Tamarack Motor Lodge

My husband and I stayed there for 1 night this past weekend. Yes, the room has an «old fashioned» feel, older furniture, and the appliances are a tad «out dated», but that really didn’t matter to us because we were there to enjoy the outdoors and were just looking for a warm/​safe place to stay. The room’s kitchenette area was perfectly fine and the fridge was full size. The bathroom was clean and the shower was great. Darryl and his staff were very attentive, friendly, and available for help. The price was great and the heater worked perfectly. We felt safe there and plan on visiting there during the spring/​summer months! I def recommend this place! We stayed in room #1, which was more than enough room for us two, we would have been comfortable with 2 more friends/​family in the room.

We have stayed here 1 time in the past. We were stranded and they had a sign on the porch. That said to the weary traveler room one is open pay in the morning. So we did. We just got home from staying a second time. We were there December 24 – 27. Had five of the 9 rooms. A group of 16 people and Darryl made us feel so welcome. We had a blast. Played in the snow he even went the extra mile a few times to make our stay even better. This place is great and we love it. We won’t be staying any were else.

CAUTION!!! NO CANCELLATION ALLOWED AND THEY DEBIT YOUR CARD AS SOON AS YOU BOOK!!! I made a reservation and no one explained on the call about the cancellation policy. When I gave a 2 weeks notice to cancel they said «they don’t refund and it is on the internet»!!! Ugh very frustrated.

Buyer beware! They have a NO CANCELLATION policy that they don’t tell you about when they take your credit card number and charge you. I never would have made the reservation had I known. I reserved two rooms. This is a fleecing operation. These policies are unethical. I feel completely taken advantage of.

This place is great. We stayed there for two nights this summer and had a wonderful stay. Walking distance to the river, incredible hiking nearby, and a friendly, clean, and nice place to stay. Owners were friendly and showed a clear interest in their customers.
For those who rated poorly, first, get over yourself. For those reading reviews: if you’re expecting a 5 star resort go to the many places in the Sierra’s that will charge you $ 400+ for a room and no better experience, except to feel good about your financial success. If you’re going to enjoy the scenery, a quiet place, and proprietors that are interested in their customers, rather than their pocket-​books, go here! We’re definitely going back, both summer and for some winter snowboarding!

I stayed in one of the guest suites (room 2). It was plenty big and seemed clean. The furnishings were old and quite worn. The bed was comfortable, though.
The kitchen is in dire need of renovation. It has what appears to be the original cooktop/​oven combination from the 60’s (or earlier?). None of that works, though, so all the components have been removed. The four holes in the cooktop were incompletely covered with a plastic cutting board.
Other than the presence of the nonfunctional appliances, the kitchen was OK. For cooking, there was a 2-​burner hotplate, toaster, and microwave. Also a hotel-​style, 2-​cup coffee maker. The refrigerator was full size, but at least 20 years old. Still works, but runs a lot. There were enough dishes and cookware to heat up the food I brought.
If you stay here, bring bottled water! There’s a sign in the kitchen that says there is is a high amount of sediment in the water «due to our high elevation» and to «let the water run until clear.» I don’t know how long that takes. I made do with the water after letting it run for about 5 minutes. Even after that, if I turned the tap on full I would get a spurt of dark brownish-​red water that reminded me of something from a horror movie.
There’s something else funky about the water. When I took a shower, I could never get the temperature below «too hot» (but I could get it a good bit hotter)! I thought the shower control was broken until I turned on the cold water in the sink, and the same 110-​degree water came out. I don’t know how or why they are heating the cold water, but it made for a quick, unpleasant shower.
Tamarack is relatively inexpensive ($ 100 for my room) considering the «god’s country surcharge» and the fact that it is a large room with kitchen and could sleep 6 in a pinch. If you’re looking for a place to sleep and fix a few meals while enjoying a beautiful area, you could probably do worse.