At the beginning of March our family took a quick trip to Yosemite National Park. It’s one of our favorite National Parks and since it’s less than four hours away from us it’s an easy one to visit. Originally we were just planning to go for the day. However, the more we talked about it the more we decided we’d like to take advantage of Mike’s three day weekend. I’m so thankful that I was able to work with Evergreen Lodge for a little overnight getaway. It’s a beautiful location and our family loved it! After being closed for three months they are finally reopening this Friday! Keep reading for our review and see why now is the perfect time to visit.  Our family was hosted overnight at Evergreen Lodge in Groveland, CA in exchange for media coverage. All opinions are our own.

Evergreen Lodge near Yosemite

a historical treasure 

Evergreen Lodge is nestled off of Highway 120 in Groveland California. Located less than an hour from Yosemite Valley it’s a great base camp if you want to stay near Yosemite for your next adventure! Evergreen Lodge was built in 1921 for workers of the O’Shaughnessy Dam in Hetch Hetchy Valley. It served as a post office, restaurant, and general store at that time. The current owners bought the lodge in 2001 and worked tirelessly to renovate and add to existing cabins. Today it stands as a beautiful mix of old and new.

cabins 

One of the biggest hurdles when our family travels together is trying to find accommodations big enough. Many hotel rooms only sleep four—or if you’re lucky six. I love that Evergreen Lodge had a variety of cabins to fit groups of all sizes. From parties of 2 to 20 you’ll be able to find an accommodation that will work for you. You can even opt to try out their custom camping option and arrive to a fully-set up campsite!

We were in a two bedroom family cabin. These cabins were fully renovated about 10 years ago and they’re gorgeous! It features a queen bed, two twins, and a pull-out sofa. We had plenty of room to spread out, not to mention our own little porch to enjoy.

Much like their sister property, Rush Creek Lodge, there are no televisions in the rooms. I was actually pretty excited about this since I might have a child or two who is overly obsessed and was in desperate need of a detox. The rooms do have Alexa devices and you can always watch something in the Lodge if you need to. Trust me though, you won’t miss the television one bit. Evergreen Lodge features plenty of activities to keep you busy (more on those later). When you do want to retreat to your room you’ll find fun games to play together as a family.

dining

During our stay near Yosemite at Evergreen Lodge we had the pleasure of eating in their dining room for both dinner and breakfast. The small, intimate dining room is part of the original lodge that dates back to 1921. Our dinner choices were all delicious and featured unique twists on classic favorites. Mike thoroughly enjoyed his beef ribeye steak. Meanwhile, my jerk chicken sandwich is something I’m still thinking about. Also, in the name of research we tried EVERY. SINGLE. dessert on the menu and while they’re all good we highly recommend the Italian lemon cream cake. You’re welcome.

| Read all about our stay and the food at Rush Creek Lodge here. |

Breakfast the next morning did not disappoint! My kids were content to stick with pancakes and scrambled eggs which they loved. They also had a choice of sides and I can vouch that the fresh fruit was the perfect addition to the meal. Mike ordered the biscuits and gravy which he said were very good. Meanwhile, I treated myself to a carb overload of stuffed french toast which made my belly very happy. Not only was all of the food we experienced absolutely delicious, but the portions were incredibly generous.

activities 

Evergreen Lodge is a haven for families traveling to Yosemite. First of all, their pool (heated to 80 degrees year round) and hot tub were big hits with our kids. And because of the low season we had the place to ourselves! The property also features several natural play areas scattered around. Made of wood and rope these play structures blend in with the property beautifully while still maintaining all the fun a kid could ask for.

| Read what to do with kids if you only have 24 hours in Yosemite here. |

The ziplines were definitely a favorite activity but my little ones also enjoyed climbing all over the rope structures. I love that these play areas are scattered throughout the property like little hidden treasures. Evergreen Lodge also has some indoor gathering areas with comfy seating, books, games, and planned activities throughout the day.

| Check out this post to see why now is a great time to visit Yosemite! |

Have you been to Yosemite National Park? Where did you stay?