Rush Creek Lodge Review

Rush Creek Lodge is a relaxed, yet sophisticated hillside woodland hotel that offers a truly unique experience for your trip to Yosemite. It’s the perfect place to really experience lodge life in style in Northern California and is conveniently located 2 minutes outside of the park.

Our villa, with its beautiful balcony, was one of the key highlights of our trip. Since we love to be cozy and comfortable in the mountains, this lodge allowed for that. They have everything you need inside including a luxury king bed, coffee tables and couches to work remotely, a beautiful bathroom and spacious shower, plus plenty of storage space for families. The villas are also extremely remote and allow for social distancing since everyone has their own private entrance.

Even visiting during a pandemic, the atmosphere and sense of community was wonderful. The rooms were immaculate, hand sanitizer stations were everywhere and everyone wore masks on property. We felt very comfortable and safe staying here, since the staff and guests were all following guidelines.

Other awesome features of this lodge include their outdoor pools and hot tubs, indoor recreation center filled with lounges, fireplaces, books, board games and a kid’s entertainment section, as well as their lively and fun Tavern with amazing food and drink selections.

Overall, this lodge exceeded my expectations and made for an incredible trip. Between the friendly staff, the beautifully decorated property with luscious trees and streams, the private villas and the proximity to Yosemite National Park, it was truly an amazing trip. I cant wait to go back!

Rush creek lodge Photos

what to expect

location

34001 State Highway 120, Groveland, CA 95321

The Following information was taken directly from the Rush Creek lodge website:

There are a variety of commercial airports serving the region. Public transportation is available in some areas (such as Amtrak rail service and YARTS bus service), however, you will need a car to get to Rush Creek Lodge during early spring, fall and winter seasons.

San Francisco International Airport (SFO)
Service for many major airlines
170 miles west of Rush Creek
Approximately 3.5-hour drive

Oakland International Airport (OAK)
Service for many major airlines
155 miles west of Rush Creek
3-hour drive

San Jose International Airport (SJC)
Service for many major airlines
160 miles west of Rush Creek
3.5-hour drive

Sacramento International Airport (SMF)
Service for many major airlines
160 miles north of Rush Creek
3-hour drive

Merced Regional Airport (MCE)
Daily commercial service to/from Los Angeles on Great Lakes Airlines
95 miles southwest of Rush Creek
2-hour drive

Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH)
Serving the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego through Alaska Airlines
100 miles southeast of Rush Creek
2.5-hour drive using Highway 395 and Highway 120 Tioga Road spring through fall, road closed in the winter. Learn more from our section on Seasonal Closure of Tioga Pass.

Fresno-Yosemite International Airport (FAT)
Service for several major commercial airlines
135 miles south of Rush Creek
3-hour drive

Parking

Self-parking is available to guests for free.

Hotel Details

“Rush Creek Lodge provides a relaxed, yet sophisticated experience in a hillside woodland setting at the Highway 120 West entrance to Yosemite National Park.” The goal of this lodge is to provide gracious and friendly service, quality products, private and communal settings and a huge array of opportunities to enjoy your time in the Yosemite area.

While Rush Creek Lodge is a fairly new hotel, it’s the sister property of Evergreen Lodge dating back to 2002 where the property was meant to self-fund a Youth Program teaching job and teach skills to the under-served Bay Area youth. Between the lodge’s Youth Program, environmental mission and meaningful approach to hospitality to Rush Creek, the property has earned Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence, Lonely Planet’s Top Choice Award, is recommended by Fodor’s a Frommer’s Favorite and was named “a hidden gem” by Sunset Magazine. They are looking forward to doing more of the same for Rush Creek Lodge!

Price PER NIGHT

Average cost is $420 per night.

Vibe Check

The Rush Creek Lodge vibe is a combination of relaxation, mountain-luxury, adventure and pristine service. It truly is the best place to experience that luxury feeling of being surrounded by mountains, quite sounds of nature and animals rustling in the woods, clean and pristine services and amenities, amazing views from your private suite, spas that will leave you completely relaxed and a lively night atmosphere with night-swimming, delicious dining and s’mores by the fire.

Comfort Level

On a scale of 1-5 (5 being the best), the comfort level is at a 5. The rooms are extremely temperate and cozy, the beds are plush and provide an ideal layout for facing the mountains and trees, being able to see stunning views right from your bed. The decor, fireplace and balcony all give off an ideal ambiance and make for an exquisite experience.

Views to expect on Property

Since the lodge is spread out among different elevations of height on the property, you’ll be able to overlook the the other suites anf lodges, the pool and lounge area, the main entertainment lodge as well as the break-taking mountains and trees of Yosemite.

Dining

While dining is limited at Rush Creek Lodge their onsite Tavern and Pool Bar provide exactly what you need for a great dining experience in the mountains.

The General Store

This quaint and interesting general store is open from 6:30-10am and offers coffee, fresh hot and cold breakfast items as well as lunch items including sandwiches, salads, fresh fruit, snacks and a DIY trail mix bar. You’ll also be able to find maps, guidebooks, Yosemite reference materials and anything else you may have forgotten for your trip.

Pool Bar

Enjoy your time by the pool from May to October where you’ll have access to stylish lounge chairs, ample tables and umbrellas to sit and relax, pay games or enjoy some drinks. The pool bar offers beer, wine, spirits and refreshing blended drinks to help you live your best life on vacation.

Tavern

The Tavern is Rush Creek Lodge’s only onsite restaurant offering lunch, dinner and snacks. This causal and vibrant restaurant changes with the seasons offering the finest local, organic and sustainable ingredients. They have a notable selection of local craft brews, signature cocktails, a distinctive wine list and delicious desserts to choose from. Guests have a great time here as it is very comfortable with a community-like feel to it. On some nights they offer late-night entertainment like themed parties and karaoke. It’s definitely a great atmosphere and one of the charming pieces that makes Rush Creek lodge such a wonderful place to stay.

Best Instagram Spots

The main pool area, the circle monument made of wood, the personal balconies with rocking chairs and the steps leading up to the properties with trees and flowers.

Accommodations & aMENITIES

Amenities include the heated saltwater pool, hot tubs, play areas, professionally guided excursions, the pool bar, Tavern Restaurant, the new spa offering private treatments as well as private day use for couples and small groups.

Best Season to visit

I had the pleasure of visiting Yosemite in Early October and late November/early December. While the park is beautiful year-round, I suggest going during the spring (March-May) or late fall/early winter season (Late October-December) to really get the best park experience. This allows you to see more of the iconic destinations like waterfalls, which are otherwise dried up during the off-season.

SUMMER

This season allows you to experience Yosemite during its warmest climate, where most landscapes and vista points are clear and full of color, where animals are more likely to be spotted and where hikes are likely to be dry and easy to accomplish.

Be aware that this is also fire season, so air quality should definitely be considered when visiting during the summer months.

Fall

This season allows you to experience the darker, eerie fog and rain that sweeps across the park in various parts. While it may not be enticing to some, being here during the cold and rainy weather makes for a truly cozy an interesting experience in the mountains.

Winter

The coldest and whitest season offering a little more magic to the park than usual. There are still several places to hike and stunning pictures to capture with snow settings.

Be aware of road closures and needing tire chains to drive in the park.