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The Yosemite Gateway Chalet, a large log home among aspens and pines, with the granite face of Carson Peak rising behind it

June Lake · Eastern Sierra · Yosemite's east side

A private log chalet in June Lake, where the Sierra starts at the back door

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People come here for the moments that do not happen at home. Kids falling asleep to the sound of the creek. A hot tub under Carson Peak while the snow comes down. A whole day on the mountain that cost nothing for the kids. Two-thirds of an acre, two creeks and the national forest out the back door, all yours.

Steam rising from the outdoor hydrotherapy tub at night, with Yost Creek running past in the dark

The back yard

Yost Creek runs through the back yard

Two-thirds of an acre, two creeks, and the Inyo National Forest at the back fence. The big creek is Yost Creek, and it is a blue-line stream. On the government topo maps, a solid blue line means water that runs all year, not a gully that goes dry by August. Yost comes down cold and clear from Yost Lake, so it is there in June and still there in October.

It is the sound you hear from the outdoor hydrotherapy tub, which seats six, runs all year and looks straight up at Carson Peak. It is the sound that comes through the River Room window on a summer night. Leave the window open.

See the tub The River Room

Out the back door

The trailhead is the back yard

Leave the car where it is. Hike up to Fern Lake, a cold, clear cirque under Carson Peak. Walk up Yost Creek into Yost Meadow with the kids. Climb the back side of Carson Peak and come down the scree run, sliding in long gravel steps. Little kids can do it, though it is not for everybody. In winter, walk home from Fern Creek in the snow as the light goes.

Hikes from the chalet

A child sliding down a steep gravel scree chute on the back side of Carson Peak, with a turquoise reservoir far below — The scree run off the back of Carson Peak.

Two children and a white Labrador walking into the tall gold grass of Yost Meadow, with granite peaks beyond — Yost Meadow, a walk from the back door.

A child in a red jacket sliding through fresh snow above the June Lake Loop at dusk — Walking home from Fern Creek after a snowfall.

The cirque above Fern Lake reflected upside down in the still water: granite, snow patches and pines under a blue sky — Fern Lake, up the trail from the back door. Yes, that is the reflection.

Two young skiers in helmets and goggles riding home from June Mountain in a gear cart beside a pair of skis

For families

Kids 12 and under ski free at June Mountain

For most families, this is the deciding number. A weekend of kids' lift tickets can cost more than the house. At June Mountain, a mile from the door, kids 12 and under ski free all season. When their legs quit, you are back by the fire in ten minutes, and the cart ride home is the best part of the day.

A young boy standing on a small blue paddleboard on clear Rush Creek, under Carson Peak — A kid-size paddleboard, along with the five full-size boards in the garage. Rush Creek is flat, clear and a few minutes up the road.

A child climbing the indoor wall in the chalet garage — A climbing wall in the garage. On a stormy afternoon the kids can pull on the handholds instead of your nerves.

Skiing June Mountain Summer on the loop

Fly fishing

Where should you fish today?

Our live map reads the June Lake weather right now, checks the month's hatches, and picks two waters within an hour of the chalet, with the flies to tie on. Hot Creek, the Upper Owens, Crowley, the East Walker and the loop lakes, five minutes away.

“Go here. Trust me.”

Filmed by California Through My Lens, the California travel writers, who stayed with us.

The Elsie Room's ruby-red claw-foot tub under a timber window, with brass fixtures

Sleeps eight

Every bedroom is its own retreat

Three suites upstairs, each with its own bath. The master has a California King, its own indoor two-person jacuzzi, and a loft with a pull-out sofa. The Elsie Room has a California King and a ruby-red claw-foot tub. The River Room has a queen, and Yost Creek below the window. A pull-out futon in the family room off the kitchen sleeps the last two.

See the floorplan

Friends gathered around the open fire in the Grand Room, under log walls and a high timber ceiling

The Grand Room

Everyone around one fire

Twenty-one feet of log ceiling over an open fireplace and an oak bar. A remodeled kitchen with a handmade copper sink, and a twelve-foot pine table so the whole group eats together. Nobody has to leave the fire early.

Inside the chalet

June Lake at golden hour: gold aspens and dark pines reflected in still water, with soft light on the peaks beyond

June Lake, in the right light

I have stood beside a lot of famous water and kept my mouth shut. This is the lake where I said "huh" out loud, put the rod down, and let a perfectly good fish swim past. That is the highest compliment I know how to pay a place.

From the guide's chair

See the gallery

A boy leaping from a granite ledge into Grant Lake on a bright summer day — Grant Lake on a July afternoon. Nobody waiting their turn.

Yosemite's quiet side

Five and three-quarter miles from Yosemite

As the crow flies, the chalet sits 5.75 miles from the Yosemite National Park boundary. The granite, the lakes and the light are what you came for, and some of it out here is better than the postcards. What is missing is the people. June Lake is small, low-density and mostly unknown, and on most days the trail belongs to whoever got up first.

Follow our hiking guide, start early, and you can have a lake to yourself. Mammoth is a fine town with a big mountain, and on a holiday weekend it is a satellite of Los Angeles County with a gondola. Everything near it is busier, more often. We are half an hour north, and we like it that way.

Hikes from the chalet Yosemite's east side

Robert's chalet is a gorgeous sanctuary in one of my favorite areas of California. I've stayed at many places in June Lake over the last 35 years, but Robert's home is in a class all its own. Can't wait to return for years to come!

Nicholason Airbnb

9.8out of 10 from 129 verified VRBO reviews, and 4.85 out of 5 on Airbnb. Guest reviews

Sleeps: 8: three suites with private baths, plus a loft sofa and a family room futon
June Mountain: 1 mile, kids 12 and under ski free, and we are on the highway, so we are plowed out first
Yosemite: 5.75 miles to the park boundary as the crow flies; 27 road miles to Tioga Pass, open late May to November
Hot tubs: Outdoor tub for six, all year, plus an indoor jacuzzi for two
Arrival: Parking for three cars; steps up from the driveway to the door
Rates: $295 to $995 a night for six, $59 a night each for a seventh and eighth guest, a flat $295 cleaning fee and 15% Mono County tax. Book direct and skip the platform fees.

The June Lake Loop beneath the peaks of the Sierra crest

Four seasons

One base camp for all of the Eastern Sierra

Winter

June Mountain is a mile away and kids ski free. We are on the highway, so you are plowed out and on the lift while others wait for theirs.

Spring

Tioga Road opens and the high country comes back. Corn snow at the pass, and the first trout of the season.

Summer

Paddleboards in the garage, a kid-size one included, four lakes on the loop, and Tuolumne Meadows in 45 minutes.

Lakes Fly fishing

Fall

In October the aspens turn gold, the browns turn aggressive, and the crowds go home.

Stays for up to eight

Plan your stay at the chalet

See which dates are open, then ask us directly. We reply within a day.

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