Best Cabin Camping near El Portal, CA

It’s a 7+ mile hike to get to the high sierra camp. We went off season so the cabins were not set up but you can camp all around where the cabins would be. It was quiet, peaceful and ridiculously gorgeous! I could have stayed twice as long as we were there! There was also some snow on the trail and by where we set up camp. Highly recommend!

Cabin had bunk beds. Small refrigerator

Stayed in a tent cabin, no bathroom. Very scenic and had a good time

Overall, the proximity to being in The Valley outweighed the negatives of our stay. 

While pricey for what it is, it IS at the far east end of Yosemite Valley with easy access to the Mist Trail. The tent-cabins are close to each other (3-8 feet), and we were woken by our neighbors our first morning (they were checking out early, and while quiet hours were 'officially' over, it was still 0730...and since it was during the heat wave, we hadn't gotten to sleep til well after midnight).

That said...we were expecting foam rubber mattresses on wooden plywood shelves for beds, but the bed frame, mattresses, pillows and Rumpl blankets were a nice surprise (the website stated there would be wool blankets). The towels and sheets were in need of some fabric softener though.

 It was HOT. Having camped in tent-cabins before (not Curry Village), we brought fans with us that helped cool things down in the evenings, but having fans [battery operated/ rechargeable (we had Ryobi rechargeable fans)] helped us out.

We couldn't figure out how to make the tent-cabin canvas window 'shades' to stay open- which was necessary because we needed the ventilation - we had brought along some binder clips that we were able to jury-rig to keep the canvas flaps over the screens open,  though. 

Showers and restrooms were adequately clean, and showers were hot…but nothing to write home about. 

We were surprised by the trash on the grounds near the cabins (where our nearest showerhouse was)-  in fact, a zip-lock baggie sat on the ground in the same spot for the three days we were there, before I picked it up on our way out. Additionally, on the grounds of the tent-cabins, we found several nails and other hardware on the ground.

 We were also surprised by the size of Curry Village, which isn't really discussed on the website. We were in tent-cabin 749 on the far east end, which was great until we had to walk to Camp Curry and/or the parking lot. We brought a wagon to carry our gear from the car to the tent-cabin, but once again, we've done this before, and we felt really bad for the folks lugging all their stuff without the benefit of a cart. Next time we'd bring bikes to help with the longish walk (400 meters? Maybe longer?) 

The food options were great! The pizza is fantastic, and it was nice having the ability to grab pizza/tacos/burgers as an option at the end of the day (cooking is not allowed in the camp, but we 'tailgated' with backpacking stoves and meals a couple of the days).

FHU and Electric/water sites. Also has cabins, yurts, covered wagons you can rent. Has pool, playground and petting zoo. Well kept and easy to work with

2 adults and 1 kid in the basic cabin over Easter weekend a few years ago. We really enjoyed our stay and the property. Petting zoo animals were adorable. Nice location to Yosemite. Friendly interactions with staff.

aka Curry Village

My daughters and I have now stayed in both the canvas tent/cabin and a hard-sided cabin. Both provide comfortable beds with sheets and a warm blanket on each. (If you like fluffy pillows, bring one from home.) 

We stayed in the heated tent/cabin during a major snowfall and stayed toasty-warm. I’d give this place an extra star if we were able to boil water in the tents, so we could make our own warm food and coffee, but it’s not allowed. There are bear boxes to lock up any food you do bring. There are places in the valley to buy warm meals, but they really weren’t very good, especially for the price. 

The showers are warm and have good water pressure. They always had clean towels available, too.

However, Curry Village is packed with wall-to-wall people. Despite quiet hours, there seems to always be That One Guy who gets drunk, loud and obnoxious. On our last trip, That One Guy decided to yell obscenities in my daughters’ faces when they asked him politely to keep the noise down. It was 15min before quiet hours and it was obvious that most of the other guests (many with small kids) had gone to bed. Other than calling the front desk, there really wasn’t another option for “crowd control.” 

When I camp, I do prefer remote, quiet places away from crowds, but I did appreciate the convenience of Curry Village’s location. We really were in the heart of the valley with great access to the best hikes. All in all, we enjoyed our stays.

This place is perfect for ppl that want to experience Yosemite and still have commodities. The cabins or tents provided are clean and have everything you need. Showers restrooms etc the food in the cafeteria is also good. Parking is good and easy and the location is close to many trails

Many options to stay! Rv, bring your own tent, yurts, safari tents,, cabins. RV spaces have many different location styles, secluded, views, groups etc.

Large clean pool with a shallow lounging section. Playground. Bathrooms/showers were freshly renovated and clean. Laundry on site. Clubhouse and small provisions.

Easy access to Bass Lake and Yosemite entrance as well as local Town food and markets.

Stayed here back in 2016 but havent been able to since. I loved this site! had pretty big bathrooms, there was a nice stream nearby where we saw a huge buck, there was a small cafe that served breakfast and a tiny window store that sold some essentials. Also had a few cabins you could rent that i’d like to look into. Overall great spot, I just wish they would reopen. I’ll definitely be back when they do!

Tough drive, very narrow roads with steep drop offs. Scary drive in the dark. Its a thin road with 2 way traffic. Barely room to pass up on coming cars. Albeit a very scenic drive. This place is everything a wilderness seaker is looking for. Cozy village cabins, high uo in the mounatinous forest. Hiking trails leading to gorgeous lakes, hot springs tubs scattered around and across a clean chilly river. Secluded enough for bears to roam around likes its their hood.

The location is perfect for all the Valley trails. There is a shuttle right outside. There are several campgrounds here. There is a space for tents and also a village of canvas tents for those who prefer glamping. For food there is a convenience store nearby, a restaurant and a pizza place.

TIPS:

Tent cabins are close together, you will hear your neighbors, bring ear plugs

Leave early, the trails get crowded very quickly

Lots of tourists so parking will be tight

Driving into Yosemite is horrible lately, especially into the Valley, CARPOOL!

Stayed two nights here in a 2 bed tent cabin. Slept 3 of us perfectly and was somewhat heated. Meaning the heater likes to turn it self off at times cooling the tent back down before kicking back in. The bathroom and showers were great for camping showers. The is a nice lodge style place to hang out plus great pizza place on site as well. This is a perfect place for those who like to camp but not fans of tent camping in cold snowy conditions. I will definitely return!

This place is good for giving non-campers a little taste of living in a canvas tent. It's not great if you are into camping and want to spend time in nature. The tent cabins are really close together so you def hear your neighbors domestic disputes, snoring etc. Walking around the area in the evening it is pretty magical feeling. +1 to whoever said to bring earplugs. Overall it does feel like a special place, and if I didn't love camping this would seem pretty sweet. Pizza place is always slammed do good for people watching. Support your local dirtbags and offer the climbers your leftovers :)

Backcountry camping with several swimming spots, decent fishing and meals and hot showers! If you feel rich, this is a place for a big treat. Tent cabins with basic sleeping set up and a nice spot to sit around a group fire. The ranger talks can be a little much but easy to sneak off and enjoy the quiet. Food is fantastic and the folks who work there are super friendly. A nice loop is to walk in via Tenaya Lake, pass through the Mansfields and over to Merced Lake - a very doable 15 mile one day. Exit out through Happy Isles - about the same distance.

Stayed here for a week. Great spot for the family while I worked. Plenty for the kids and family to do and a great location close enough to bike/walk to most stores on the east end of town. 

Our reservation said 50 amp partial hookups. But only the full-hookup sites have 50 amp. Partial hookups are 30amp with water, but the water access depends on the weather/season you're there in. We had to fill up with Fresh Water before we got to our site but it's in a convenient spot so not too big of a deal. 

It is a parking lot but there was plenty of space for us and our SUV. Pool and Laundry Mat/Showers were close as well which made things nice. Starbucks is a short walk away too if that's your jam. 

Great spot just make sure to call so there's no surprises with water/hookups etc. 

Amenities: Pool & Jacuzzi / Laundry Mat / Showers & Bathrooms / Dump Station / Playground.

It wasn’t as nice as the photos depicted. Water shortage? The grasses were long and dried up, there appears to have been a wooden bridge as a shortcut to the pool/restroom/laundry room/Deli, but no longer. The restrooms were barely tolerable and the woman’s had a bad odor. There’s a dishwashing station that is no longer serviceable, just a stainless sink set in a covered table with no water or even plumbing to include drains. You have to pay for WiFi and sometimes the signal drops. For the cost of the campground the WiFi should be free! Lesser known campgrounds even have free WiFi. There are Conestoga Wagons, Cabins and Yurts. None were occupied. Reason?

We stayed here March 2022.  We booked a heated tent cabin for 4 nights.  It had 1 double bed and 2 singles, a storage tower, 1 central electric light, and 1 electrical outlet - this is not advertised, but if you tell them you have a CPAP or other medical device needing an outlet, they will let you know that there is one in the heated cabins.  It was enough to power a power strip, charge our phones, and run said CPAP (LOL).  The beds were comfy and the linens were great.  We requested additional blankets as the comforter on the bed was nylon on both sides and kept sliding off the beds.  We were given old school wool blankets and they were great!  We did adjust the heat often as it would actually get too warm.  

As we visited in the off season, not all of the amenities were available (pool, restaurants), but it didn't bother us at all.  The guest lounge was often crowded and we only spent one evening in there.  Showers and toilets were very clean.  It was still fully booked when we went, but the grounds are quiet are people were very respectful of the park rules.  

This was a great central location to do Yosemite.  We woke up under Half Dome every morning, did the Mist Trail, Vernal Falls trail, and Lower Yosemite Falls trail.  Doing it in the off season was awesome as the number of additional people not actually staying in the park was very small.

Reservations are hard to come by...we reserved in January for March of the same year and got lucky.  Book through the NPS as other sites charge additional, unnecessary fees.  We also recommend packing in food.  There are bear lockers to store it.  Dining in the park is provided by Aramark and is average at best.  We took a trip outside the park to dine in a nearby city and had a wonderful dinner. 

Overall, we would definitely stay here again and again!  It was very peaceful and comfortable.

Yosemite Valley is pure magic and Half Dome Village is no exception. It’s definitely more “glamping” than camping and the tents feel like cabins and are very close together. Bathrooms are nice and there’s a store, bar, cafeteria, coffee shop and pizza place to take care of your needs. It does have a bit of a party atmosphere at night as folks from other campgrounds gather at the bar/pizza spot but the tent area was pretty quiet (save for me hearing someone peeing outside my tent one night...). Dark at night, bring a headlamp or flashlight.

Biggest complaint is the price. Location can’t be beat but it’s so expensive for canvas tents that aren’t super clean and are smushed together. I love Half Dome Village but next time will probably camp elsewhere and shuttle in for pizza and beer.