Horrible gated community set up which charges you $31/car to get in (the property owner is completely up front about this - and he has no control over it). The thing that really stings is that you pay this extra money to be seriously inconvenienced. Each car takes about 3-4 minutes to process (the guest must be looked up, checked in, the license plate noted, a pass issued, directions given, etc), so on weekends there is a huge wait to get in. The last thing you want after a long drive to the Yosemite area. To top this off, if you make a wrong turn, you can easily pass through a one way gate (tire shredders prevent you from backing up). So, one wrong move, and BOOM, you're on the other side of the community, driving back along the main road to wait in line again for 30-45min to get back in (even after you receive your pass, you have to wait in this line). This happened to us with 3 cars. To top it all off, we were charged an extra $93 to have this experience. There's absolutely no need for a gated community in this remote area as far as I can tell. It seems like a racket.
Now, I rated the checkin process low not because of anything the property owner did (communication was perfectly good, and everything was as expected), but the gate check in process was pretty terrible. IMO, they are reducing the value of the properties by doing what they are there.
Now on the other hand, the place was just as advertised, and the communication with the owner was good, and the community is about 8min drive to downtown Groveland. The house was clean, though the amenities were pretty bare bones. For example, no tea or coffee, the shower gel canister was empty, no paper towels in the kitchen, etc. Not a big deal, but the AirBnB we stayed a couple of days later in the area had lots of thoughtful touches. It makes a small difference.
However, if you're looking for a clean place to stay, this is it. It's near the lake, and there's plenty of parking. Communication with the property owner was good.
I really feel the hassle of the gate (and the extra costs) were a significant downside and ought to have been reflected in the price. Other properties in Groveland cost about the same, but don't come with the issues.
