Sequoia National Park 2014: Lodging and Dining Reviews
- Wuksachi Lodge
- The Peaks Restaurant at Wuksachi Lodge
- Bearpaw High Sierra Camp
- Silver City Mountain Resort
Wuksachi Lodge: Ideal lodging location in Sequoia
Stayed August 16, 17 and 21, 2014 (three nights); reviewed December 27, 2014 See this review on Trip Advisor.
This was our second visit to Sequoia National Park, the previous time being in June 2012. The specific purpose of this second trip was to make the hike along the High Sierra Trail to the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp. We stayed at Wuksachi Lodge for two nights prior to and one night following our excursion into the back country to Bearpaw. Wuksachi is just a short drive to the trailhead at Crescent Meadow that connects to the High Sierra Trail so logistically it was the perfect location.
Wuksachi Lodge is a collection of buildings. The main building houses the registration desk, a small gift shop, lounge and The Peaks Restaurant. The lodging rooms are housed in three other motel style buildings located just a short walk from the main building. These buildings are named Stewart, Silliman and Sequoia, with Stewart having the longest walk from the main building and Sequoia being the closest. We stayed in the Stewart building this trip (we were in the Sequoia building in 2012). For the first two nights we had a room on the entrance level of the building (the second level the way the building is configured) which is a major advantage as it means no stairs to negotiate since there are no elevators in the lodging buildings. For our third night after returning from Bearpaw we were on the lower level. Both rooms we had were very nice (deluxe king room), although the room for our first two nights seemed to be a little bigger and had a nice view out of the back of the building which was nice for animal sightings in the morning. My wife and I agree that the rooms are in general in great condition, very clean and comfortable, and have all the standard hotel amenities.
The Peaks Restaurant at Wuksachi is excellent. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast buffet is very good. Prices for all meals are reasonable. The lunch and dinner menus have a nice variety of selections. Unlike many National Park dining options, the food at Wuksachi is excellent. And the service is very good as well. But beyond the excellent food and the outstanding service, The Peaks provides the atmosphere that is expected at a National Park lodge restaurant. While it is still a relatively new facility, the dining room has a bit of that old, rustic lodge feel with the high ceiling and huge windows lining providing nice views of the grounds. Nice opportunities for wildlife viewing while enjoying a meal.
There are paved walking trails adjacent to the main building which are perfect for a early morning or after dinner stroll. There is plenty of wildlife along the trails. We saw a black bear sow and two cubs here in 2012. No bears this trip but lots of deer, squirrels, chipmunks and birds.
We enjoyed our trip to Sequoia and our stay at Wuksachi. For us it is the perfect location in the park. It will be our first choice for lodging when we return to the park.
This was our second visit to Sequoia National Park, the previous time being in June 2012. The specific purpose of this second trip was to make the hike along the High Sierra Trail to the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp. We stayed at Wuksachi Lodge for two nights prior to and one night following our excursion into the back country to Bearpaw. Wuksachi is just a short drive to the trailhead at Crescent Meadow that connects to the High Sierra Trail so logistically it was the perfect location.
Wuksachi Lodge is a collection of buildings. The main building houses the registration desk, a small gift shop, lounge and The Peaks Restaurant. The lodging rooms are housed in three other motel style buildings located just a short walk from the main building. These buildings are named Stewart, Silliman and Sequoia, with Stewart having the longest walk from the main building and Sequoia being the closest. We stayed in the Stewart building this trip (we were in the Sequoia building in 2012). For the first two nights we had a room on the entrance level of the building (the second level the way the building is configured) which is a major advantage as it means no stairs to negotiate since there are no elevators in the lodging buildings. For our third night after returning from Bearpaw we were on the lower level. Both rooms we had were very nice (deluxe king room), although the room for our first two nights seemed to be a little bigger and had a nice view out of the back of the building which was nice for animal sightings in the morning. My wife and I agree that the rooms are in general in great condition, very clean and comfortable, and have all the standard hotel amenities.
The Peaks Restaurant at Wuksachi is excellent. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The breakfast buffet is very good. Prices for all meals are reasonable. The lunch and dinner menus have a nice variety of selections. Unlike many National Park dining options, the food at Wuksachi is excellent. And the service is very good as well. But beyond the excellent food and the outstanding service, The Peaks provides the atmosphere that is expected at a National Park lodge restaurant. While it is still a relatively new facility, the dining room has a bit of that old, rustic lodge feel with the high ceiling and huge windows lining providing nice views of the grounds. Nice opportunities for wildlife viewing while enjoying a meal.
There are paved walking trails adjacent to the main building which are perfect for a early morning or after dinner stroll. There is plenty of wildlife along the trails. We saw a black bear sow and two cubs here in 2012. No bears this trip but lots of deer, squirrels, chipmunks and birds.
We enjoyed our trip to Sequoia and our stay at Wuksachi. For us it is the perfect location in the park. It will be our first choice for lodging when we return to the park.
The Peaks Restaurant: As good as I remembered
Dined here August 17, 18, 21 and 22, 2014; reviewed on December 27, 2014 See this review on Trip Advisor.
The Peaks Restaurant at Wuksachi is excellent place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The breakfast buffet is very good. The lunch and dinner menus have a nice variety of selections. Unlike many National Park dining options, the food at Wuksachi is excellent. The quesadilla is very good, and I really enjoyed the burger with jalepeno peppers (so good with a General Sherman IPA). Prices for all meals are reasonable. And the service is very good as well. The servers are from all over the globe it seems but they know the menu so they can answer questions and make recommendations. All of the servers we dealt with were pleasant, helpful and attentive.
But beyond the excellent food and the outstanding service, The Peaks provides the atmosphere that is expected at a National Park lodge restaurant. While it is still a relatively new facility, the dining room has a bit of that old, rustic lodge feel with the high ceiling and huge windows lining providing nice views of the grounds. Nice opportunities for wildlife viewing while enjoying a meal.
Seating is first come, first served for breakfast and lunch, but reservations are encouraged for dinner as it can get crowded. There is a lounge just outside the dining room for a before or after dinner drink or to use a place to wait for an open dinner table. The bar offers a nice selection of wine and beer, including local craft beers, as well as mixed drinks.
The Peaks Restaurant at Wuksachi is excellent place for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The breakfast buffet is very good. The lunch and dinner menus have a nice variety of selections. Unlike many National Park dining options, the food at Wuksachi is excellent. The quesadilla is very good, and I really enjoyed the burger with jalepeno peppers (so good with a General Sherman IPA). Prices for all meals are reasonable. And the service is very good as well. The servers are from all over the globe it seems but they know the menu so they can answer questions and make recommendations. All of the servers we dealt with were pleasant, helpful and attentive.
But beyond the excellent food and the outstanding service, The Peaks provides the atmosphere that is expected at a National Park lodge restaurant. While it is still a relatively new facility, the dining room has a bit of that old, rustic lodge feel with the high ceiling and huge windows lining providing nice views of the grounds. Nice opportunities for wildlife viewing while enjoying a meal.
Seating is first come, first served for breakfast and lunch, but reservations are encouraged for dinner as it can get crowded. There is a lounge just outside the dining room for a before or after dinner drink or to use a place to wait for an open dinner table. The bar offers a nice selection of wine and beer, including local craft beers, as well as mixed drinks.
Bearpaw High Sierra Camp: For a day hiker, this is the perfect way to experience the High Sierra back country.
Visited August 18-21, 2014 (three nights); reviewed December 28, 2014 See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I are addicted to the National Parks. We enjoy hiking so that we can experience the wonders of the parks. But we are day hikers, not backpackers; we’ll hike all day to enjoy the amazing vistas and look for wildlife, but in the evening we like to have a shower, a hot meal and a warm bed. This is where the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp comes in. We first heard about Bearpaw during our 2012 visit to Sequoia and once we read about it, we knew that this was someplace we had to go as it would give us an opportunity to spend time in the back country without having to truly rough it.
As I’ll describe shortly, Bearpaw does have all the comforts of home and provides a wonderful base for exploring the back country of Sequoia National Park, but it is not a pushover either. To get to Bearpaw camp requires a 12-mile hike along the High Sierra Trail starting at Crescent Meadow (there is also access from the Wolverton area of the park, but this is a little longer hike). The trail is in great shape and provides great views plus opportunities for animal sightings but it is a tough trail with significant elevation changes all along its length. We are not fast hikers so the hike to Bearpaw took us about 8 hours (we were on the trail about 7:00 AM and arrived at Bearpaw about 3:00).
When we arrived at Bearpaw, we passed by the out buildings (supply cabin, showers, outhouse) and made our way to the main building that houses the kitchen and dining hall. We were greeted by one of the young men on the camp staff. He signed us in and gave us the basics for camp life. Choice of tent is first come, first served. Breakfast is served at 7:30, hot showers are available from 2:30 until 5:30, and dinner is served at 5:30. Water and lemonade along with homemade brownies were available for us as a snack after our long hike.
The camp is situated on a granite outcrop that overlooks the Great Western Divide and the valley containing the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River, so the views are stunning, but more on that later as first we have to get settled. There are six tent cabins at Bearpaw, each set up to house two people (a third person can fit in, but they have to sleep on the floor and provide their own bedding). As it happened, there was a complete turnover in the guests, so all the tents were available for the newcomers today. We were the second folks to arrive so only tent 4 had been claimed. We made a quick assessment and selected tent 2 as our home for the next three nights. As it happened, this was a great choice.
Folks talk about getting a tent with a view, but honestly you can’t see that much from the tent with maybe the exception of tent 4 which is set up right on the edge of the rocky overlook (not my idea of a good location). Tent 1 is the closest to the dining hall and the rest of the tents are arrayed down the hill. Tent 2 is pulled back off of the main path just a bit so there is less traffic but it is still close to the facilities. There was some good natured grumbling about the hike up the hill from the folks staying in tents 5 and 6. I think we choose well and if I were to return to Bearpaw, I would probably opt for Tent 2 again as it provided the best combination of features (close to the facilities, not a long hike up the hill, decent view and not right on the main trail through the camp).
Each tent has two bunks complete with bedding including a heavy comforter (and essential at 9000 feet above sea level), a couple folding canvas chairs and a night stand and shelving between the bunks. There is an oil lamp in the tent for light but it is best to keep a flashlight handy at all times. There is actually a good amount of room in the tents for two people and gear (the camp chairs became our storage area along with the hooks provided for hanging clothes). All-in-all this was a very nice setup and completely comfortable. The staff does a very good job of keeping the place clean between guests.
Once settled into our tent and after taking a break on the front porch of the main building to enjoy a cup of lemonade, a brownie and the amazing view of the Great Western Divide, it was time to remove a layer of trail dust from our weary old bones. The showers at Bearpaw are a major bonus. There are two shower stalls which are at the top of the hill above the tents and behind the dining hall. Towels and washcloths are provided. But do not expect a long, hot, soaking shower. The water is limited and not that hot, well particularly for the first folks in the showers. The water is controlled by a chain-pull, so you basically do a quick rinse, get lathered up, and then wash-off the suds. Even if the water is only warm, it is still so refreshing to have a shower after a long day on the trail. The outhouse, with a flush toilet sits just in front of the shower building. Adjacent to the showers is a sink. Note that the water at the sink is non potable, so bring drinking water when it is time to brush your teeth.
The meals at Bearpaw are outstanding. Breakfast and dinner are served as a buffet and there is more food here that can be eaten. Everything is fresh and homemade by the crew. These guys can cook! Breakfast each morning consisted or scrambled eggs with some sort of additions (peppers, cheese), bacon or sausage, fresh fruit, oatmeal and muffins or scones. Dinners were even more impressive. The first night we had barbeque pork which was awesome but the main dish each was delicious and accompanied by potatoes, veggies, fresh bread and desert (the banana bread was excellent). Plenty to each, so no worries about going hungry. For a small additional cost the crew would make a sandwich out of the leftovers for lunch the following day (I forget the cost, but it was NOT expensive). Note, the sandwich is huge so for someone that is not a big eater splitting a sandwich is probably plenty. There was also wine available at $5 a glass, but alas, no beer for sale.
The porch of the dining hall was the focal point for the guests during our stay. We would congregate there each morning prior to breakfast as well as before and after dinner to visit and talk about the day’s adventures. The view of the mountains from the porch was simply amazing.
An interesting point was that most of the guests were staying three nights at Bearpaw. I think this is the minimum stay so that you can fit in two day hikes from Bearpaw. If I had it to do over, I would stay for four nights so that we could have had a third day in camp, perhaps just to relax. With two full days at the camp, we ended up doing two day hikes, the first to Hamilton Lake and the second to Tamarack Lake. These are wonderful hikes, each about 10 miles round-trip but they are moderate to difficult hikes. The trails are in great shape (in fact when we were there, crews were out maintaining sections of the trails; thanks to those folks for keeping the trails in such wonderful condition!) While the destinations for each hike is an alpine lake, the hikes are quite different and make a nice compliment to each other.
The hike to Hamilton Lake is along the High Sierra Trail. The trail is carved into the side of the granite mountains so it is more exposed and provides views out over the deep valley and over to the Great Western Divide for much of the hike. Conversely, the trail to Tamarack Lake starts out through the woods behind Bearpaw, first conifers then aspens, with a few glimpses of the valley and opposing peaks, but later settled into the floor of the wide valley containing Lone Pine Creek, so the vistas are contained within the tower walls of granite. The views are just as impressive as what we saw yesterday, but of a totally different character.
Another difference was the wildlife. Going to Hamilton Lake, we were limited to blue-bellied lizards along the trail. However, since we were walking through the valley floors where the critters live, so saw a few more varmints on the way to Tamarack Lake. Through the wooded section of the hike there were squirrels and birds. Once out in the open of the valley, we spotted mule deer, several marmots sunning themselves on the rocks and several birds including a Peregrine Falcon cruising the area. The other interesting bird sighting was up on the wooded hill on the return trip when we came across several grouse. They spooked before I could get a photo, but we think they were Blue Grouse. I can tell you that they make quite the commotion when they take off and fly through the brush.
We did not see many people on either trail, but there was more traffic on the High Sierra Trail to Hamilton Lake than on the trail to Tamarack Lake. In fact, we had the trail to Tamarack Lake entirely to ourselves until we were nearly home when we passed two guys heading to the lake to camp for the night. Note that at 9200 feet Tamarack Lake is about a 1000 feet higher in elevation than Hamilton Lake.
But there are a few things similar about these two hikes. First, they are both tough hikes. We were beat by the time we returned to camp (but that shower really helps to revive the soul after a hard day on the trail). And both hikes are worth doing, which is the main reason for a longer stay at Bearpaw.
Of course after a stay at Bearpaw the work is not over as we still had to retrace our route along the High Sierra Trail back to Crescent Meadow. But the return hike seemed easily than the hike in; maybe it is more of a day hill hike on the way back or the fact that we were not pressing as hard to get to camp in time for a shower and dinner. Whatever the reason it was a nice end to our time in the back country. Plus we had some nice animal sightings. On the way to Bearpaw we saw birds, squirrels and chipmunks plus a nice size King Snake. We had similar sightings on the return hike, plus one exciting moment when a black bear raced across the trail about 15 yards ahead of us. He run up the hill a few yards then stopped so we got a good look at him before he trotted off. That was pretty cool, but it does emphasize the point to be alert on the trail.
Final note, we stayed at Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park for two nights before and the night after our time at Bearpaw. This gave us some time to acclimate to the elevation in the park before heading to Bearpaw and still gave us great access to the trailhead (it is about a 20 minute drive from Wuksachi to the Crescent Meadow Trailhead).
We had a wonderful time in Sequoia National Park with the time in Bearpaw and the associated wonderful hikes being the highlights of the trip.
Click on an image to enter slideshow.
My wife and I are addicted to the National Parks. We enjoy hiking so that we can experience the wonders of the parks. But we are day hikers, not backpackers; we’ll hike all day to enjoy the amazing vistas and look for wildlife, but in the evening we like to have a shower, a hot meal and a warm bed. This is where the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp comes in. We first heard about Bearpaw during our 2012 visit to Sequoia and once we read about it, we knew that this was someplace we had to go as it would give us an opportunity to spend time in the back country without having to truly rough it.
As I’ll describe shortly, Bearpaw does have all the comforts of home and provides a wonderful base for exploring the back country of Sequoia National Park, but it is not a pushover either. To get to Bearpaw camp requires a 12-mile hike along the High Sierra Trail starting at Crescent Meadow (there is also access from the Wolverton area of the park, but this is a little longer hike). The trail is in great shape and provides great views plus opportunities for animal sightings but it is a tough trail with significant elevation changes all along its length. We are not fast hikers so the hike to Bearpaw took us about 8 hours (we were on the trail about 7:00 AM and arrived at Bearpaw about 3:00).
When we arrived at Bearpaw, we passed by the out buildings (supply cabin, showers, outhouse) and made our way to the main building that houses the kitchen and dining hall. We were greeted by one of the young men on the camp staff. He signed us in and gave us the basics for camp life. Choice of tent is first come, first served. Breakfast is served at 7:30, hot showers are available from 2:30 until 5:30, and dinner is served at 5:30. Water and lemonade along with homemade brownies were available for us as a snack after our long hike.
The camp is situated on a granite outcrop that overlooks the Great Western Divide and the valley containing the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River, so the views are stunning, but more on that later as first we have to get settled. There are six tent cabins at Bearpaw, each set up to house two people (a third person can fit in, but they have to sleep on the floor and provide their own bedding). As it happened, there was a complete turnover in the guests, so all the tents were available for the newcomers today. We were the second folks to arrive so only tent 4 had been claimed. We made a quick assessment and selected tent 2 as our home for the next three nights. As it happened, this was a great choice.
Folks talk about getting a tent with a view, but honestly you can’t see that much from the tent with maybe the exception of tent 4 which is set up right on the edge of the rocky overlook (not my idea of a good location). Tent 1 is the closest to the dining hall and the rest of the tents are arrayed down the hill. Tent 2 is pulled back off of the main path just a bit so there is less traffic but it is still close to the facilities. There was some good natured grumbling about the hike up the hill from the folks staying in tents 5 and 6. I think we choose well and if I were to return to Bearpaw, I would probably opt for Tent 2 again as it provided the best combination of features (close to the facilities, not a long hike up the hill, decent view and not right on the main trail through the camp).
Each tent has two bunks complete with bedding including a heavy comforter (and essential at 9000 feet above sea level), a couple folding canvas chairs and a night stand and shelving between the bunks. There is an oil lamp in the tent for light but it is best to keep a flashlight handy at all times. There is actually a good amount of room in the tents for two people and gear (the camp chairs became our storage area along with the hooks provided for hanging clothes). All-in-all this was a very nice setup and completely comfortable. The staff does a very good job of keeping the place clean between guests.
Once settled into our tent and after taking a break on the front porch of the main building to enjoy a cup of lemonade, a brownie and the amazing view of the Great Western Divide, it was time to remove a layer of trail dust from our weary old bones. The showers at Bearpaw are a major bonus. There are two shower stalls which are at the top of the hill above the tents and behind the dining hall. Towels and washcloths are provided. But do not expect a long, hot, soaking shower. The water is limited and not that hot, well particularly for the first folks in the showers. The water is controlled by a chain-pull, so you basically do a quick rinse, get lathered up, and then wash-off the suds. Even if the water is only warm, it is still so refreshing to have a shower after a long day on the trail. The outhouse, with a flush toilet sits just in front of the shower building. Adjacent to the showers is a sink. Note that the water at the sink is non potable, so bring drinking water when it is time to brush your teeth.
The meals at Bearpaw are outstanding. Breakfast and dinner are served as a buffet and there is more food here that can be eaten. Everything is fresh and homemade by the crew. These guys can cook! Breakfast each morning consisted or scrambled eggs with some sort of additions (peppers, cheese), bacon or sausage, fresh fruit, oatmeal and muffins or scones. Dinners were even more impressive. The first night we had barbeque pork which was awesome but the main dish each was delicious and accompanied by potatoes, veggies, fresh bread and desert (the banana bread was excellent). Plenty to each, so no worries about going hungry. For a small additional cost the crew would make a sandwich out of the leftovers for lunch the following day (I forget the cost, but it was NOT expensive). Note, the sandwich is huge so for someone that is not a big eater splitting a sandwich is probably plenty. There was also wine available at $5 a glass, but alas, no beer for sale.
The porch of the dining hall was the focal point for the guests during our stay. We would congregate there each morning prior to breakfast as well as before and after dinner to visit and talk about the day’s adventures. The view of the mountains from the porch was simply amazing.
An interesting point was that most of the guests were staying three nights at Bearpaw. I think this is the minimum stay so that you can fit in two day hikes from Bearpaw. If I had it to do over, I would stay for four nights so that we could have had a third day in camp, perhaps just to relax. With two full days at the camp, we ended up doing two day hikes, the first to Hamilton Lake and the second to Tamarack Lake. These are wonderful hikes, each about 10 miles round-trip but they are moderate to difficult hikes. The trails are in great shape (in fact when we were there, crews were out maintaining sections of the trails; thanks to those folks for keeping the trails in such wonderful condition!) While the destinations for each hike is an alpine lake, the hikes are quite different and make a nice compliment to each other.
The hike to Hamilton Lake is along the High Sierra Trail. The trail is carved into the side of the granite mountains so it is more exposed and provides views out over the deep valley and over to the Great Western Divide for much of the hike. Conversely, the trail to Tamarack Lake starts out through the woods behind Bearpaw, first conifers then aspens, with a few glimpses of the valley and opposing peaks, but later settled into the floor of the wide valley containing Lone Pine Creek, so the vistas are contained within the tower walls of granite. The views are just as impressive as what we saw yesterday, but of a totally different character.
Another difference was the wildlife. Going to Hamilton Lake, we were limited to blue-bellied lizards along the trail. However, since we were walking through the valley floors where the critters live, so saw a few more varmints on the way to Tamarack Lake. Through the wooded section of the hike there were squirrels and birds. Once out in the open of the valley, we spotted mule deer, several marmots sunning themselves on the rocks and several birds including a Peregrine Falcon cruising the area. The other interesting bird sighting was up on the wooded hill on the return trip when we came across several grouse. They spooked before I could get a photo, but we think they were Blue Grouse. I can tell you that they make quite the commotion when they take off and fly through the brush.
We did not see many people on either trail, but there was more traffic on the High Sierra Trail to Hamilton Lake than on the trail to Tamarack Lake. In fact, we had the trail to Tamarack Lake entirely to ourselves until we were nearly home when we passed two guys heading to the lake to camp for the night. Note that at 9200 feet Tamarack Lake is about a 1000 feet higher in elevation than Hamilton Lake.
But there are a few things similar about these two hikes. First, they are both tough hikes. We were beat by the time we returned to camp (but that shower really helps to revive the soul after a hard day on the trail). And both hikes are worth doing, which is the main reason for a longer stay at Bearpaw.
Of course after a stay at Bearpaw the work is not over as we still had to retrace our route along the High Sierra Trail back to Crescent Meadow. But the return hike seemed easily than the hike in; maybe it is more of a day hill hike on the way back or the fact that we were not pressing as hard to get to camp in time for a shower and dinner. Whatever the reason it was a nice end to our time in the back country. Plus we had some nice animal sightings. On the way to Bearpaw we saw birds, squirrels and chipmunks plus a nice size King Snake. We had similar sightings on the return hike, plus one exciting moment when a black bear raced across the trail about 15 yards ahead of us. He run up the hill a few yards then stopped so we got a good look at him before he trotted off. That was pretty cool, but it does emphasize the point to be alert on the trail.
Final note, we stayed at Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park for two nights before and the night after our time at Bearpaw. This gave us some time to acclimate to the elevation in the park before heading to Bearpaw and still gave us great access to the trailhead (it is about a 20 minute drive from Wuksachi to the Crescent Meadow Trailhead).
We had a wonderful time in Sequoia National Park with the time in Bearpaw and the associated wonderful hikes being the highlights of the trip.
Click on an image to enter slideshow.
Silver City Mountain Resort: A peaceful retreat.
Visited August 21 - 23, 2014 (two nights); Reviewed December 29, 2014 See this review on Trip Advisor.
My wife and I stayed two nights at the Silver City Mountain Resort at the end of our trip to Sequoia National Park. We had spent the previous six nights at Wuksachi Lodge and the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp and had done over 50 miles of hiking during that time. Our original plan was to hike in the Mineral King area of the park as well, using Silver City Mountain Resort as a base, but after all the time and miles already spent on the trails we just needed a place to rest and relax. Fortunately, Silver City Mountain Resort was a great option for a couple quiet days.
We had reserved the Shooting Star Chalet, which is the newest of the chalets at the resort (I believe it was built in 2000). It was perfect for two people (it is listed to accommodate four, but I think that would be a stretch). The Shooting Star is just up the hill behind the main building, so just a short walk down to the diner. The chalet has three rooms: a large, open-concept living area and kitchen, a decent sized bedroom with a closest and a serviceable bathroom. All the comforts of home. There is a fireplace in the main room, not that we needed it during our stay. The main room is well lit due to the large windows. We found the chalet to be clean and comfortable. But what we liked the best about the accommodations were the large front porch, the side yard with the fire pit and the general location tucked in the edge of the forest. We ended up spending almost all of our time on the porch or sitting around the fire pit, just relaxing, enjoying a beer and reading (we never had a fire in the fire pit as it was plenty warm when we visited, it was just a convenient place to sit and put your feet up!).
While the chalet has a full kitchen, we opted to just eat our meals at the restaurant in the main building. Lunch and dinner on Friday as well as breakfast on Saturday were pretty quiet as there were not many other patrons in the diner, but the crowd picked up for lunch on Saturday and the place was packed on Saturday night for dinner, probably due in part to the live entertainment. Even then, we found a table right away, so we never had to wait. The service was great at each visit. In fact we overheard additional staff being called in for the rush on Saturday evening. The food was very good; we enjoyed every meal and we tried a variety of items from the menu (salads, sandwiches, burgers and steak). The pancakes we had for breakfast were wonderful. But the specialty of Silver City Mountain Resort is their pies. They will typically have 8 or 9 different pies available each day and they are all outstanding. We tried the apple, pecan, brownie and fruit-of-the-forest and they were all winners.
Due to the remote location of the resort, there are a couple of limitations. First, while there is electricity in the chalet, it runs on a schedule; the power is turned on about mid morning and it is turned off in the evening. Make sure you have a flashlight handy. Also, we never did find a 110 outlet in the chalet. Make sure that you have charged all your batteries and your phone before arriving (not that you will have any signal for the phone), either that or bring a charger that you can plug into your car. Also note that linens are not included in the cost of the lodging; guests are expected to bring their own. That is probably OK for folks within driving distance for people flying into the area that is just more baggage to carry. Linens and towels can be provided at an additional cost. But neither of these points should be a surprise as they are spelled out on the Silver City Mountain Resort website.
Keep in mind also the drive to get to Mineral King and the resort. I think it is best summed up by the slogan on a Silver City Mountain Resort hat I saw in the gift store; it read something like this: 70 minutes, 21 miles, 679 curves, 7000 feet (I may not have gotten the numbers exactly correct, but you get the drift). The road used to access the resort is not for the faint of heart. In addition to the twists and turns, it is narrow. It requires the full attention of the driver at all times.
If we ever return to the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park to do some hiking we will absolutely stay at Silver City Mountain Resort and hopefully in the Shooting Star Chalet. The location provides great access to the hiking trails as well as a comfortable place to relax. Plus is means we will only have to drive that road once each way!
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My wife and I stayed two nights at the Silver City Mountain Resort at the end of our trip to Sequoia National Park. We had spent the previous six nights at Wuksachi Lodge and the Bearpaw High Sierra Camp and had done over 50 miles of hiking during that time. Our original plan was to hike in the Mineral King area of the park as well, using Silver City Mountain Resort as a base, but after all the time and miles already spent on the trails we just needed a place to rest and relax. Fortunately, Silver City Mountain Resort was a great option for a couple quiet days.
We had reserved the Shooting Star Chalet, which is the newest of the chalets at the resort (I believe it was built in 2000). It was perfect for two people (it is listed to accommodate four, but I think that would be a stretch). The Shooting Star is just up the hill behind the main building, so just a short walk down to the diner. The chalet has three rooms: a large, open-concept living area and kitchen, a decent sized bedroom with a closest and a serviceable bathroom. All the comforts of home. There is a fireplace in the main room, not that we needed it during our stay. The main room is well lit due to the large windows. We found the chalet to be clean and comfortable. But what we liked the best about the accommodations were the large front porch, the side yard with the fire pit and the general location tucked in the edge of the forest. We ended up spending almost all of our time on the porch or sitting around the fire pit, just relaxing, enjoying a beer and reading (we never had a fire in the fire pit as it was plenty warm when we visited, it was just a convenient place to sit and put your feet up!).
While the chalet has a full kitchen, we opted to just eat our meals at the restaurant in the main building. Lunch and dinner on Friday as well as breakfast on Saturday were pretty quiet as there were not many other patrons in the diner, but the crowd picked up for lunch on Saturday and the place was packed on Saturday night for dinner, probably due in part to the live entertainment. Even then, we found a table right away, so we never had to wait. The service was great at each visit. In fact we overheard additional staff being called in for the rush on Saturday evening. The food was very good; we enjoyed every meal and we tried a variety of items from the menu (salads, sandwiches, burgers and steak). The pancakes we had for breakfast were wonderful. But the specialty of Silver City Mountain Resort is their pies. They will typically have 8 or 9 different pies available each day and they are all outstanding. We tried the apple, pecan, brownie and fruit-of-the-forest and they were all winners.
Due to the remote location of the resort, there are a couple of limitations. First, while there is electricity in the chalet, it runs on a schedule; the power is turned on about mid morning and it is turned off in the evening. Make sure you have a flashlight handy. Also, we never did find a 110 outlet in the chalet. Make sure that you have charged all your batteries and your phone before arriving (not that you will have any signal for the phone), either that or bring a charger that you can plug into your car. Also note that linens are not included in the cost of the lodging; guests are expected to bring their own. That is probably OK for folks within driving distance for people flying into the area that is just more baggage to carry. Linens and towels can be provided at an additional cost. But neither of these points should be a surprise as they are spelled out on the Silver City Mountain Resort website.
Keep in mind also the drive to get to Mineral King and the resort. I think it is best summed up by the slogan on a Silver City Mountain Resort hat I saw in the gift store; it read something like this: 70 minutes, 21 miles, 679 curves, 7000 feet (I may not have gotten the numbers exactly correct, but you get the drift). The road used to access the resort is not for the faint of heart. In addition to the twists and turns, it is narrow. It requires the full attention of the driver at all times.
If we ever return to the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park to do some hiking we will absolutely stay at Silver City Mountain Resort and hopefully in the Shooting Star Chalet. The location provides great access to the hiking trails as well as a comfortable place to relax. Plus is means we will only have to drive that road once each way!
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