I’m not sure if it’s missing the midwest snow, dreaming of mountains, or too many Hallmark movies that take place in lodges, but I’ve always wanted to spend the holidays at a mountain lodge. After staying at Tenaya Lodge near Yosemite, I see why; it’s magical!

The first thing you notice as you drive through the Sierra National Forest and enter Tenaya, are the glowing lights of the lodge and the gigantic welcoming fireplace outside. But walking into the main lobby takes your breath away. The tall wooden beam ceilings and cozy chairs around another fireplace make you immediately feel right at home. And if you come for the holidays, you’re greeted by a GIGANTIC Christmas tree and decorations that make the place look like Santa’s dream home!

The lodge offers all types of rooms; from suites to cabins, and basic to luxury. In the same way, there are FIVE different restaurants to choose from; the family-friendly Timberloft Pizzeria to the upscale Embers Restaurant you can choose your level of luxury.

Speaking of luxury…the Ascent Spa. They have a full range of Spa experiences but even without booking a massage or facial, all guests can enjoy the sauna and steam room.

And if you’re like me, and prefer adventure, they have that too! One of the benefits of being outside the national park is that they can offer things like mountain biking and horseback riding. The resort offers daytime and nighttime guided hikes, archery, a climbing wall, and an ice skating rink in the winter.

We opted for a little bit of extra adventure and were set up with a jeep tour from Sierra Nevada Motorsports. There was so much excitement packed into a few hours and it was a great way to see the area! We stopped and did a quick hike into Nelder Groove to see the massive Bull Buck Sequoia tree, checked out the Bass Lake Vista and hung out on giant granite overlooks, and…took a pretty sketchy road along a gorge for some extra adrenaline. The tour we took was fully guided and Brandon gave us so much amazing information along the way.

Tenaya Lodge offers so many incredible amenities that it’s the perfect place to stay whether you want a starting point to head in and explore Yosemite National Park, or you want to stay in and enjoy mountain luxury all in one place. Personally, I loved being outside of the park. Yosemite Valley gets extremely busy and full of traffic and it was so nice to have a quiet mountain lodge to return to at the end of the day. I can’t wait to head back and check out one of their brand new Explorer Cabins! So whether you come for the holiday season or any time of year, Tenaya Lodge will have plenty of mountain magic waiting for you!

With festive décor, holiday workshops and snow play on-site, Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite does the holidays so well! Visit TenayaLodge.com. Watch the video below to explore more of Tenaya Lodge and see how much I freaked out on the Jeep Tour.