Groveland, California: Yosemite International Hostel

The mixed 8-bed dorm at Yosemite International Hostel.

When I was looking for a place to stay near Yosemite, I saw that this was the closest hostel to the park. Knowing that pricing and availability can be tough in such a popular area, I decided to give it a go for a few nights! Scroll down to see how it turned out!

BED

To be honest, it wasn’t my favorite bed in the world. But it did the job. It was a touch squeaky and a little short (I’m also massive…) but it did the job for a solid couple nights of sleep.

STORAGE

There were a couple small storage areas against the wall as you can see in the photo above and several more covered up by the beds. However, nobody in the room used them (this is not uncommon with wall storage areas from my experience). Had I used them however, there was no way to lock or secure them. So if you’re a wary individual, be sure to pack a lock for your items. I personally had no issues leaving my stuff out as most people are venturing into Yosemite for the day anyways.

BATHROOM

It was a single person bathroom with a shower. Nothing special really. While the shower did get very hot, the pressure was pretty poor, as was the amount of water actually coming out of the shower head. It was definitely enough to get the job done, but I’ve had better hostel showers elsewhere.

BAR

While there’s no bar at the actual hostel, down the street a little over a quarter mile (half of a kilometer for my metric friends), there is a saloon called the Iron Door Saloon. This bar claims to be the oldest continually operating saloon in California as it continued to serve alcohol even during prohibition. It’s a pretty cool building and bar area and I can imagine that during busy season weekends it really comes alive!

NOTES

This hostel is about 80 minutes from the ground floor of Yosemite National Park, so just be prepared for that. If you’re going to go into the park, be prepared to take everything you need for the day because it’s quite a hike! However, there are no other hostels closer so this is still your best bet.

VALUE

All things considered, the value is pretty much what it should be. It’s California so everything is more expensive and staying closer to the park can cost you significantly more. However, if you’re willing to make the scenic drive to and from the park each day, it’s a pretty good option, especially for couples or solo travelers! Just be aware that it’s more of a place to stay than a place to enjoy the hostel atmosphere.

What else would you like to know about this hostel?! Leave a note in the comments and I’ll add it to the page!

Visit here for booking!