Under Canvas Yosemite Opens

Under Canvas Yosemite has opened near the park’s west side as California’s first DarkSky Approved resort. (latimes.com) The camp opened April 16, 2026, on 85 acres in the Sierra Nevada and is Under Canvas’s first California location and 13th camp overall. It has 71 safari-style tents and sits near Yosemite’s Big Oak Flat entrance. (undercanvas.com) Its first season runs through October 26, 2026, and the company says bookings for both 2026 and 2027 are already on sale. Rates start at $314 a night before taxes and fees. (markets.businessinsider.com) DarkSky Approved lodging is a certification for overnight stays in places with unusually clear night skies and outdoor lighting designed to limit glare and sky glow. DarkSky International says certified properties go through review, regular reporting, and periodic recertification. (darksky.org) DarkSky International says the lodging program is meant for sites where guests can regularly access the night sky and, in some cases, see the Milky Way. The group says certified operators also have to provide guests with information about night-sky conservation. (darksky.org) Under Canvas Yosemite says it built the camp around reduced light pollution and guest education, then paired that with programming like campfires, live music, yoga, and guided outings. DarkSky International listed the property as certified on March 26, 2026. (undercanvas.com) (darksky.org) The location also fits a familiar Yosemite travel problem: where to stay outside the park and still get in without much driving. Under Canvas says a Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System stop sits directly across from the camp for visitors who want to reach the park without a car. (undercanvas.com) Yosemite remains one of the country’s signature park destinations, with waterfalls, giant sequoias, granite cliffs, and nearly 1,200 square miles of protected landscape. The National Park Service says camping and lodging there require advance planning because demand is high. (nps.gov) For travelers looking at Yosemite this spring and summer, the pitch is simple: sleep outside the park, keep the lights low, and look up after dark. Reservations are open now, but the inaugural season ends October 26. (latimes.com)