A steam room and sauna encourage relaxation at Ascent, but the Tenaya Lodge also offers a second steam room and sauna on the main level next to the arcade and indoor pool for all the guests.

ECO-FRIENDLY:
During dinner at the Timberloft restaurant, we noticed that the heavy-duty paper plates we were served with were labeled “tree-free.”  We had quite an interesting discussion, trying to figure out what they were made from and it led to being able to teach our children the value of using recycled materials before other resources.  The company that runs the Tenaya Lodge (DNC) also services many National Parks with the goal of encouraging recycling and using resources efficiently through it’s “Green Path” program.  I thought it was a great way to run a resort and I was thankful that it wasn’t too heavy handed.

STROLLER TIPS:  Walking through the Lodge and along the few sidewalks is very stroller friendly.  However, if your family goes to the Summerdale BBQ, it would be helpful to know that it is down a mountain path that starts with a double flight of narrow steps.  Not stroller friendly.  The trail to Big Creek would be jogger stroller friendly and the path to the Timberloft Pizzeria is regular stroller friendly, but families will have to walk on the side of the street that leads to the Lodge.  There is no separate sidewalk.

BOTTOM LINE:
The Tenaya Lodge is a great family-friendly destination for a getaway or for an exciting adventure.  Whether families visit in the summer or winter, they will find more activities than they could ever hope to participate in.  Great fun awaits!

This review is based on a complimentary stay at the Tenaya Lodge with archery and rock climbing included. I received no other compensation and the business owner did not request that I express a particular point of view. The opinions I write are entirely my own.

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