where to stay when visiting yosemite

Hi, I am trying to plan a 2 week trip starting and ending in Las Vegas. We arrive in Vegas 1st Septemebr and I have booked 2 nights. We then plan to drive through Death Valley and have booked a hotel in Lone Pines.

We want to go on to Yosemite NP but not sure where to stay. Was wondering if we stay somewhere on the East Side and then take the Tioga Pass to Jamestown.

Planning then to go to San Francisco, Carmel, Pismo before making our way back to Vegas.

Was wondering where to stay for our visit to Yosemite. Any help would be appreciated.

If you would like to stay in the park itself, you should try to book the hotel NOW. They fill up quickly, and if you happen to be arriving on our Labor Day Weekend (Labor Day is the first Monday in September), you may already be too late. Eastside -- Lee Vining would be the most logical, but you should check to make sure that the pass is still open. On the westside, Coarsegold. On the southside, OakHurst.


Donna

If your budget can manage it and you can find availability then I would definitely stay inside the park to get the most from your time there. As you are staying in Lone Pine which is only 2.5 hours to Lee Vining, and it appears you are only planning on 2 nights between Lone Pine and San Fran, I would actually stay on the west side even if you are not staying in the NP. That will give you time to enjoy Tioga Pass and perhaps some of the valley that day and still have more time to explore before continuing to San Fran the next. Other than inside the park, Mariposa, or Groveland which is a good town to stay and is on route to SF.

Donna may have her wires crossed as Coarsegold is SSW of Oakhurst. :-)