Yosemite in mid-May and where to stay?

I would definitely recommend staying in a family room at Yosemite Valley Lodge. Check back often for openings. People cancel all the time.

We had a split stay there in July 2022. One night in the Manzanita building with a waterfall view. Then 2 nights in the Hemlock building with a river view. The Hemlock building was a family room with a full size bed and twin bunk beds.

Internet will be spotty anywhere, even in hotels that offer it. And super slow at busy times (morning and evening). You’re in a valley surrounded by granite.

Staying IN the park will save you sooooo much time. If you can’t, I would stay in El Portal at the Yosemite View Lodge. I would book a refundable room there, then keep checking back for cancellations inside the park.

We took a bus tour of the valley that we enjoyed. Drive to Tunnel View near sunset. May is probably too early to float the river. Visit the Ahwahnee Hotel. Walk to Yosemite Falls. Picnic by the river.

TripAdvisor has a very active Yosemite forum that is very helpful.

EDIT--removed my first paragraph since I might not have checked the best site for reservations, so my info about availability may not have been accurate. The Wawona is only open spring through fall, and they do have internet access in the lounge and porch area.

If you have a room reservation inside the park, then you don't need an entrance reservation. If you book outside the park, then you need separate park reservations to enter. Not sure if you can book a week at a time or what; our last visits were in 2021 and we had in-park lodging reservations. The shuttle buses run a loop and are free--no reservations needed. The valley tours cost and may need reservations.

I'd use the entrance closest to the direction I'm coming from. We live in Southern California and usually come in through Oakhurst, but if we're visiting family in the Bay Area first, we use the western entrance. The only unusable entrance in May is from the Tuolumne Meadows side--even without the incredible snow we've had this year that entrance doesn't open until June or July.

Not sure what exactly you might mean by "nothing terribly strenuous", but there are walks around the valley floor that are fairly flat, also from the Lodge the short distance to Yosemite Falls, from the bus stop to Mirror Lake (more a meadow now) has an incline but is not steep like the Vernal/Nevada Falls hike is in some places. Generally we try to get off all those trails since they get a lot of foot traffic even in the less visited times. Once you're there, go to the Visitor Center in the valley and ask about lesser used trails that are suitable for people with whatever mobility challenges you are having. Even the least deviation from the usual will get you out of the crowds. We went in August a number of years ago to celebrate our anniversary--never again! Gridlock even for the shuttle buses. However we got up from the bus stop, crossed the road to a trail that would lead back into Yosemite Village and saw about 4 other people until got closer to our destination.

Heading there next month.

Not my idea but joining friends. Usually visit in the Fall.

2 rooms at the Lodge.

Been going there for over 50 years.

Have camped, stayed at the Ahwahnee, and the Lodge.

Loved the camping when I was a child. A ranger’s call of “watch the fire fall,” especially memorable. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_Firefall

Even tried to climb the back of Half Dome for my 60th. Alas, even with permit ( which i booked months in advance) didn’t accomplish the goal. Ranger and weather turned us back. Threat of lightening.

I always wander about in the early hours before sunrise. Love the smells, the quiet and often see the wildlife.

I’ll report back about the crowds et al.

Thanks for the tips thus far; keep 'em coming!
I tried looking one night at a time instead of 2-3 nights. There was literally ONE day in May that had Lodge reservations - May 8 - so I jumped on it and booked that night. Hopefully at least one more night will open up, but if not, that should save us some driving for at least one day.

I love Yosemite. I was privileged to be able to live in Yosemite Valley for a year long ago, and then spent a summer in the High Sierra hiking the whole John Muir trail. We have returned many times over the past 20 years, as recently as last October. We do not even try to go to the Valley in summer; it is far too crowded for our taste. We do like to hike and camp in the high country around Tuolumne Meadows, but neither the campground not the lodge there will be open this summer, so we will miss a visit this year.

Here is the reality of visiting Yosemite between mid-April and mid-October: lodging is very limited inside the part. In the Valley you have Yosemite Lodge ( now back to its traditional name, the one it had when I worked there), the historic and very expensive Ahwahnee Hotel, and the tent cabins or other cabins at Curry Village and Housekeeping Camp. Outside the Valley at higher elevation and close to the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias, is another historic hotel, the Wawona. Some of the rooms there have shared bathrooms rather than ensuite.

Yosemite Lodge fully books up for May through September the day the reservations are released, 366 days in advance. After that, one can find rooms that people originally booked and then canceled, but it takes persistence and a good bit of luck. and they will usually appear one night here, one night there, so it is difficult to get a 2- or 3- night stay.

The Ahwahnee, Curry Village tent cabins, Wawona, and Housekeeping Camp do not usually book up completely a full year in advance, so that is why you are seeing availability at one or more of those. The tent cabins and Housekeeping Camp units are not what Inwould call glamping—-they are much more basic and rustic. Curry Village has a great location, however. But if your family wouldn’t like it, don’t try to talk them into it.

As mentioned above, a family room at Yosemite Lodge would be ideal. But there is a slim chance of getting one. So consider other options, outside Yosemite Valley. There are two private communities inside the park offering self-catering vacation rentals in cabins and condos, and these are a good option for families. One is named Yosemite West, and the other is the Redwoods. These are a 30-50 minute drive from the valley floor, but closer to certain sights like Glacier Point and the Mariposa Grove. There are several websites offering cabins at these locations; this is the one I have used and you can Google to find others.

https://www.scenicwonders.com/yosemite-west-lodging

Be sure that the cabin you are considering is actually in Yosemite West, and not at distant Bass Lake.

There is also a very nice lodge right at the southern park entrance at Fish Camp named Tenaya Lodge. With a pool and other amenities, it is a good option. Their restaurant is good, or at least it was when we last dined there.

Do not stay in Mariposa; it is too far away.

You've gotten some good advice here. If I were looking for a family, I'd make a reservation at the Tenaya Lodge, Yosemite West, or Wawona, depending which is the better fit for you, and then keep looking for a family room to open up at Yosemite Lodge, as others have suggested.

For Sequoia NP, the lodge inside the park is the very nice Wuksachi Lodge, and you should be able to get reservations there without much difficulty.

Also consider lodging in nearby Kings Canyon NP. There are cabins in Grant Grove Village, Nd two lodges, Cedar Grove and John Muir. I can’t advise on the latter two, as we have only stayed at Wuksachi and Grant Grove cabins.

All of these can be booked through the official website:

https://www.visitsequoia.com/lodging

And here I will add a caution about booking any lodging within the national parks: use only the website of the official concessioner for each park. You can find this incormation on the national park website for each park, such as this for Sequoia and Kings Canyon ( generally referred to together at SEKI):

https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/lodging.htm

Do not be fooled into booking with third parties, especially the notorious “Nationalparkreservations” site that usually shows up at the top of the list of results do a search, among the “sponsored” links. This particular vendor is notorious for using bait-and-switch tactics and charging non-refundable booking fees.