Let’s be honest. Summer in LA means one thing: everyone you know is either at the airport or complaining about being at the airport. Between the TSA lines, the surge-priced Ubers, and the group chat competition of who has a longer flight delay, sometimes the best getaway is the one you don’t need a boarding pass for. Enter Yosemite: no flight, no security line, no 5am airport alarm, and no $13 coffee. It’s the reset your nervous system has been begging for, and we found the spot where checking in to the hotel is the start of the R&R, not just a pit stop on the way to the park.
If you’re looking for the getaway to actually book and not just keep in that saved folder on Instagram, this is it: Rush Creek Lodge & Spa, perched minutes from the park entrance at 34001 Highway 120 in Groveland, close enough to feel like Yosemite’s front porch, but polished enough that “roughing it” is never actually on the agenda. You want the nature and the unplugged adventure, sure, but you also want a good pool, a spa day, and somewhere that doesn’t sacrifice comfort. Bonus: this is the lodge’s tenth summer in business, so there’s an extra layer of celebration woven into the season with 10 weeks of fun surprises and special programming through Labor Day!
Where to Stay
The proximity to Yosemite is why most guests book – but Rush Creek makes just as strong a case for never leaving the property. The 143 rooms, suites, and hillside villas (with stunning sunset views) lean contemporary-rustic. Villas are the move for groups or extra space; standard rooms keep that same rustic-luxe DNA in a cozier footprint. We might argue that the best part of our stay was sipping coffee on the private villa balcony watching the sunrise, or sipping a glass of chardonnay while watching the sunset, either way, you literally can’t go wrong with a mountain view like that
Amenities include a *more-intense-than-you-would-expect* zipline, rock climbing wall, and massive slide in an outdoor play area (yes, its for adults too!); a game room; bike and paddleboard rentals; a pool that makes you forget you’re near a national park at all; free nightly s’mores by the fire pit, and so much more. There’s also rotating programming throughout your stay – think yoga sessions and pool workouts – plus a proper Spa Day if you want to build a whole day around unwinding. No hidden resort fees, either!
For the tenth anniversary, guests spin a “Wheel of Fortune” for merch at check-in, and ten lucky parties get a free night on the house. And with 10 weeks of anniversary programming running all summer, there was genuinely something fun happening on property most days we visited. Be sure to check the full calendar of events.
Where to Relax
Rush Creek Spa, the newest spa resort in Yosemite, is built for doing absolutely nothing. Every detail mimics the park: the Aromatherapy Steam Room and Himalayan Salt Block Sauna recreate the warmth of a summer hike, while the Cool Mist Room and Warm Waterfall Coves mimic standing at the base of a waterfall. One of our favorite little luxuries was the loose leaf tea station, where we blended our own chamomile-hibiscus tea to sip on during the visit. If you get lucky on select days, there’s also occasional complimentary workshops with Spa Day Use including bath salt making, aromatherapy blending, face yoga, and mindful stretching!
Where to Eat and Drink
The location even has you covered for dining and is known among the locals as some of the best bites in the area! Think California lodge cuisine: hearty, seasonal, and exactly what you want after a day on the trails. There’s a proper restaurant for sit-down dinners and a laid-back tavern, both serving up the same delicious menu – we tried both spots and left obsessed with the burger and Caesar salad, easily top three burgers of our lives! The onsite general store covers snacks and provisions to grab before a big hike, and “Spirit of Adventure” pop-up bars during the anniversary celebration pour Cutty Sark cocktails-for-a-cause alongside gear loaners all summer. The restaurant is also open for breakfast, with a yummy hot buffet served on select days – the perfect fuel before a big day.
What To Do
This is still Yosemite, so the main event is Yosemite — Rush Creek’s guided excursion program handles everything from waterfall hikes to overnight backpacking and even airplane rides over the park. But the lodge itself is a destination this summer too, with anniversary installations: a short-form video, a ten-stop property tour with QR-code stories from the designers, and a photo wall of guest memories. Kids turning 10 during the anniversary season get a complimentary glass-blowing session. And if your trip lands over Labor Day Weekend, it all builds to a grand poolside party – barbecue, live entertainment, snow cones, and just enough chaos.
We swapped hiking boots for two wheels through Yosemite Valley, and it’s officially our new favorite way to take in the park. A quick dip in the Merced River after summiting Upper Yosemite Falls was the exact right amount of adventure – enough to earn the ache in our legs, not so much we couldn’t still enjoy it. And ending the day at the Spa? Non-negotiable. The kind of full-circle moment that makes you understand why people build entire trips around this place.
The Real Appeal
Yosemite doesn’t need to try hard to impress you, the scenery does the work. What Rush Creek adds is ease and a touch of luxury: no stuffy room, no cold hospitality, no jet lag, just a stay that turns into a decompression session without even leaving the property. This summer, the better flex might just be telling people your getaway didn’t require a single boarding pass.
Imagery Courtesy of Rush Creek Lodge and Spa
