Best Cabin Camping near Bear Valley, CA

This Campground is 5 miles from West gate entrance to "Yosemite National Park". Only 35 miles west of " Lake Don Pedro, take out your boat, go jet skiing or fishing. Don't forget to go to " Moaning Cavern!" Tuolumne River runs through campground. There are 254 Full Hookups, 130 Tent sites, Hostel, Cabin & Yurts. They have WiFi, Satellite TV,Clubhouse, Billiard's, Game room, Shuffleboard, Store, Hiking Trails,Nature, Playground, Mini Golf, Tennis, Picnic/BBQ,Volleyball, Basketball & in the Summer-Bus runs to Yosemite, for an additional fee. Summer Swimming,Seasonal Fishing,Wheelchair Accessible, Restroom/Shower Facilities & Laundry. Yosemite Lakes Resort 31191 Hardin Flat Rd. Groveland,CA 95321 Reservations Member- 1-800-368-7788 Non-Member 1-888-481-6348 Welcome Center (209)962-0103 Rental Check In- 4PM Rental Check Out - 11AM Front Desk- Sun-Sat 8AM-8PM

I’ll start by saying this campsite is huge , there’s like 400 sites so you got to keep that in mind when booking . We got a couple of the sites with electricity which were nice . No fire pits included because those are rented additional , lucky we had one from home . Firewood is $10 a bundle at the store so keep that in mind . The campground advertises WiFi but it’s ran from an separate company and service is extremely poor and slow so your better of using your cellphone data . This is a very active bear area with no bear boxes so keep in mind . We saw bears every single night roaming around and eating from the picnic tables . Some small , medium and extra large size . I recommend the tent sites better than the RV sites because they have a nice location and more private . The RV sites are just packed like sardines , some barely fit or stick out a few inches . Restrooms are clean and showers too . Funny detail the shower head is positioned for ADA handicap specs so you got to kneel down or seat to shower . The campground is located on the Main Street so it’s walking distance to stores or restaurants , I would go back but choose a better site on an outside loop more secluded instead of being in the middle of hundreds of rv’s

This is a privately owned Resort with cabins, yurts, campsites, etc close to a super awesome river and with lots of great amenities, including a cafe/store, sauna, trails and a restaurant. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because I didn't love the site itself that we were in especially with a $60 price tag. It was great to be close to the river, but the site was small and on a hill like a lot of them were. There were cheaper sites but I didn't see what those were like. Otherwise, we had fun playing in the water, using the sauna and having access to great amenities before going into more primitive camping. There was a fire ban while we were there, and there is NO SMOKING anywhere on their property. Everyone that worked there was super friendly and helpful and we enjoyed our stay.

With a pool, petting zoo, a corral where they have a fire and s'mores followed by a movie, this is a great place to camp with the kids.

The showers are free and usually clean although on Saturday evening the campground was full and the bathrooms were dirty and out of TP.

There are tent sites, RV sites and cabins so something for everyone.

There were A LOT of stray cats on the property which kind of drove our dog crazy. But at least the campground is pet friendly.

If you plan to go into Yosemite NP, it's a long drive so plan accordingly. Our family really enjoys Rainbow Pools and Yosemite Pine's proximity to Rainbow Pools is part of why we stay here. The kids can jump and swim there and that's all they really want to do anyway so being close to that is key for us. So many of the places in the park where we used to get in the water do not allow swimming anymore.

We stopped here to eat dinner and since the sign said campground, of course, I inquired further. Not really a campground but what the owners called an outdoor experience. 

There are two covered wagons but since they were both occupied, we could not see inside of them. They have a double bed (linens provided for an extra cost) and no heat. There is also a five-room motel and 12 cabins, some of which have kitchenettes and some without. 

The bathhouse was small but clean. The trout project was interesting (Started in 2006 to improve Bridgeport area fisheries. The family that owns the Settlement continues to hatch and raise trout specifically to plant in Virginia Creek as a thank you to the anglers that support them. It is a non-profit that is supported by people eating in their restaurant and staying on their property). There is corn-hole, a horseshoe pit, and a fish cleaning station on-site as well as a Tesla charging station! 

The settlement is located directly on Virginia Creek on Highway 395. We’ve stayed in a variety of accommodations but never a covered wagon – it would definitely be a unique stay but would have to be when it is warmer!

General: This is a HUGE RV park (a Sun Resort) with back-in, pull-through sites, and cabins. We called a day ahead to see if there was room and on a weekday in early May, there was plenty of availability. We even received a Spring Flash Sale (40% off) rate which, although more than we usually spend to camp, was reasonable. As is typical of RV parks, there is a small patch of lawn between sites but virtually no privacy. There are trees throughout the park and although it is located right on the road, only the sites that back up to the road hear road noise. There is a small pond in the center and we saw some ducks. All camping sites have full hook-ups and a picnic table but no fire ring or grill. There is a large laundry room and a café. We were assigned a site at check-in. 

Site Quality: Pads are paved and level. The back-in sites in the center back up to each other with no divider between them. I saw several large RVs look almost like they were touching! 

Bathhouse: Two bathhouses each with three stalls, two sinks, and two showers. Although there is a curtain separating the showers from the rest of the bathroom, the bench is outside of the shower stalls, which could be awkward. However, in the time we were there, I never saw a single person in the bathroom(assuming most people use their own bathrooms in their RVs). The shower had good water pressure and hot water.

Activities: There is a pool, playground, rec center. Shuffleboard, horseshoes, and beach volleyball. It is a half-mile around the perimeter, so I was able to enjoy a short run.

This is not our usual type of camping experience, but since we met friends at a nearby winery, this worked for us since we did not want to drive far.

Summary as of late June 2020:

-Super nice, helpful manager -Great location for Yosemite/Hetch Hetchy -Large, clean restrooms -Inconsistent electricity -Bear Lot is right next to Hwy 120 -Coyote Lot is literally a new gravel parking lot, 4x4 required -No wi-fi in Bear Lot or Coyote Lot

First of all, I have to say that the manager (owner? I never caught his name) was very kind and tried his best to accommodate everyone there. The location is great for trips to Yosemite, and if you’re lucky enough to reserve a spot in the ‘main loop’ (I don’t see this ability online), you’ll probably love it. The bathrooms are large and clean and there is laundry, a small playground, a small pool (closed during our stay), and a privately run store on-site.

We brought our 28’ toy hauler here at the end of June 2020. We had reserved a spot in Coyote Lot, which we were told over the phone would be no problem. Upon arrival, the manager had his doubts but told us to “put the truck in 4x4 and give it a go!” Coyote Lot looks like a newly, semi-leveled gravel parking lot with full hook-ups… no trees or shade. There were some longer spots, but there was no way our trailer would fit in the one we reserved. The lot also exits through a run-down residential grouping of trailers, some occupied and some abandoned.

The manager put us in Bear Lot, no question, after it was determined Coyote Lot would not work. This lot is a little more established than Coyote, but still a gravel parking lot with electricity (inconsistently for many) and water hook-ups. The lot is pretty level and separated from Hwy 120 by a wooden fence. There are some picnic tables and fire pits, but not enough for each spot. We didn’t end up having to use our generator like others did. There were tent campers and rv/trailers in this lot.

Side note: the Rainbow Pools swimming hole that is recommended on the website was WAY overcrowded and I do not suggest going unless maybe you go in the early morning. There were tons of people, tons of litter, and no respect for nature… very sad to see.

Photo are of Bear Lot