2 Best Hotels in Outside Yosemite National Park, Yosemite National Park

Occupying 20 acres on a wooded hillside, this sleek, nature-inspired complex has a saltwater pool and hot tubs, a restaurant and tavern with indoor and outdoor seating, a guided recreation program, a spa and wellness program, a general store, nature trails, and outdoor play areas that include a zipline and a giant slide. The sister property of the Evergreen Lodge a few miles down the road, Rush Creek Lodge is just a half mile from Yosemite's Highway 120 entrance at the park's northwestern entrance. Choose among rooms and suites in the main lodge or in hillside villas; many rooms have gas fireplaces, and all have private balconies or patios.

Tucked away on the edge of the John Muir Wilderness Area, where cross-country ski trails loop through the woods, this 1924 lodge looks like something out of a snow globe. Rooms in the charming main lodge have spartan furnishings, and, in old-fashioned style, some share a bathroom. For more privacy, opt for one of the cabins, which range from rustic to downright cushy; many have fireplaces, full kitchens, or wood-burning stoves. In warm months, fishing, canoeing, hiking, and mountain biking are right outside. The small, romantic Lakefront Restaurant serves outstanding seasonal, locally sourced dinners in a candlelit dining room. Reservations are essential.