Sunset Inn Yosemite Cabins & Vacation Home

Apparently, smart people plan and book their Yosemite vacations very, very early. We are not those people… and somehow it paid off.
By the time we started looking for accommodations near Yosemite Valley, nearly everything was reserved. We were looking at $ 175/​night for the privilege of a cot in a platform tent and shared bathrooms in the extremely crowded valley.
For not too much more, we were able to snag the Sugar Pine Cabin, a peaceful, perfect little retreat with full indoor plumbing, a dedicated place to park, and the nicest hosts you could ask for. Staying with Bill & Lauren, you’re about 40 minutes from the Valley itself, but that beautiful drive is not even a price to pay, and you’re rewarded with a pristine cabin with a comfortable bed, a real shower, a fully equipped kitchen and a charcoal grill out back.
They stocked our fridge with fresh eggs from the chickens on the grounds, and welcomed us in with great advice about hikes, groceries, and more. If you take the time to wander around the grounds, you can enjoy the swing, the giant sunflowers, the raised garden beds, and the absolutely gorgeous light as the sun sets through the trees.
I’m not sure life gets better than hiking the park during the day, and grilling your dinner here at night. Plus, there’s a cat puzzle in the cabin. You better believe we did that cat puzzle.

A Wonderful escape from the crowds and hustle of Yosemite, to relax and unwind, sip a glass of wine, grill a meal, and listen to the wind in the Pine Trees. The hosts and amenities are awesome, and the location could not be better — just a few miles outside the Yosemite entrance. The Sugar Pine cottage we stayed in was perfect — and in excellent condition, with a VERY comfortable bed!

Bill and Lauren have created a magical space just a stone’s throw from Yosemite National Park, yet seemingly light-​years away from the hustle and bustle of the tourists and crowds. We stayed in the Sugar Pine cabin, which was beautifully decorated, very private, extremely comfortable and offered all the amenities we needed, like a full kitchen and even a coal burning BBQ on the back patio. We loved eating our dinner on the deck while watching the beautiful colors of the sun setting behind the trees.
I really can’t say enough about Bill and Lauren as hosts. They truly care about their guests and treat them as family. We were given charcoal to use with the barbecue, fresh chicken eggs (and 1 turkey egg!) to make for breakfast, and were provided with a guide book to borrow while visiting the park. Bill even went so far as to help me fix a broken drawer on the small travel trailer I was towing!
If you plan on visiting Yosemite National Park, I don’t believe you can find better accommodations than the Sunset Inn. I look forward to returning soon!

Unique, peaceful, cozy. We stayed in the Meadowlark cabin for 4 nights in August 2014, and travelled into Yosemite each day. It was the perfect spot for us, and we were so thankful not to be staying in busy Yosemite Valley. We got an early start into the park each morning, and then after hiking, headed home to the cabin for dinner and sunset from our great porch. Our 2 children were completely entertained by the chickens, swing, and the sweet dog on property. Perfect place to get away from it all. Clean cabin, comfy beds, well equipped kitchen. We bought all our groceries in Oakdale on the way, which really helped. Fresh eggs from the chickens for breakfast each morning. Lauren and Bill live on the property and are welcoming and thoughtful, and full of good advice for horseback riding and swimming holes in the area. We definitely recommend, and hope to stay here again.

Nous avons été accueillis très agréablement par Lauren et nous sommes tout de suite sentis bien dans notre chalet, très bien équipé et décoré avec soin. Le dépaysement est total et grandiose au milieu de cette grande et belle forêt. Lauren nous a très bien conseillé pour les ballades au Yosemite Park, dont l’entrée est toute proche, et nous a remis un guide très pratique le temps de notre séjour. Nous n’avons qu’un seul regret: né pas être resté plus longtemps.

We stayed at the Larkspur Cabin for three days and had a wonderful time! Lauren and Bill were very helpful and accommodating and the cabin provided everything that you could wish for. The place is located just outside Yosemite (about 2 miles) in a beautiful, tranquil spot. You can hike up to a waterfall, BBQ on your patio or enjoy a walk around the well-​maintained property. Don’t worry about the fact that the cabins are quite close to each other, there is plenty of privacy.
Thank you again, Lauren and Bill, for a wonderful stay! We will definitely come back!

This was the first trip to the Sunset Inn for my wife and I. As with most trips, I am all over the internet exploring reviews and looking for deals. I knew that we didn’t want to stay in the Yosemite Valley, mainly because of cost and the out of control crowd factor. I came across the Sunset Inn and read nothing but great things about the place so I booked 2 nights.
Our trip was from June 6^th-​8^th. We made the long trek from Ventura County up the 99 and across the 41. First, let me say that the directions on the website were spot on. Since there is not reliable GPS service when you get up in the hills, we had to rely on the «analog» directions, which were easy to follow. The one thing I would say is that if you are coming form Southern California and take the 41, you will have to enter the park and pay the $ 20 entry fee. But, for us, this was no problem because we were planning on exploring the park the next day anyways (your pass is good for 7 days). If you are just coming up to Sunset Inn for some R&R and not planning on going into Yosemite, I suggest that you come in from the 120 to avoid the $ 20 entry fee. But, chances are that if you are coming to the Sunset Inn, you are invariably going to explore Yosemite at some point.
When we arrived at the inn, we were immediately greeted. I think it was Lauren’s son who greeted us. He was courteous and professional. He directed us where to park so we could unload our stuff. Lauren, the owner, met us at our cabin after we parked. She gave us the lay of the land and showed us around the cabin. We stayed in the Sugar Pine cabin which was a perfect size for the wife and I. The cabin was clean and fresh. The bed (queen I think) was ample size. The kitchen, while not overly huge, was large enough for me to move around and do some serious cooking. The bathroom was clean and sizable as well.
After we were situated, I headed over to the main residence to make the payment. The transaction was smooth and painless. Lauren and Bill run a very professional establishment that has a super laid back feel to it. Love that! Lauren also gave us tips as to which hikes/​sights we should see while in Yosemite. She told us that she had been up there since 1976. Anybody who has been in the area that long should have some great knowledge of the local to-do’s. She directed us to the Vernal/​Nevada Falls hike, via the Mist Trail. Boy, we were so glad that made that hike because the scenery was amazing. Thank you Lauren!
Overall, this was a very memorable stay for the two of us. I highly recommend coming to the Sunset Inn if you are planning on a multi-​day trip to Yosemite. Totally worth it! Thanks again Bill & Lauren.

We had a great time at the Sunset Inn! We went in mid-​February for a romantic weekend.
We stayed at the sugarpine cabin. It was very warm and cozy. The log stove kept the place nice. The kitchen was very well equipped with all the pots and dishes we needed. It was actually very pleasant to cook there. There was even tea and coffee with sugar and creamer, and some spices for cooking. Although the cabins are pretty close to each other and the owner’s house, we had plenty of privacy. We could play some music at night (at respectful levels) and talk and laugh and we couldn’t really hear ourselves from outside (we checked). Nice bathroom with nice hot showers! Everything was very clean! I mean, truly clean. I couldn’t find a trace of the previous occupants anywhere. True, the front deck does look out on a work shed. But, we didn’t spend much time on the deck since it was cold outside anyway.
Getting there was easy (definitely follow the directions on the sunset inn site). There was just a little snow on the ground, so we didn’t even need snow chains or anything, but I could imagine that you might need them after a big snowfall.
The innkeeper Lauren was very helpful! She lent us some snowshoes and gave us some tips for where to go in Yosemite. Staying here put us only 15 minutes away from some great trails. She and her husband even offered to lend us some sleds and told us where we could find some hills. And they have really friendly, well-​behaved dogs. They seemed to genuinely want us to have a good time.
It was a great place for a low-​key getaway. The hosts are great resources to have in the area. I wish we could have stayed longer.

Will definitely be back! Larkspur cabin is homey and comfy. Great place to get away from it all. No TV but has nice views to keep you outside enjoying nature. Limited wifi available if needed.

Great place, very close to the park, wonderful hosts, would definitely stay there again!

Fantastic place to stay. By far the best weekend getaway we’ve ever had.

Unique. Rustic and lost in time. You may come to visit Yosemite, but this is the place you’ll remember.

we stayed at sugar pine cabin mid-​april, and we loved our stay there! Lauren and bill lives on site and are friendly and happy people. their cute black lab puppy roams the property and will follow you on walks (but be careful when you first get out of your car, he can be quite a hugger! Lauren takes him in when new people come by though).
the cabin is one cute cabin, at 300sq ft i was expecting it to be tiny and cramped. well, it is tiny but not cramped! my husband and i had all the space we needed and cooked dinner both meals (for the microwave chefs out there, the sugar pin inn doesnt have a microwave, but has stove and oven with lots of cookware. the bigger cabins seem to have a microwave). bathroom is pleasantly spacious and new, and hot water is plenty hot enough. The wood stove keeps the house very warm, and they stocked so much firewood on property that there are two large sheds where they keep dry wood. Oh! they have a nice chicken coop and Lauren offered their fresh eggs to us :)
the property itself is gorgeous. ive only seen it in snow, and i love the snow covered meadow and rusty old trucks hidden among the trees near the cabin. the sunset from the cabin is not bad either. most importantly, it is only 2 miles away from yosemite entrance, its as close as you can get!

This place is awesome. Come here and stay as long as possible. Check out their website:
Bill and Lauren run a great business. I stayed in «Meadowlark» early this February and watched the sunset through the trees and over the snowy meadow twice in one weekend. They are the closest spot to Yosemite (2 miles from the entrance) and are completely surrounded by National Forest. Bill and Lauren live on the property and maintain it very well. The shower was nice, the kitchen stocked with all that you needed to cook and the beds were comfy.
Bill and Lauren can give you great advice because they have lived up their for 30 years, and both worked in the park. We went to Badger Pass to ski and the trip was a little under 1.5 hours. To the Valley is under 45 minutes.
I could go on and on. Just come here if you want to stay away from the crowds with easy access to the Park. Also, USE THEIR DIRECTIONS. Mapquest will not work in the winter time up their, the computer does not know which roads they plow.

Please keeping mind that this review is for the Yosemite Log Cabin with the same owner. I did not stay at Sunset Inn, but the standalone cabin they own a few miles away. The URL for this place is
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I absolutely loved this place. I got the contact off of VRBO and was desperate to find a cabin to accomodate 14 people in mid-​June. This is not an easy thing for Yosemite in the summer. The instructions were great, they send me a nice info packet, and the directions were right on. It’s only about 6 miles outside of the park, which is great. This translated to about a 45 min drive from the cabin to the valley where the major hikes begin. Word of warning: it’s hard to find your way at night, so try to arrive during daylight.
The cabin was fantastic. The place had an upstairs and downstairs with 5 bedrooms, the kitchen was fully stocked and had all sorts of cookware, condiments, and even food from other visitors, which we chose not to use. The dining table could seat at least 8, and the adjacent family room had a gas fireplace and a satellite TV. We had 14 people in 4 cars, and we all had plenty of room (3 couples).
The patio was great, it had a propane grill, a deck table and a stack of resin chairs. The door to the inside led right to the dining room, so it was a beeline from the kitchen to the patio. It was so nice outside that I slept outside both nights we were there.
The downstairs is a little unfinished, but that is fine since we spent most time upstairs. There are two full bathrooms and they have PLENTY of towels, soap, shampoo, and just about any other toiletry you can imagine stocked in their shelves. As an added bonus, they even had a washer/​dryer you could use so you had clean clothes before you even left for the weekend.
A nice touch: they have a guestbook. We pored over it and saw stories from many happy visitors, from China to Sweden to New Zealand. The cost isn’t too bad. For 14 people for 2 nights (Fri pm to Sun noon), it cost about $ 75/​person. That may be a little steep, but that is great considering how busy it is in the summer, how close it is to the park, how nice the place is, and how great it feels to get a real shower and a real bed after completing Half Dome.
I will DEFINITELY look this place up again.