A Wheelchair Guide to Tenaya Lodge
Sometimes writing a wheelchair accessible review is tricky. I want to highlight the accessible, but still warn against the inaccessible, and make sure I give a thorough review so that families traveling with a wheelchair know what to expect.
Tenaya Lodge is my easiest review to date (LEGOLAND’s Pirate Island Hotel takes a close second). It is the most barrier-free environment that we’ve visited – which is why I thought it needed to be shared with you.
Explorer Cabins
These are what lead me to contacting Tenaya in the first place. Unique lodging experiences are rarely accessible. When I found wheelchair accessible cabins just outside of Yosemite National Park, I wanted in! You can get a family cabin with bunks, or a more traditional two-bedroom. The cabins have their own sitting areas (with a pullout couch) and kitchen basics (microwave, fridge, and wet bar), but you can also hang out in the community lounge or at the community firepits. You’ll have all of the access to the lodge amenities, with the privacy and views of a cabin in the woods. All of these options are fully wheelchair accessible!
We didn’t end up staying in the cabins, so I can’t rave about the roll in showers or decks with a view, but you can check out the floor plans here.
The Lodge Rooms
The ADA room itself had plenty of space to navigate. The roll in shower had handles at the right heights and a layout that made sense. The bathroom doors were sliding barn doors with easy access handles (you know what I’m talking about). They had an ADA height thermostat, peephole, and door latch.
This is one of the few places we’ve stayed that didn’t have any goofy accessibility slips (like doors that swing the wrong direction). Mobility was seamless.
The rooms do not have microwaves, but they can be requested for dietary needs.
Amenities
With four pools, a full-service spa, game room, child and pet sitting services (Not together! Ha!), guided tours, archery, a climbing wall, an on-site adventure course, a variety of outdoor games, six different dining options, retail shops, ice skating, snowshoeing, and more, this is the type of place that I would typically recommend as a destination on it’s own. Obviously, I would not recommend staying this close to Yosemite and not doing the park, but staying here is like getting two destinations in on one trip!
The indoor pool, hot tub, and all of the outdoor pools had a chair lift. The kiddie pool was ramped.
Swim diapers are available for free at the entrance of the indoor pool. There’s a nice size nursing room in the women’s locker room.
The game room didn’t seem to have any accommodations built in, but there were no games that my son couldn’t reach from his chair.
We ended up running out of time for archery, but they were happy to accommodate us with a wheelchair user.
All of the dining options had accessible entrances and seating. There were great options both indoor and out. The restaurants vary from Pizza at Timberloft to fine dining at Embers. The BBQ had the best atmosphere with it’s outdoor setup, bonfires, hanging lights, and live music.
I’m not even sure what else to highlight, because for once nothing stood out as inaccessible. There was no point during our stay that we got stuck or that Jaden had to get out of his chair to do something (obviously we didn’t rent bikes or use the rock wall).
We didn’t find anything that was difficult to enter or exit independently.
Yosemite
Why am I mentioning the National Park as part of my Tenaya Lodge accessibility review? Because Tenaya also helps wheelchair users to experience the park.
The lodge has wheelchairs available for rent to take into Yosemite for your self-guided tour.
You can also book a wheelchair accessible guided tour on a retractable-roof bus. We loved the Junior Explorer Tour because it was aimed at the kids and kept them engaged. They even earned their Junior Ranger badges at the end! Just make sure you let them know in advance that you’re traveling with a wheelchair, so they can set you up on the right bus!
Feel Good About Doing Good
Tenaya Lodge is also a Do Good hotel. That means your vacation money is working to make a difference. Go and Do Good good shares:
Tenaya Lodge is a major supporter of local charitable causes. Tenaya Lodge‘s focus is dedicated to strengthening the communities where employees live, work and care for their families. Their charitable contributions are focused in the counties of Mariposa, Madera and Merced. Their giving areas focus on public education, community development, at-risk youth and diversity. In addition, Tenaya Lodge is a member of the Green Hotels Association and has earned a Five Key rating from Green Key Global. With a setting as spectacular as the Yosemite Sierra, Tenaya Lodge is committed to preserving resources and minimizing footprints on this natural treasure.
Go and Do Good
This was a great trip for us because we didn’t have to think about navigating any obstacles. Tenaya made it easy to get around, to see the park, and to enjoy the endless lodge amenities.
If you’re looking to build your California road trip itinerary, check out my guide on nearby Sequoia and Kings National Parks! Or head out a little farther with these accessible California road trip suggestions. You can also check out these other accessible National Parks.
