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Yosemite Gateways Travel Guide »

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Along with Yellowstone and Grand Canyon, Yosemite is one of my favorite national parks. Unfortunately, more than 3 million annual visitors share my sentiments.

"In Yosemite Valley, it's a bit of a bun fight," said tourist Elaine Harris, using the British slang for a frenzied scramble. At Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, she said, crowds jostled for seats in the cafeteria. And it wasn't even summer.

Harris, a holistic therapist visiting from England found Evergreen Lodge an hour's drive northwest, a place "much more peaceful."

Me too.

Seeking a more serene Yosemite, my partner, Wesla, and I visited Evergreen Lodge in April. The recently refurbished and expanded lodge in Groveland is about a mile from the Hetch Hetchy entrance to the park's less-visited northwestern corner.

What we lost in proximity to Yosemite Valley — the hub of park activity — we made up by joining bicycling and fly-fishing excursions led by Evergreen's guides. In the evenings, we enjoyed family films, slide shows and s'mores. Our simple cabin seemed sublimely remote.

During our four-day weekend, we did venture into the valley to visit the imposing Ahwahnee hotel, Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall. We're glad we made the effort; the falls, swelled by the heaviest snowpack in more than 20 years, were splendid. (Last Monday, the snowpack, rain and warm temperatures combined to flood parts of the valley, closing roads. Waters receded and roads reopened Tuesday.)

Our trip had begun on a less-than-promising note. We were shadowed by rain on the eight-hour drive from Los Angeles and ended up in a snowstorm at the 6,195-foot-high Crane Flat area. But we got some payoff. As we reached the valley and emerged from the Wawona tunnel, the stormy skies added high drama to the postcard panorama of El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil.

When we pulled up to Evergreen Lodge later that Thursday night, the rustic dining room was nearly deserted. Neither server nor hostess was to be found. A young man finally seated us. Our dinners were tasty, although I was bewildered that the "porcini crust" on my trout looked and tasted the same as the "basil crust" on Wesla's halibut. The waiter assured me there were mushrooms there.

I was equally skeptical when we drove past old dark-wood cabins, some apparently sprouting green moss.

But our cabin was spacious and pristine, half of a newly constructed duplex with a private deck overlooking the forest. It was sparsely but smartly furnished with a queen bed, a sofa bed and a compact cast-iron stove to warm the room. Vintage photos and a topological map of the area adorned the walls. It did not have a phone or TV. The cabin lacked kitchen facilities; staff said that was to discourage bear visits. The refrigerator sitting on the floor was so tiny that I mistook it for a safe. We crammed our breakfast fixings into it and slept.

So much for annoyances. The rest of our stay was wonderful. After a nicely prepared pistachio-crusted salmon and a decadent hot-fudge sundae during subsequent meals, we even made peace with the restaurant.

The Evergreen Lodge has been a meeting spot in the Yosemite area since Warren G. Harding was in the White House. The main lodge building that contains its restaurant, bar and poolroom opened around 1921, said co-owner Lee Zimmerman.

Eighteen cabins were added to the grounds in the next several decades. When Zimmerman and two other investors bought the property in 2001, it had been a family-owned resort for 27 years.

The three Bay Area men have since lavished more than $7 million on it. They added 50 vaulted-roof duplex and free-standing cedar cabins (including the one we stayed in), a recreation center, an events hall and a general store. The lodge also schedules activities geared to families and outdoor enthusiasts.