Half Dome Reviews

“Looking for a rustic, comfortable dwelling with all amenities of home, in a beautiful setting with great views? THIS IS IT. Our family of 7 plus 1 friend (8 total) wanted to see Yosemite on our family vacation. In searching for lodging, we were referred to these owners by another facility that was already booked for our dates. We spoke with both Rick and Annie on several occasions and booked the Half Dome View (HDV) house. Being inside the boundaries of the park is a huge plus, as far as not having to deal with entry traffic, as we were staying for 5 nights. HDV was a great base of operations for our day trips exploring the marvelous diversity of flora, fauna, geology, and beauty of Yosemite. However, my review focuses on the hosts/homeowners. After patiently and completely answering all our questions, both before and after we confirmed and paid for HDV rental, the owners also offered helpful advice on many details of how to make our visit more efficient and enjoyable. The morning after our 3rd night, our party split up for the day, with 3 of us going to Tenaya Lake while the other 5 went hiking to North Dome. We 3 returned early and 30 minutes later were startled by a neighbor banging on the door, informing us that an out-of-control fire was rapidly coming up the mountain behind our house and we might want to pack up some things in case we were ordered to evacuate. We went into hyperdrive, grabbing everything in sight, throwing it in our car. As the afternoon sun on this cloudless day was blacked out by the billowing smoke behind the house, and the exhortations of “We need to go!” from my wife became more frequent and urgent, we jumped in our car and made our exit. In a remarkable “coincidence”, as we approached the roadblock at the main road, we saw our kids, who had arrived there about 3 minutes previously, totally unaware of the situation. All this happened in a 30-45 minute time frame, and as we were exiting the park itself, we received a communication from Annie urgently wanting to know if we were OK. Learning that we were safely outside the park and headed home two days early, she gave us assurances that they would do whatever they could to salvage the things we left behind and refund unused nights. Although they were not allowed to see their house for 6 more days, they kept in contact with us, handling all our concerns. THESE PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THEIR RENTERS! THANK YOU SO MUCH, RICK AND ANNIE!”=

“The cabin was perfect, and close to my favorite part of the trip. The view from the front deck rivaled those throughout the park. It was clean, quiet, & serene. We were able to get down to the valley in about 20 minutes, which meant we could do morning hikes, siesta, and then head back out for afternoon/evening hikes. We watched the sun come up over the peaks in view, then had a treat when the sky cleared enough one night to see the moon rise as well. The wifi in the cabin allows email, but not much else, which was perfect for us since we could respond to emergencies but not get pulled back into the usual social media temptations. The layout is great – two bedrooms and then an open loft that has an additional 3 beds. It was lovely.

“My family (husband, 19 and 23 year old kids, and I) had a wonderful and relaxing week at this Yosemite West property. I would totally recommend this property to friends and relatives who are interested in experiencing Yosemite. The owners’ description and photos were 100% accurate, and the property was clean and well-maintained. I spoke with the owner-Annie- on the phone and via email several times and she was extremely friendly and helpful (in terms of what to see/do before, during, and after our visit to Yosemite). The house location is ideal – especially for the west end of the park – including Glacier Point (an especially awesome area to hike and star gaze). The neighborhood is very quiet and easily accessible. The kitchen had everything we needed, so we never ended up eating out. The grill worked very well – something we have had little luck with in other places we have stayed. While we brought in all of our groceries from several hours away, I was pleasantly surprised to find the Village store in Yosemite Valley fully stocked and not crazy over the top expensive (though you would not want to do the bulk of your shopping there). It’s great for picking up odds and ends and highly perishable products like milk and cheese. Our plan was to hike every day – and this we did. There are hikes for everyone, but I would highly recommend the North Dome trail and Cathedral Lake trail in the Tuolumne area, the trails to Sentinel Dome and Taft Point in Glacier Point, and the Valley Floor trail in Yosemite Valley. We also enjoyed cooling off in the Merced River at Cathedral Beach near the base of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley and at Tenaya Lake in the Tuolumne area. We used the travel guides we brought with us plus the several that were already at the house to plan our days and learn many good facts about the park. The tours that are available through the park are very expensive and crowded, and with a good book about Yosemite you can do your own tour at your own pace and learn just as much. We did use the free shuttle system in the Valley – which at first is really confusing – until you realize that there are three different shuttles that run on essentially the same roadways – so you just have to know the exact bus you need to get on and how often they run. Half-way through our week-long stay we realized that we would have to come back there is so much to do! This trip was one of the best experiences we have ever had-and we travel a great deal!”———-Amy from White Hall

“It was wonderful to have so much space, the terrific view off the deck and the amenities, although this is an older home. Tips for travelers: read rental car instructions so you know how to downshift BEFORE driving in the mountains. If coming from San Francisco, we highly recommend the last full service grocery, Raley’s in Oakdale, CA which has coolers, a café for lunch and a Valero gas next door. The Village Store in the Valley has most options but at a much higher price, as is the gas at Wawona ($4.989 vs. $3.899 at Valero). There is a large stock of laundry, dish detergent and dishwasher soap on hand as of June 28, 2014 and the toilet paper is SINGLE ply due to septic. Two of the three bears we saw were in the subdivision so heed instructions. Our favorite trip was the hike to Sentinal Dome (two 60+ couch potatoes made it by taking our time), but wading in the South Fork of the Merced at Wawona Swinging Bridge was so much fun that we did it twice. Our daughters highly recommend Mountaineering School instructor Mark for the Anchors class and thought that a private instructor for Crag class would have been worth the extra if you are somewhat experienced. The hike to lower Vernal Falls is definitely moderate, NOT easy, as it is a non-stop 40 degree climb. Once again the couch potatoes made it by taking our time. All in all, a trip of a lifetime and we so enjoyed retreating from the noise and crowds of the Valley to this house each evening.”———- Janet from Richmond, Vermont

“Shade Grove was the perfect place for our couples get away. The location to the valley could not have been better for us and hikes we wanted to tackle. The surrounding areas of the cabin were absolutely beautiful to explore as well; with a creek just steps away. Home was clean and everything fresh. A couple of notes: there is no oven, there is a two burner stove and microwave and of course the propane grill, you can make it all work I was just expecting to be able to roast some items but like I said we made the adjustments and it all worked out fine. There is also a window a/c unit, it is pretty loud/rattles. We only needed to use it once to cool the cabin down but the rest of the time it was cool enough to just have the windows open. The booking was easy and working with Annie couldn’t have been more pleasurable. She allowed me to ask as many questions as needed before my booking. The directions to the cabin were spot on! We would return to this cabin for sure!”———–Heather Bennett

“A group of friends and I stayed here for two nights. It is VERY close to glacier point, we had a surprise snow and they closed the road down though. However the snow view from the deck was beautiful and Tunnel View was like 10 minutes away. Plenty of towels, soap and a very stocked kitchen. Loved the smell of the wood in the home and there was lots of room for sleeping. We fit 7 people with plenty of space left. The huge kitchen table was awesome, we made a big dinner and it was so nice to have everyone sitting around a table together. The next day was sunny and sipping on coffee and enjoying the view of the mountains was marvelous. Highly recommend this place. Was happy the wifi was not working :)” ———–Jeff Miller

“We just returned from a wonderful 4 night stay at this Half Dome view cabin. The cabin is very spacious and fully furnished. We were happily surprised about the kitchen, as it had everything you could possibly need, including seasonings/spices, small appliances, tons of plates, silverware etc. The front deck was a perfect spot for evening drinks and star gazing. We spent most of our time hiking and biking, and Annie was so helpful in getting us connected with the bike rental shop. Our original reservation was for 3 adults and a small child. At the last minute, we had an extra guest who decided to come along for part of our stay. Annie was so gracious about the last minute change in reservation. We would definitely stay here again, and recommend it highly! The owners take really good care of the cabin and the outdoor space. They are easy to work with and very accommodating. We also enjoying looking at their personal art collection hung on the walls.”