Main Plaza
The Main Plaza is the central courtyard that joins all of our communal spaces, including the Main Lodge, Recreation Center and Tuolumne Hall. With its varied facilities, the Main Plaza is a hub of activity both day and night.
Main Plaza
The plaza’s 1,200 square foot Sun Deck provides a great spot for guests to relax and unwind. The deck offers a wonderful outdoor setting for reading a book, playing a game, enjoying a glass of wine or stargazing.
Across the plaza from the Sun Deck is one of our kids play areas. The plaza play area was designed by Ron Holthuysen of Scientific Art Studio and features a large natural sandbox with plenty of sand toys and three Native American Miwok teepees (called Umachas). These 10′ bark tee pees were hand constructed with material from fallen trees on our property. Kids love this unique play area, and parents can enjoy various plaza amenities while their kids play safely in sight.
The Main Plaza also features a grand outdoor stone fireplace. The fireplace is a frequent venue for our evening s’mores, popular with kids and adults. The sitting area at the fireplace offers a cozy setting any time of year.
In one corner of the plaza is our idyllic open-air covered dining patio. The patio, which is connected to our Main Lodge, allows guests to dine al fresco in a covered, heated space with views to the plaza and the woods.
The plaza also offers ping pong tables, a favorite of both kids and adults, and a variety of other sitting areas and hang-out spots for guests to enjoy.
The Main Plaza is at times used for special occasions and events, including wedding receptions of all sizes.
Recreation Center
The Recreation Center is the preferred spot for guests to relax and unwind (outside of the tavern) and is the center of all recreation planning and evening activities at the lodge. Plush leather couches, chairs, and tables fill this comfortable space, which features a 20′ vaulted ceiling and exposed timber posts. Walls are lined with large maps, historic artwork, and shelves of books and games. An indoor/outdoor fireplace crackles away in evenings and during colder months, and air conditioning cools the space during our hotter months.
For those needing to stay connected, phones, and Wi-Fi are provided for guest use free of charge.
We designed the space to accommodate many other uses including:
- Playing board games, building puzzles, reading or just hanging out
- Making s’mores or participating in other kid’s programs
- Talking to our recreation experts and learning about our Guided Recreation Program
- Accessing maps and handouts of the Yosemite area
The Recreation Center is also the ideal place to plan your Yosemite area adventures. Our Recreation Staff is available daily from 8 AM to 8 PM to answer Yosemite-related questions and to help you book guided hiking, biking, fly fishing and other recreation trips.
We’ve assembled a library of guidebooks and other relevant outdoor/adventure books, maps, and photos for guest use. We also offer handouts with “off the beaten path” excursions that showcase the best of Yosemite and the surrounding area.
During the holiday season, the Recreation Center becomes our living room complete with Christmas tree, presents, and stockings for kids hung by the fireplace.
Tuolumne Hall
Across the Main Plaza from the Recreation Center is Tuolumne Hall, the Evergreen’s game room and theater. This beautiful structure features a 20′ vaulted ceiling and a dramatic 10′ high window with views to the stars, as well as walls covered with historic photos.
Tuolumne Hall offers a variety of activities for guests of all ages, including:
- A parlor game area with pool table, shuffleboard, and foosball
- A fun, colorful toddler play zone
- Board games, game tables, and an arts & crafts area
- Comfortable sitting areas
For those needing to stay connected, satellite Internet, and Wi-Fi are provided for guest use free of charge. Due to our mountain location, we are only able to provide internet access via satellite, which is limited in speed and bandwidth.
While most of the time guests enjoy Tuolumne Hall as they please, space is also the location of a number of our organized activities, including crafts programs, parlor game tournaments and bingo nights.
Tuolumne Hall’s side room features an intimate 25-seat theater. The theater is the venue for several of our complimentary evening activities, including naturalist slide shows and guest speakers.
Tuolumne Hall is at times transformed into a dedicated event hall for holiday celebrations, larger live music performances, and certain private functions.
General Store & Gift Shop
At our General Store & Gift Shop, located adjacent to our Reception Desk, we’ve tried to think of everything you might want or need during your stay.
We offer a great selection of gifts and souvenirs, including apparel, historic artwork, locally made crafts, photographs from award-winning photographer, Robb Hirsh, Yosemite memorabilia, nature books and cool kid’s items. Many of these gift items are made by local artisans, so you can feel good about supporting the local community.
We also offer everything you could want for a day exploring Yosemite. If you’re hitting the road early, you can grab a latte and fresh breakfast items in the morning. We offer all the fixings for trail lunches and picnics, including freshly made deli sandwiches, trail mix, cheeses, fresh fruit, chips, snacks and freshly baked desserts. We also have maps, books and other Yosemite reference material.
After your day’s adventure, stop back in to pick up happy hour supplies, including a broad selection of beer and wine, or bring the family by for our freshly made soft serve gelato or a candy treat.
If you forgot something at home, or lost something along the way, don’t worry! We stock a variety of sundries, including toothpaste, suntan lotion, batteries and more. We also carry outdoor items and toys, including water bottles, walking sticks, nature exploration kits and stuffed animals.
Come on in and have a look around!