Highlights
- Hospitable resort in stunning location
- Super pool, restaurant, and bar
- Good selection of rooms, suites & villas
- Beautiful wilderness views
Start planning your tailor-made trip by calling one of our specialists on 0203 291 2907
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Rush Creek Lodge, sister property to the nearby Evergreen Lodge, is an extensive resort adjacent to the iconic Yosemite National Park in California, USA. Built in 2016, this property sits amidst 20 acres of hills and woodland, half a mile from the park’s main western entrance and approximately 3 hours’ drive from San Francisco along scenic Highway 120, the most direct route to Yosemite from the Bay area. The lodge offers 143 rooms, suites and villas, along with a restaurant, tavern, fabulous outdoor pool, a host of activities and year-round access to the national park. It is a great bet for lovers of the outdoors seeking contemporary, comfortable accommodation and great facilities in a stunning natural environment. Like Evergreen Lodge, Rush Creek provides warmth and genuine hospitality, along with an equally strong social and environmental ethos.
Communal areas are spacious and airy, with a blend of contemporary and rustic design. The substantial lodge restaurant is open for breakfast and dinner, serving classic American fare using seasonal ingredients. The Tavern is a relaxed, atmospheric bar and diner, offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Big TV screens show sports events by day, and there are regular live music and karaoke evenings as well. Outside is a superb heated saltwater swimming pool plus two hot tubs and a fire pit. The poolside bar and terrace are decked with comfy lounge chairs and sun umbrellas. Snacks and drinks are served throughout the day, and evening barbeques held throughout summer. There’s also a well-stocked general store and gift shop, massage and yoga studios, and a computer lounge on site. Complimentary Wi-Fi is available in the main areas.
Activities include guided and independent hikes through Yosemite’s scenic wilderness, cycling, fishing, yoga, stargazing, white water rafting and wine tasting. Guided excursions are available for all fitness levels.
The accommodation comprises 143 well-appointed lodge rooms, suites and hillside villas spread out across the resort, all boasting a private veranda overlooking the tranquil forest, and many with wonderful sunset views. Lodge rooms accommodate up to four guests in either two double beds, or a double and one sofa bed, with an ensuite bathroom with shower, and a small lounge area leading onto the veranda. Suites are larger, and sleep four guests, with one king-size bedroom, a separate lounge with fireplace and a double sofa bed, plus a spacious bathroom with walk-in shower.
The generously-proportioned, air-conditioned villas sleep up to four guests. Each villa has a large bathroom with walk-in shower, a king-size master bedroom, and a lounge with fireplace and sofa bed. The two-bed villas are the largest option; sleeping up to six guests, these spacious units have a second bedroom with king-size or twin beds, and a large bathroom with bathtub and separate shower.
All rooms, suites and villas are equipped with internet radio, but no TV. All come with hot drink facilities, a fridge, iPod dock, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Wheelchair accessible rooms are also available.
Children are hugely welcome at Rush Creek. Facilities include an indoor games room filled with board games, toys, and a bespoke tree house, plus an outdoor playground, zip lines, rope swings, and table tennis. Child friendly activities include wilderness talks, nature crafts, and campfires.
We had such a good holiday. You did a fantastic job!
The house in Marrakesh was ridiculous. We effectively had it to ourselves. The accommodation was borderline palatial.
I actually think that the time we had in Marrakesh was sufficient. We could potentially have done a day by a pool but I think we’d done enough souk-ing by the end of Day Two.
The hotel in the mountains was a shade more rustic than I was expecting, but all great fun. Stunning views. The guide / mule / cook team were excellent and our guide (Hassan) tailored the treks to our capabilities well. He was superb, and really made an effort with the kids. The second and third day of trekking were particularly good. Such an adventure for the kids.
All the logistics worked seamlessly. Every aspect went like clockwork. Top marks. The advice on tipping was also much appreciated (I hate thinking that I’m getting mugged off or am potentially not giving enough…).
From my seven-year-old son:
I thought it was GREAT. The food was amazing and the culture was very interesting. My favourite bit was scrambling up rocks in the Atlas Mountains.
In retrospect, I’d probably do the trip in reverse. Flopping on the roof terrace after the rigours of the mountains would have been even more satisfying.
Henry O
reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains
on 05 June 2025
We just wanted to thank you for an absolutely amazing holiday. Everything went exactly to plan and we were blown away with the quality of the guides, transport and accommodation. The itinerary was perfect for our family with a great mix of guided and free days and the different destinations complemented each other well. We will definitely be using Tourdust again for our next trip! Particular highlights were the Ha Long Bay cruise, Hanoi, and the morning cycle tour in Siam Reap
Jane P
reviewing Complete Vietnam For Families
on 14 May 2025
We had an extraordinary time. It was magical and we couldn't hav asked or hoped for more. Thank you both so much for all of your time and assistance.
Emma M
reviewing Best of Botswana for Families
on 18 November 2024
We had such a good holiday. You did a fantastic job!
The house in Marrakesh was ridiculous. We effectively had it to ourselves. The accommodation was borderline palatial.
I actually think that the time we had in Marrakesh was sufficient. We could potentially have done a day by a pool but I think we’d done enough souk-ing by the end of Day Two.
The hotel in the mountains was a shade more rustic than I was expecting, but all great fun. Stunning views. The guide / mule / cook team were excellent and our guide (Hassan) tailored the treks to our capabilities well. He was superb, and really made an effort with the kids. The second and third day of trekking were particularly good. Such an adventure for the kids.
All the logistics worked seamlessly. Every aspect went like clockwork. Top marks. The advice on tipping was also much appreciated (I hate thinking that I’m getting mugged off or am potentially not giving enough…).
From my seven-year-old son:
I thought it was GREAT. The food was amazing and the culture was very interesting. My favourite bit was scrambling up rocks in the Atlas Mountains.
In retrospect, I’d probably do the trip in reverse. Flopping on the roof terrace after the rigours of the mountains would have been even more satisfying.
Henry O
reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains
on 05 June 2025
We just wanted to thank you for an absolutely amazing holiday. Everything went exactly to plan and we were blown away with the quality of the guides, transport and accommodation. The itinerary was perfect for our family with a great mix of guided and free days and the different destinations complemented each other well. We will definitely be using Tourdust again for our next trip! Particular highlights were the Ha Long Bay cruise, Hanoi, and the morning cycle tour in Siam Reap
Jane P
reviewing Complete Vietnam For Families
on 14 May 2025
We had an extraordinary time. It was magical and we couldn't hav asked or hoped for more. Thank you both so much for all of your time and assistance.
Emma M
reviewing Best of Botswana for Families
on 18 November 2024
We had an amazing experience - absolutely loved it.
Mohamed and Said were great and very patient especially with me going downhill - was quite nervous about the scree slopes and paths.Will be a trip we remember forever
Maritta B
reviewing Atlas Valleys & Villages Trek - Value
on 11 November 2024
I would like to say a massive thank you for organising our Vietnam trip. The itinerary and execution were superb, as was the attention to detail. I would also like to thank the agent who was on the end of my whats app chat (I have no idea who they were!) – always available, always quick to respond, and kept me updated regarding times etc. Also, the guides Dan (north) and Tien (mid) were just excellent, and we really enjoyed their company. The lady (whose name I have forgotten) who was our additional guide for the DMZ day was exceedingly good and made that day very special.
fiona g
reviewing Complete Vietnam For Families
on 15 April 2024
Trip was great and all the arrangements were excellent so thank you for all the help!
Drivers and transfers were all good - on time and very good service on each trip.
Accommodation was lovely - Douar Samra was amazing (weather could have been better but lovely regardless). Riad in Marrakesh was also great!
All in all a great trip and we loved the variety of the mountains, Marrakesh and the coast.
Thanks you once again!
Hardeep S
reviewing Boutique Marrakech & Atlas Mountains
on 15 April 2024
I was also just about to email you to thank you and the team for arranging yet again, another wonderful experience.
Mount Kenya was spectacular and wild - I think I prefer it to Kili in many ways. The entire support team was professional, friendly and all round fantastic in making sure that we were safe, well fed and well looked after. In particular, we would commend Peter the guide as well as Paul one of the porters who doubled-up as his deputy on summit day. Our route was often shrouded in mist and rain that rapidly gathered in the valleys and moorlands, and we were very impressed at how Peter managed to navigate us safely through all of that notwithstanding. In addition, we loved learning about the history of Mount Kenya from him in the evenings. And ofcourse, I was blown away by the lovely birthday surprise at the end complete with balloons and a delicious cake that had journeyed with us from day 1. One thing we might recommend because of the sudden change in weather (it would sometimes get extremely cold and wet) is for the equipment list to be a little bit more detailed in terms of its recommendations e.g. layers to be moisture-wicking, walking boots be waterproof, doubling up on socks to avoid blisters etc.
El Karama is a beautiful conservancy and the lodge a true labour of love. Great hospitality in a relaxed environment. Delicious, fresh food. We enjoyed the drives, even if we didn't see much wildlife as the heavens opened on us for the last two outings. However, since it was very much geared towards families, I am not sure if I would stay again without kids. That said, I think it was perfect for a 3d/2n stay post mountain, and a much better choice than flying to the masai mara given the limited time we had.
Our transits were smooth. Samuel the driver was always on time, drove safely and kept the vehicle clean.
So it was a brilliant experience and one which I certainly will cherish for some time to come. It was great to work with you for a third time, and I certainly hope it won't be the last
Juhae C
reviewing Mount Kenya Sirimon Naro Moru Trek
on 01 March 2024
Thank you, we had an absolute wonderful time, and everything was well-planned and as described. Carla was crying on the day of our departure from Ants Nest, she didn’t want to go home and for it all to end, and when I asked how much longer she would want to stay, she responded “four weeks”
Lars B
reviewing Best of South Africa for Families
on 01 March 2024
We had the most amazing time. It exceeded all my hopes of what the trip would be. The guides, the hotels - everything was of such a wonderful quality. Thank you for organizing everything. I will absolutely recommend Tourdust and use you again.
Claudia L
reviewing Luxury Desert Holiday
on 11 January 2024
We had a brilliant trip!
An amazing experience for parents, children and grandparents alike.
We are already planning a trip to Vietnam next year
Kate B
reviewing Morocco Family Holiday: Desert Camp, Mountains & Souks
on 10 January 2024
Fantastic holiday - I think we all really enjoyed ourselves. California is really relaxing, the people we met were lovely, and the scenery is amazing - so huge.
flight - using San Jose airport was a joy. Out of the airport within 30 mins of landing.
car hire - very straight forward.
Copilot - useful. We did download Google maps too, but sometimes the GPS worked better with co-pilot than Google maps (although may have been the phone)
Argonaut hotel - Great location, pleasant staff. Included in resort fee is discounted bike hire (if you get up fast enough to get them) - that was a bonus.
Drive to Auburn - long! we didn't manage to avoid San Francisco rush our - our fault. But a very good idea to get there the night before the rafting, meant the rafting day was much more relaxed.
Holiday Inn - as expected. Nice pool and breakfast was good (and cheap). We quickly learnt that it is really difficult to get food in US after about 8:30 at night, esp in less touristy spots. In n Out Burger an experience.
White water rafting - Our fellow rafters and helmsman (Conner) were good company for the day and we had a great time negotiating rapids, jumping in the water and taking in the scenery. It was all safe without over doing the briefings. Would have been good to have some photos which were only available straight after the trip, rather than on a web site. Nearby Marshall Ward state park was good for non-rafters.
Resort at Squaw Valley - The hotel was amazing. Beautfiul setting. Buffet breakfast in Cascades was a fabulous extravagance - a real treat.
Mountain biking in Tahoe - tremendous. Great bikes, fantastic guide who managed to accommodate both 50+ year old parents and v fit teenage boys. And local knowledge of guide set us up for the rest of the day - recommending places to eat in Truckee and places to visit on Lake Tahoe.
Drive from Lake Tahoe to Yosemite beautiful - well worth going the eastern route so enter Yosemite from East. The drive through the pass was amazing, definitely worth emphasizing that people should make the most of it.
Tenaya Lodge - hotel was a little tired. But we appreciate that Yosemite was getting full by the time we booked. And in fact, it was prob a good thing we were there - as we were out of the smoke in the valley. (The Ferguson Fire began the day we arrived). Sadly after the drive through on arrival, we saw little Yosemite scenery. On the plus side, Tenaya Lodge was cooler than the valley and had less bitey insects.
Walking in Yosemite - guide was excellent. Offered lots of options, and was very informative. Also very personable.
Santa Cruz - great hotel. Lovely city. Organic supermarket, farmers market, Olita's on wharf - all great. The Mystery Spot was hilarious. The surf school were generous and allowed us to keep the boards for several hours after the lesson, as the waves were not that great the two days we were there.
Andrew C
reviewing The Ultimate California Adventure
on 26 July 2018
Here are 4 write ups on the White Water rafting trip we had in July 2013
From my 14 year old boy:
To put it simply I have never had so much fun in my life. For the first two days I enjoyed a break from the otherwise high tempo country of America. We saw animals that none of us had seen before, swam in waters in which all of us had a ball and lay in the perfect heat of the Utah sun. This incredible experience of food and rest was then followed by the grand finale of white water rafting! The anxiety and nervousness soon turned into a thrill so extraordinary that I have sworn to myself that I will feel that incredible thrill again. Looking back, it was probably the most perfect three days that I can remember. So I mean this genuinely when I say, you must go on this holiday!
From my 12 year old girl:
It was so much fun. We saw coyotes, bears, river otter and more. The people were so nice and the food was amazing . The first two days were calm, but then on the last day we hit the rapids! That was the most fun. We bounced up and down, up and down and got completely soaked. It was a moment I will never forget.
From my 11 year old son:
The scenery was absolutely fantastic, and the water was calm and slightly warm. This was to begin with but after that we got into fantastic rapids. I was scared to begin with but the sparkling feeling in my head and the butterflies in my tummy gave me a great sense of achievement when I had done it!
From me:
There were five of us and we had two boats and two brilliant instructors for three of the most incredible days. Calm waters as we either sat in the boats which carried all our food and equipment or we gently floated with our feet out in front of us as we past the million year old rocks of changing earthy colours. The tempo changes: the water becomes white, we all put helmets on and then the rapids begin and our stomachs reach the sky, it really was seriously scary, I looked around at my family and they were all having a ball. Time disappeared fast and we all felt so pleased with ourselves as we had completed the last rapid. I felt rather proud! We were fed like Kings and we all played our parts in making the three days incredible ones we will never forget. Tracking the stars, searching for scorpions and spotting bears all added to the whole experience.
Camilla D
reviewing Grand American Family Adventure in Utah
on 06 October 2014
Following on from our conversation yesterday - I just wanted to reiterate how delighted we were - and what a huge success the holiday was. It was a bit of a monumental trip for us - and it is not easy travelling with the various ages of the children - but it went very well. The advice and recommendations were great - the hotels were all as you described, and in the right place etc (although as I said I would not have stayed in Yosemite Lodge)
The journey was well paced, the satnav guide was invaluable (although I used the free version - even so I would not have known about it without you mentioning it and it was a godsend)
It was great. And you were incredibly patient with my endless badgering and questions - for which many thanks.
The rafting in particular was fantastic. The guides actually forgot our tents - which was quite funny - Kit clearly felt a thin nylon tent was protection against mountain lions, but once we established that the tent made no difference - he was fine. The food rafting was delicious - although I have to say spectacularly wasteful. 35 pancakes for 6 people for breakfast??? With bacon, fruit, eggs etc etc as well? The children were appalled at how much was thrown away - but I guess that is a the company's thing..
The only thing it would have been good to have been tipped off in the notes about was how much nicer the food is in Yosemite village - rather than the dreary depressing hotel canteen. Maybe other guests would try the dining room - but there was such a long wait for a table - we didn't bother. The buses are very good - and the food options are much better in the village - which we didn't realise until the second night - the guide told us actually. I would definitely put that in the notes for other guests - we didn't try the formal dining room - so maybe that is good - but bypass the canteen.
We loved the arches park - having never heard of it - it was mind blowing. And the wonderful platinum hotel in Las Vegas was fabulous. Great location, gorgeous rooms, esp after the motel style dark rooms in Moab and Gouldings.
I had been toying with the idea of sitting in a launderette in Monument Valley - but figured the Navajo prices would be astronomical. Imagine my delight to find I had not one but TWO washing machines and dryers - complete with washing powder - in the hotel/apartments in Las Vegas. Perfect. We left LV with completely clean clothes, ready for the rest of the holiday. A small but very delightful point!
It was all great. Thank you so much for your efforts, and patience, you definitely gave us a holiday perfectly tailored to US - fitting the older children in really well, and pacing everything so perfectly. I will be in touch again!!
Kathryn M
reviewing Highlights of America's South West
on 06 October 2014
Some highlights: I really enjoyed the rodeo - I had expected it to be touristy & tacky, but I actually thought it was great. Boulder - although we didn't do too much there, the drive up was amazing & we really liked the lodge & the peacefulness (apart from a huge storm!). The Burr Trail Grill next door was excellent - really lovely & friendly staff & the best apple pie ever. We went to Willis Creek, 12 miles south of Escalante - this was a slot canyon that you can walk through easily & choose to do as much or as little as you like (the slots are 100metres long, so it's easy to walk out or turn back when you've had enough). Particular highlight for everyone was the Fiery Furnace Walk - Mike was absolutely fantastic with Rory & Lucy. It was perfect for Rory as he loves rock scrambling, so Mike encouraged that. Lucy was very nervous, but he helped her overcome her fears. & he was a very interesting person to spend some time with - I think we finished near to midday! We really liked Red Cliffs in Moab & I liked Moab itself - nice to get some fresh fruit & veg after too many burgers!
Some things we'd probably change: I know I said I didn't want to go to Vegas, but I didn't ask the children & I think they might have liked it! It would probably have saved the longer flight & connections from Seattle & it looks as if the drive from Vegas is similar in distance as from SLC.
I think Beverley would have liked longer in some places - we're used to holidays where we stay in one place, so living out of a suitcase was a little different for us.
I'm also in two minds about the rafting. We were not helped by the weather where we had storms & rain all night until around 9am. Lucy got very cold so didn't enjoy it after the first 2 rapids. Rory however, really enjoyed himself. Overall though, it just seemed that it was a 2 day trip that could have been condensed into 1 day. Again, I think if the weather was different, we would have enjoyed chilling out a little more, but as it was & for the price, it was a little disappointing. We met another family while rafting who had booked through you - they were from Hampshire.
Overall, great adventure, good places to stay, amazing scenery, we met some interesting people, saw some amazing storms (hail the size of golf balls! We were told August is their 'monsoon season') & had a great time, so thank you for putting it together for us. Hopefully we'll be back some time for another adventure…I'm still sizing up Toubkal with Rory in a year or two.
Beverley C
reviewing Grand American Family Adventure in Utah
on 06 October 2014
