A New Years hike to the ever-enchanting Mohonk Mountain House By Sonja Stark, PilotGirl on January 12, 2021 at 2:57 PM
Happy New Year, everyone! The bright yellow orb made every effort to jolt me up. Little did she know I’d been awake all night. 2021, understandably more so than other years, feels packed with possibilities! Regardless of the current dysfunction, I’m hopeful for the Senate, Biden, and vaccine distribution.
So, with my new sense of looking forward I went on a hike that took me backward in time to the
Mohonk Mountain House.
This iconic, 300-room Victorian hotel, built-in 1869, remains as beautiful, posh, and exclusive today as it did then. U.S. Presidents, actors, artists, and musicians love the anonymity that the sprawling complex and 8000-acre grounds provide.
national parks
even look more spectacular come winter, thanks to a fresh coating of snow and free-roaming wildlife. But staying inside the park boundary during this season, let alone in a pandemic, can be tricky most park-operated hotels are limiting capacity, and many campgrounds are closed. So we rounded up some of our favorite Airbnbs located close to the gates of these popular NPS sites.
Yosemite National Park, California
Photo: Courtesy Airbnb)
Called the Sweetwater Lodge (from $582), this three-bedroom house in the coveted neighborhood of Yosemite West, near the El Portal entrance of Yosemite and only a 30-minute drive from the main sights of Yosemite Valley. Features include an open floor plan, a kitchen stocked with high-end appliances, a Ping-Pong table, a record player, and an electric-vehicle charging station. Many of the park trails are covered in snow this time of year, but those in the Valley