Yosemite Heights on Big Creek

We went just before snow season, when Yosemite Valley was peaceful and uncrowded, which made the visit even better. The inn was exactly the quiet, nature-surrounded place we’d hoped for, with a very clean room and excellent breakfast. It’s a convenient base for Yosemite National Park, about an hour from the valley and along the way to Tunnel View. Our host was kind and welcoming, and the advice we got really added to our visit. Another guest had called it their best California stay, and we can absolutely see why. We had a fantastic time and would highly recommend it.

Coffee on the back porch overlooking the creek was a wonderful way to start each day. Dustie made sure there were fresh pastries each morning, and the Kcup machine was immaculately clean. That matters, after staying in Airbnbs where the coffee maker was too gross to use. The inn is small, so there are fewer neighbors, and our room was spotless when we arrived. There were probably close to 1000 DVDs to choose from, too. In an age of Airbnbs and Netflix, having fresh baked pastries and all those movies felt refreshing, though that still doesn’t capture how great our stay at Big Creek Inn was. It’s just steps from the southern park entrance. We visited during a quieter tourist period, and I can imagine the entry line gets long, so being able to stay so close was really nice.

Dusty made breakfast easy, gave us good advice, and created such a welcoming atmosphere. Her partner and Dusty were so nice to talk with in their warm Christmas living room that we didn’t want to leave. The rooms are clean, cosy, and spacious, and it’s only a five-minute drive to the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park. Book a room here if you can.

It’s a nice B&B close to Yosemite, but the breakfast setup was really uncomfortable. There’s a set amount of good food, and you can’t tell how many guests have already taken some or how many are still coming, so you don’t know what it’s okay to take. At that price, that’s disappointing.