Coarsegold, California
Location: 23 miles (37 km) from Yosemite entrance; 53 miles (85 km) from Yosemite Valley;
via Highway 41 (map)
Population: 7,501
Elevation 2,200 feet (670 meters)
Coarsegold, born as a mining boom town after gold was discovered here in 1849, is now an architecturally inauspicious strip of merchants in a narrow corridor along Highway 41, a little over twenty miles from Yosemite's south entrance. A handful of lodging options are scattered around the area, most prominently the Chukchansi Gold Resort, an immense Indian hotel and casino easily visible from the highway a few miles south of town. The Ravensbrook Bed & Breakfast, in the hills just north of town, gets outstanding reviews on TripAdvisor.
Gas & Groceries: Two gas station/mini marts are here, a Shell and a Kwik Serv (sic), as well as the Coarsegold Market, a grocery store that's not much larger than your conventional quickie mart. There are two full-sized grocery stores and several more gas stations in Oakhurst, another seven miles up the road.
ATM Machines: The local Yosemite Bank branch has one, as does the Kwik Serv gas station.
Coffee Emergencies: Zanders Coffee sells a variety of teas and espresso.
Tire Chains: Available at Napa Auto Parts.
YARTS Stops: At the Coarsegold Market going and the Coarsegold Historic Village returning (see the going to Yosemite and returning from Yosemite schedules)
Coarsegold Lodging
Chukchansi Gold Resort
711 Lucky Lane · (866) 794-6946 · Reviews · Website
Indian-owned hotel, casino, and spa; 400+ hotel rooms; $135 - $300*
Ravensbrook Bed & Breakfast
37621 Ravensbrook Way · (559) 683-4792 · Reviews · Website
Two-guest-room bed & breakfast on a four-acre property; $255 - $285*
Yosemite RV Resort
34094 Highway 41 · (866) 862-4059 · Reviews · Website · $45 - $480*
30-acre site with cabins, yurts, tent sites, and RV sites; pool, free Wi-Fi; pets allowed in some accommodations (extra fee)