Hotel Review: Rush Creek Lodge Resort & Spa at Yosemite

If you're looking for a luxurious and relaxing getaway near Yosemite National Park, Rush Creek Lodge & Spa is the perfect place for you, especially if you're traveling from Northern California (Sacramento or the San Francisco Bay Area).      

Hotel Overview

Located just a half mile from the Yosemite National Park Big Oak Flat Highway 120 entrance, Rush Creek Lodge & Spa is a beautiful resort hotel in Groveland, California.  The hotel is set on 20 acres of wooded hillside and offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains.  

From the hotel, it will still take an hour to reach Yosemite Valley, but getting into the park via the West gate entrance makes it a lot easier.

Rush Creek Lodge & Spa offers a variety of accommodations, including lodge rooms, suites, and hillside villas. All of the rooms and suites are beautifully appointed and feature modern amenities.  If you're not staying inside Yosemite National Park, this is the best and closest option when visiting from Northern California.

The hotel features a full-service spa, a fitness center, game room, outdoor play structures for kids, swimming pool, and a variety of onsite dining options.

In addition to its luxurious accommodations and amenities, Rush Creek Lodge & Spa is also a great base to explore Yosemite National Park from. The hotel is located just steps from the park's entrance, and it offers a variety of activities and tours, such as hiking, biking, fishing, gold panning, fly-casting, and more.  

Accommodations

Rush Creek Lodge & Spa offers a variety of accommodations, including:

• Lodge rooms: These rooms are located in the main lodge building. Lodge Rooms are mini-suites designed to comfortably fit parties up to 4 people.  All Lodge Rooms feature a sitting area, a private deck with forest and/or sunset views, and a private bathroom with a shower.  Choose from rooms with a king bed and queen sofa bed or rooms with two queen beds.

• Suites: These suites offer more space and amenities than the lodge rooms. They feature separate living and sleeping areas, full kitchens, and private balconies or patios

• Hillside villas: These villas offer the ultimate in luxury and privacy. They feature multiple bedrooms, bathrooms, and living areas, as well as private patios or decks with stunning views of the surrounding mountains.

For our recent stay here, we booked a Hillside Villa King, which offered ample space for our family of four.  Each villa features an entry foyer, private bathroom, a master bedroom with one King bed and a large room with a siting area and Queen size bed.  This room overlooks the private deck and also features a cast iron gas fireplace.

Dining

Rush Creek Lodge & Spa offers a variety of dining options, including:

• The Restaurant at Rush Creek: This restaurant serves seasonal American cuisine with a focus on locally sourced ingredients.
• The Tavern: This casual bar and grill offers a variety of American comfort food, as well as a full bar.
• The General Store: This general store offers a variety of snacks, drinks, and souvenirs.

Overall Impression

Rush Creek Lodge & Spa is a beautiful and luxurious resort hotel that offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains close to Yosemite National Park. The hotel has a variety of accommodations, amenities, and activities to choose from, making it a great choice for a visit to Yosemite.

We stayed over a long weekend spending one full day visiting Yosemite National Park and the next day enjoying the on-site amenities at Rush Creek Lodge.  Our kids enjoyed hiking around the property and playing in play room in the Main Lodge and the outdoor play structures, that included a zip line as well.