This year, it’s time to treat yourself to a family- and dog-friendly California experience that lets everyone feel like a kid again. Offering mountain adventures, unforgettable dining, spa amenities and poolside delight, Tenaya Lodge is vacation time well spent.
Two miles from Yosemite’s south gate in Fish Camp, Tenaya sits at 5,288 feet, ringed by Sierra National Forest. Step out the door and you’re on a forest trail; drive twenty minutes and you’re staring up at the Wawona giant sequoias. It’s the rare resort where the wild country starts at the parking lot — which, if you’re traveling with a dog, is exactly the point.
A real dog welcome, not a polite one
Plenty of mountain lodges will let your dog in the door and leave it at that. Tenaya goes a step further. Up to two well-mannered dogs share your room for a single $125 pet fee (a third joins for $25). Larger dogs — over 70 pounds — are welcome with advance approval, which means the family Lab isn’t getting turned away at check-in. There’s a canine off-leash play area on property for a proper stretch and roll, plus a pet concierge, kennel service for the hours you’d rather not bring the dog along, and leave-no-trace baggies stocked where you need them.
Spring for the Deluxe Pampered Pet Package and the room comes set with a plush dog bed, water bowl, toy, treats, and a gourmet dog-bone biscuit baked fresh by the executive chef. The chef sends along the recipe, too, in case you want to repeat the trick at home.
Mountain adventures, on or off the trail
Tenaya programs the kind of activities that turn a long weekend into a memory bank. Take an archery lesson (ages 5 and up), scale the 18-foot climbing wall, or join a guided nature walk through the surrounding forest. Mountain bikers can drop straight into Sierra National Forest singletrack. The Yosemite 360 guided tour program is the easy way into the park for first-timers — somebody else drives, somebody else knows where the bears are.
Come winter, the outdoor ice rink opens and the cabin firepits earn their keep. Game-room standbys — air hockey, foosball, Skee-Ball — handle the in-between hours when kids need a break and parents need a coffee.
Dinners worth dressing for, lunches you can eat in flip-flops
Six on-site dining options cover every register. Embers is the fine-dining room — à la carte, bold flavors, mountain views, the place for an anniversary dinner. Jackalope’s Bar & Grill does all-day burgers, sandwiches, and salads. Timberloft Pizzeria turns out customizable pies and pasta for the family table. Seasonally, Gold Rush BBQ serves classics outdoors around a fire pit, with live music and s’mores. Parkside Deli handles grab-and-go with Starbucks, smoothies, and local goods, and Bearfoot Bar sets up poolside in the warm months for cocktails and craft beer. Room service is on call if you’d rather eat in.
Spa, pool, and a soft landing
Ascent Spa is the wind-down: massage, facials, fitness amenities, the works. The indoor pool runs year-round, so the kids get their swim no matter what the Sierra weather is doing. After a day in the park, that combination — hot stone treatment, warm pool, fireplace, dinner waiting — is what makes Tenaya feel less like lodging and more like a basecamp built for adults who still want to play.
Three ways to stay
Choose the main lodge for full-service rooms and suites, the two-bedroom Cottages for a quieter setting, or the Explorer Cabins — private two-bedroom cabins clustered around communal firepits, made for families and travel pods that want a little more wilderness with their walls.
Customize your Sierra escape now at TenayaLodge.com or by phone at (888) 514-2167.
