Under Canvas opens at Yosemite

Under Canvas has opened its first California camp near Yosemite, adding a new high-end lodging option just outside one of the country’s busiest national parks. (undercanvas.com) The company said the property opened April 16 on 85 forested acres in the Sierra Nevada and will operate through October 26 for its first season. It is Under Canvas’s 13th camp nationwide. (undercanvas.com) Under Canvas said rates start at $314 a night before taxes and fees, and reservations are already open for both the 2026 and 2027 seasons. The company’s Yosemite page lists 2027 operating dates of April 15 through October 25. (undercanvas.com 1) (undercanvas.com 2) A DarkSky approval is a certification for lodging that limits light pollution, the artificial brightening of the night sky from outdoor lighting. DarkSky International said Under Canvas Yosemite is the first DarkSky Approved Lodging location in California. (darksky.org 1) (darksky.org 2) That pitch fits Yosemite’s market. The National Park Service says nearly 75% of Yosemite visits come during May through October, the same stretch when this camp is open. (nps.gov) The camp is aimed at travelers who want park access without staying deep inside Yosemite Valley. Under Canvas says the site is about 10 minutes from the park’s west entrance, and a Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System stop sits directly across from the camp. (undercanvas.com 1) (undercanvas.com 2) That bus link is seasonal on Highway 120 West. The National Park Service says the Big Oak Flat stop connects Groveland, Buck Meadows and Yosemite Valley, and YARTS says Highway 120 is the main northern approach from the Bay Area and Northern California. (nps.gov) (yarts.com) Under Canvas and travel outlets describe the property a little differently, which is common in early launch material. Company pages say 85 acres, while AFAR and Yahoo Travel described roughly 80 acres and 70 to 71 safari-style tents. (undercanvas.com) (afar.com) (travel.yahoo.com) The opening also extends Under Canvas’s strategy of building safari-style camps near marquee parks rather than inside them. Its current lineup includes camps near Zion, Glacier, Moab, Yellowstone, Acadia and the Grand Canyon, with Yosemite now filling the California gap. (undercanvas.com) For Yosemite visitors, the immediate change is simple: a new tented resort is now taking bookings for spring-through-fall stays, selling stargazing and easier west-side access as the main draw. (undercanvas.com) (darksky.org)