The Bear Retreat features everything a family of up to four needs for a great home base for a visit to Yosemite. The owner has attended to all the details - utensils, extra linens, even a small library of books and maps about Yosemite. The property is very clean, air conditioned (a must in the summer!) with all needed appliances and an on-site laundry. A large supermarket, gas station (another must in this area!) and pharmacy, as well as several restaurants, are within a five-minute drive.

The owner is extremely responsive to questions, and, in fact, called us during the major fires that swept this area three weeks before our trip to update us on the situation. This really put our minds at ease.

The property is located about 45 minutes from the Yosemite entrance, and about an hour from the Yosemite Valley, if you leave early. If you leave later (arriving at the park after 10am in the summer) it doesn't matter where you stay; three-hour traffic jams getting into the park are common in the summer. There are closer hotels but those places don't have access to the gas, groceries, etc. that you get at the Bear Retreat. And the drive is beautiful, along the Merced River in the heart of Gold Rush country.

If you are traveling to Yosemite, the Bear Retreat is an affordable option for a family, in a great location, with an owner who goes out of her way to make your comfort a priority.