After finishing the school year we traveled to VVR to run away from home. We have always been outdoor people. Coming to the Sierra. In our 60's we both hiked in our youth and continued to enjoy the trails and meeting with like minded people. We rented the Yurt and stayed 5 days. Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner was gourmet. Perfect reset away! read more

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Of very special and important note: I l lost a very sentimental money clip in the resort room, and when I emailed the staff, I emphasized that if the money was gone, that would be OK... But the sentimentality of the money clip from my mother was the ultimate importance. Priscilla emailed back and said they had found the money clip and all the cash was intact. They mailed it down to me priority mail with tracking, and I can't say how appreciative I was with receiving it with over $600 in it, to pay for a trailer on the way home. I was genuinely stupefied about the honesty of the employees. I showed my gratitude to them!!! Resort review: I drove up there to drop off another hiker that was supposed to start the journey but contracted COVID just before star that was joining my wife for the rest of the John Muir trail, and spend the night with my wife in a room with a bed, toilet., and shower, before she got back on the trail. The place is what I like; a civilized retreat that is far from civilization and has all the basic amenities that one would need to enjoy some peaceful rest, relaxation, day hikes, sitting around the fire, and fishing. The Room are very basic, and trust me, it's a gem to the hikers, and a basic room to those not trough-hiking. I say; who cares, its warm, has indoor plumbing with shower, heating, electric lights and outlets to charge your electronic junk, a little convenience kitchen, chairs, tables and night-stands. This is the best of a soul-enriching retreat that you don't have to hike miles to get to, and drive to {make sure you have some clearance underneath the vehicle)- soccer mom van did it fine, sports car would not be choice. I would bring my truck, but would also consider my Ford Mach-E EV, asking prior about charging it back up at the resort. The atmosphere was electrified with all the John Muir trail hikers that were coming in to pick up their re-supply of backpacking food and other supplies that they had mailed up to Vermillion Valley Resort (VVR) previously - what a great service! The hikers were so happy to be able to resupply on a little bit of civilization, that was still way away from "the rat race", and have a brief respite from the tent, camp stove, filtering water, and making sure of good foot and body hygiene. For those that did not reserve a room, there was still laundry machines available, showers, backpacking re-supplies, and of course very tasty n filling café food.The kitchen serves great home-cooked comfort food that really appeals to the hiking crowd, and to myself as I just love it. Many of the hikers knew each other from the trail and I felt excitement that comes from the hikers who saw and made friends together on-trail: they had lots of catching up to do, and a bit more time to do so-precious. The free camping area for tents was super-cool! As for my experience, I relished that I could bring a wonderful feast of King Crab, steak, Caesar salad, fresh asparagus (from the Fresno Costco on my way up) my wife and her hiking friends without a big detour for them. It was so perfect, and the staff was perfect at accommodating needs, like the magician Priscilla. She always had great answers, always available, and just seemed like "an old soul" in her demeanor, attitude and ability to poly-task. Nuf Sed, Greg read more

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Hiking the JMT and stayed here overnight. First, the staff is very accommodating, welcoming, and as friendly as they can be with how busy they are. Second, our room was warm and comfortable. Slept like a baby and it was worth every penny I paid. Third, it is pricey once you add up the ferry, food, internet, room, etc. but the prices are posted so there are no surprises. And after not showering, having internet access, or flushing toilets for 2 weeks, I'm not really worried about how much I'm spending. And the food portions are gigantic so if you split the meals like my spouse and I did, it's pretty reasonable. I would highly recommend that anyone doing the JMT or PCT take a break at VVR and rest/heal up in the hospitable and charming environment! read more

This is a remote, cool, hippy vibe kind of place mecca for backpackers and hikers. The road getting out there is a trip. I was resupplying some friends on the JMT by hiking around the lake and taking the ferry back. There were a lot of things I appreciated. Having flown in the night before, I did not have a sleeping bag which you will need if you rent a tent cabin. The lady at the front who seemed to be on top of everything gave me blankets. Thank-you! I got a free beer for being a hiker on the ferry. Coffee in the morning was good. The couple of bad is that some of the staff weren't entirely helpful when asked about hiking logistics, supplies, and how things worked. But, that said, I think you need to do your research before going there as I can see people being demanding to staff. I would have liked more information about what to expect when renting a tent cabin maybe. Other than that, it was an adventure as long as you keep your cool and realize you are a long way from civilization. read more

The vermilion valley resort is very convenient. They have a cafe/restaurant, a little store with supplies. The staff is very friendly. Definitely a cool place to hang out. Try the apple pie, it's delicious. I don't know how it stays In business when they give tabs to all the hippies that hike up there. While waiting inline to buy ice I wittiness hippies putting stuff on other people's tabs, the girls working there didn't catch it. I was there during the creek fire, the communication from the resort to the sheriff/fire department is poor. The resort told us highway 168 was closed, I found out for myself when I drove to highway 168 Sunday morning it was open to people leaving the Sierra National Forest, only closed to people that want to head up to Shaver Lake from Prather. They should have evacuated everyone Saturday & Sunday. Thankfully Robert the camp host at the Vermilion Campground told us to leave Sunday Morning, we did and made it out okay. The resort should have better info for the people staying up there, maybe a direct line to the proper help or departments. There is no cell service. read more

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Great place to stay! Friendly staff and the food is beyond! The drive up is a little sketch tho. read more

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BBQ and beer at 7,600 feet? A massive alpine lake with three big creeks, excellent fishing, tons of camping spots, easy access to the high Sierra and all the PCT and JMT hikers passing through? Yes please. This place is amazing. If you're expecting the Hilton this isn't it. This is an alpine, backcountry resort. It's a remote and pristine place. Visit VVR if you want to get away from civilization, concrete, smog and insanity. Far far away. read more

Vermilion Valley Resort - 20' Rainbow Trout. Cold Creek. - Hotels Near Me - Lakeshore, California

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Plusses - the staff is awesome. This is an oasis. Minuses - letting drunk idiots swear and drink all night by the fire is very disruptive to sleeping in the campground. read more

VVR was one of the highlights of our JMT adventure. Their food is great, especially after a long trek to get there and I was pleasantly surprised by the beer selection. The remote location requires a generator that shuts down at 8pm, giving the backpackers camp an outdoorsy vibe, complete with a bonfire circle. We had so much fun we decided to hang out for an extra day. Jim & his crew were very welcoming, we've already incorporated a stop here on our next thru hike. VVR is a one of a kind hidden gem! read more

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The staff in the resort was very helpful and the motels room very clean and well equipped. The free shuttle to the trail head was very helpful too. I highly recommend to take a high clearance vehicle with 4 wheel drive. The road from Huntington Lake is approximately 28 milles. The road initially is asphalt but soon becomes a dirt road , one way and very narrow with deep pot holes. Our car was not high clearance and we had to drive extremely slow to avoid the multiple deep potholes. It was very risky since the road is one way , with many curves with poor visibility. It is very scary when 2 cars have to pass, even with the shoulder areas. It took us more than 2 hours to drive. One of our tires got damage, but drivable, and we will have to get a new one. After our experience I highly recommend a high clearance 4 wheel drive vehicle. read more

JMT Southbound Through Hiker My buddy and I resupplied here on our JMT hike. It was nice to take a break, shower, call home, resupply, have some good food and hang out. They work on the honor policy which seems to work really well and you pay for everything at the end. They will charge you a $4 credit card fee for the transaction ... to avoid this fee (transaction fees are a pet peeve of mine), bring a check with you or send one in your resupply. The store really has it all -- really well stocked ... food, ice cream, beer, hiking supplies/food, stove gas, batteries, postcards, duct tape by the foot, q-tips ... you name it, they pretty much have it. They also have two resupply barrels you can get some food from - WHICH I found a dollar bill in. The food is a bit pricy but it is REAL good. My buddy and I both ordered the steak dinner and his cut was twice the size of mine. I did show the waitress and she had the cooks grill me another steak to go along with the first one. Expect to lay down about $60-$100 if you resupply / take the ferry / eat food / shower and buy a few things. Free Camping & 1 Free Beer for thru hikers $6 Showers (w/ Towel) $6 Laundry $2-$4 beers $15 - $20 Good Dinner $2/min to call home IMHO - if your a south bounder ... resupply @ MTR b/c its not worth carrying the food over Bear Ridge and Seldom Pass. You can resupply for the days from VVR to MTR by using the hiker barrels / buying food at the store. Overall, great stop for the JMTer who has some time to kill and really needs a beer. read more

While thru hiking the JMT I heard about this place while on the trail. They basically described this place as "Disneyland in the middle of nowhere". While this place is most definitely not Disneyland, it's a godsend if you have been on the trail for a few days. Unfortunately when I was on the Trail in Mid-July, lake Edison seemed to be nearly dried up. There is a boat service to take you to the resort (look for the flag), but it costs a few bucks, so we decided to do the 6 mile hike (this was supposed to be a zero day) They have about 20+ different bottled beers available. First one is on the house. If you're short on cash you can work for beer and food (a few hours of dish washing or other misc. chores). I had a breakfast burrito when I arrived. The potatoes were a little undercooked, but it was still better than dehydrated meals and trail mix. A meal will cost you $10-20+ Free campsite is an awesome perk. You will want to run a tab while you are there (to eliminate additional credit card fees/swipe) and it is easy to forget you're still paying for everything that you get from the store. Best part of this place is the comradery you will experience with all the hikes that are stopping by. There is a great outdoor patio area with bar stools and tables to socialize and they light a fire at night. While on the trail this is a luxury. Only reason this doesn't get 5 stars is because the food was very expensive. I completely understand the pricing though because they are located in the middle of nowhere and have to drive all supplies in as they are hours from the nearest major town. Happy trails! PS - no cell service TLDR; Awesome place in the middle of nowhere. Come here to socialize on the trail. read more

It's been 5 years since we have started and ended our backpack trip at VVR and this summer we will be doing another round trip. I can't wait as I have nothing but positive things to say about this place. Jim is as accommodation as it gets. However, he is operating a camp in the middle of nowhere. Don't expect a resort. This is a High Sierra Camp. That being said, Jim did sell me some lovely cigars from his personal stash. So you can expect the unexpected! As for some of the complaints I've been reading. We were treated with scorn, sarcasm and sharp tongues the whole time we were there and gave it right back. It was hilarious and we all laughed and had a great time. So lighten up people and stop whining. read more

My family and I stopped in as we started our family backpacking trip. Nice area, cute little store. good parking. Peaceful to be out with nature. The ferry ride was great. We will be back. read more

My daughter and I stopped while through hiking the JMT July of this year. There was no TP in any of the toilets. The shower didn't work. The was little food to purchase for resupply. And the woman working behind the counter had to be the rudest person I've met in the last 10 years. If you're through hiking the JMT I suggest Muir Trail Ranch instead of this place. It will be closer to the JMT and it would be impossible for the service to be worst than this place. read more

This place is way over priced and the service is terrible. The food is also pretty bad. Most of their business is PCT hikers, and they are rude to them, treating them like a burden. If you want a luxury high Sierra experience, you're much better off going to Muir Trail Ranch. It's a shame a place that is in such a beautiful region just can't seem to get it together. Skip this one unless you want to shell out all your cash for a very subpar experience. read more

I have to update my review because VVR surely redeemed themselves. They had closed for the season by the time I had arrived and were in the process of closing things down I had still planned on meeting my pick up here leaving the John Muir Trail. I hiked in and was greeted by a friendly fella who had offered to open the store for me so I can resupply or just grab some stuff while I waited. I had nothing but the best customer service here. The rude woman who I had pervasively wrote about was not there (thank goodness) and I had nothing but happy people here that I was engaged with. I am going to finish JMT next year and will start at VVR continuing on. I am looking forward to trying out there food from the restaurant that I have read about and heard from others on JMT/PCT talk about as being great. read more

Lots of potential but disappointing customer service.

I experienced VVR while staying for a week at the Vermilion Valley Campground, next door (a very lovely campground by the way). Overall I was really impressed with all the attention to detail at this place. The little store is restocked at least once a week (the owners drive all the way to Fresno to do so, as I understand it), and carries things that backpackers might appreciate, like compasses, plastic bags priced by each one, freeze-dried food, etc. They also carry beer and wine and various groceries handy if you happen to be car-camping as we were. The food in the restaurant is very good quality especially if you consider that you are more or less in the middle of nowhere. When we ate dinner there, I had grilled snapper with risotto and "al dente" vegetables with a glass of chardonnay and my husband had Thai beef and shrimp with wild rice and vegetables with a microbrew (they have a great selection of interesting beers). We had lunch there too one day and found it to be very tasty and again high quality especially given the isolation of the location. You can sit inside or outside on their covered patio, where dogs are welcome (we brought ours and she loved every minute of it). They also offer showers for six bucks, and for that price they also provide soap and a clean towel. There are two bathrooms available for this purpose, and we were told a new shower facility is planned for next year (would have been this year, but this year being a slow year, I guess revenues weren't what they had hoped...more on this later). They also had a power strip in the restaurant patio area for hikers to charge up any phones or whatever, and there's a TV there too (they had it tuned to the Olympics when we were there having dinner). Many of the people you'll see here are PCT/JMT through-hikers, and it's always interesting to talk to these folks and hear their stories. They stop in here to pick up their resupply packages, and often we observed groups of them sitting around a table, deciding what items would make the cut for them to carry for the next leg of their journey. Things they don't take with them go into a hiker "pod" that other hikers are welcome to dip into. (I cannot imagine why the reviewer who had "heard" that the resort was re-selling this stuff would think or write such a thing, especially as it seems they were going on hearsay...but I digress). The only things that were less than great were two: first, the place could be a bit cleaner (the table we sat down at for dinner needed a good wipe to clear off from the previous occupants, and the bathrooms, which admittedly get a lot of use, could also be a bit cleaner - though really, the possibility of having a nice hot shower at all way up in the middle of nowhere is pretty great, so I didn't mind this the way I would have in a "regular" hotel or motel). Secondly, the level of the lake (in fact a reservoir) was so low when we arrived that the views from the campground and resort were mostly of dry lake bed. Obviously the management of this level is the prerogative of the reservoir's owner/managers (Southern California Edison? We spoke to someone with some knowledge of this and it seems complicated), but it would have been nice to know ahead of time that this is what we would find. (There is a sign in the store saying, "Don't complain about the level of the lake if you are still watering your lawn". Fair enough, and even kinda humorous...but a couple of days before we left to go up there, I did not see any indication about this on the resort's website.) Anyway, overall I thought the vibe of this place was great, the people there helpful, friendly and interesting, and incidentally preferred it over the outwardly lovely but ultimately disappointing Mono Hot Springs a few miles away on Kaiser Pass Road. I would go there again and would recommend it highly, especially if the lake is full. read more

it's the spot for thru-hikers on the PCT and JMT, but, we did the long drive from Fresno (long, but, amazing views, fresh air, awesome spots to stop and take it all in-and waterfalls!) -came here for lunch, and they did not disappoint with one amazing cheeseburger-and so many tasty french fries, as well as some great fish tacos (with bomb cole slaw)--the beer was cold, and the staff was friendly, knowledgeable and fun--it would be fun to do the platform tent camping here, just to hear the stories around the community camp fire-as we were driving by on the way home, we saw an impromptu yoga class taking place near the bathhouse, and our dog wagged her tail goodbye to all the other friendly pups at this classic Sierra stop. read more

After having heard from and spoken to former employees and hikers/campers, I can now say that the dysfunctional dynamic of this place is innate, from its ownership on down to management to lower level employees. Very little in the way of real managerial supervision, with more anarchy than organization. A good idea is to contact the owner, Jim Clement, himself a bit of a martinet. Ask questions before heading here and spending way too much money for items which he gets free or at greatly reduced costs. Bring what you need and what you can carry before subsidizing another boat for this place. read more

Great place, awesome staff! The Saturday night BBQ was out of this world! We come almost every year and it's worth the hike from Mammoth

I just received a call from my husband who is hiking the PCT. He said that this resort was horrible. He went to breakfast with another hiker and they received terrible service. They asked for coffee multiple times but never received it yet were billed for it. When they mentioned this to their server they were given a bunch of attitude. My husband asked if he could order more breakfast and the server copped even more attitude and informed my husband that other people would like to sit and eat too. I can't even believe that anyone would be that rude. He says that he would never recommend another hiker stop here. My husband has been hiking for nearly 7 weeks now. He's away from friends and family, he's busting his butt every day on the trail. The very least they could do is serve hikers coffee without attitude. If they would would prefer to not have the business of the hiking community, perhaps they shouldn't advertise as a resupply station. read more

We were here last year on our 2014 JMT thru hike. It was great to eat a hot cooked meal and clean up. It was fun last year but a lady at the counter, Julia was rude. She was only there for a little. This year I brought my daughter. I told her how much fun our group had last year. She was excited. When we got there Julia was at the counter and already seemed irritated. I ignored it and we went on our way and ate had a good night. That next night I kept waiting and waiting for dinner check. My daughter finally got hers and went to go pay it. Julie was at the counter. When my daughter went up there Julia started complaining the people weren't getting their checks but that wasn't us Julia started yelling complaining and saying that people for not paying their bill. My daughter was trying to be calm with her letting her know she just want to pay hers. But Julia went on saying people were complaining about us being loud. We told her all she do is tell us we were only singing. Then she just kept saying a bunch of stuff we didn't understand. It was crazy. After that is became a yelling match and I had to get Julie away from my daughter. As far as I'm concerned vvr is off my list. But one of the staff later I was to find out that Julia was mad at one of the other staff members and basically was taken out on us I will never return back to vvr. Should not have staff that unstable working at your campground. So sad. Wish Jim, owner, was there. It might not of happened. Giving one star is too much. read more

I've been here twice, now. Once as a backpacker for resupply and once to take my family out on Edison Lake and show them some of the beautiful places I've been. Both times I had a bad experience. This place provides hiker services that are nice: resupply, showers, phones, laundry, hot food and the first beer free to thru-hikers. They also have boat rentals available, which we used the last time. Both times, the attitude of the staff was deplorable. As a hiker, I was treated with sarcasm any time I asked a question, and if I asked for any kind of service (like the use of the phone, which is a service they offer on their website), I was treated as if I was a needy prima donna (i.e. "Oh, do you wanna call your mommy?" That is verbatim). I'm a camper, for God's sake, I'm pretty self-sufficient. The second time, my family and I rented a boat for a half-day and were told to go to the boat ramp a mile down the road, and someone would meet us. Apparently the boats were docked on a sandbar halfway between the resort and the ramp, but no one told us and none of the four employees on ATVs that passed us stopped to help when we waved. We waited an hour before I hiked back to the resort to get someone. The other couple that was waiting for a boat gave up. I hope they got a refund. That day, they were shutting down the ferry service due to low lake levels. When we asked what would happen to all the hikers that depend on the ferry for resupply, the response was "They can hike around. It's only five miles". Spoken like someone who has never backpacked and couldn't care less. That is my impression of VVR. Full of people who couldn't care less. Avoid it if you can. read more

This is a bastion on civilization at the edge of the wilderness of the John Muir Trail and beyond. I was there to resupply some friends hiking on the JMT - plus to do some backpacking on Mono Creek. Everything great, prices reasonable (even without considering the remote location) and the staff friendly and helpful. Get ready for trail magic as hikers trade food, gear, and good will. read more

When hiking the JMT, I planned on staying a night at VVR to resupply and stay in a nice warm room. But because of a medical emergency I had to hike out early and did not arrive in an area with cell phone coverage until the day of my reservations. I immediately called to cancel. However, because I was unable to cancel 24 hours prior to the reservations date, VVR refused to refund my money. They would not even refund a portion despite a doctor's note stating the emergency. read more

My wife and I took our son and his wife up to Lake Edison for their takeoff on the PCT north to Shasta area. They camped in the little campground at the lodge. Wife and I rented one of the four cabins. There is usually a two night minimum on the cabins, but I talked with the owner on our circumstance, and for a little extra, he allowed us the one night. Reasonable, in that this is a very remote place. There is no charge for the campground. After learning that approved bear cans are required in Yosemite Nat'l Park, my son was able to rent them from the lodge and can mail them back when done. Quite reasonable. This place is geared toward the hikers on the various trails, and caters to their whims. However, there are other campers and tourists there also that come for the stay in the high sierra. The food is good; we had chicken and someone had a very good steak, and another had a terrific salad. Not the ritz, mind you. But considering the remoteness and conditions, quite satisfactory. The people there are wonderful. Wait staff are personable and talkative. Other campers and hikers add to the total ambiance. For us non-hikers, it was a fun time. PS: The road from Kaiser Pass (9,100') is daunting and not for the faint at heart. 4 wheel drive not necessary, but very narrow in parts. Single track only with places to pull over for oncoming traffic. Sometimes, one must back up to find an area to pull over in. Remember, up hill traffic generally has the right of way. There is no gas past Huntington Lake. read more

I have been coming to the VVR every summer for almost 10 years. I stay in the nearby campground for a week or two, and go down to the resort for dinner, showers, ice and miscellanies from the store. For me it is like a home away from home. The owners, Jim and Vickie, do an exemplary job running the place, a seriously complicated operation off the grid in the middle of nowhere. It is clearly a labor of love. They provide a welcoming oasis of civilization for JMT and PCT thru hikers, including a free place to camp, a free beverage, and a supportive hospitality. The place is usually teeming with an ever changing community of hikers. The food is not gourmet, but is good and substantial. Milkshakes and homemade pie supplement the main course offerings. On Saturdays they do BBQ from an outdoor grill which is a delicious treat. The wait staff I have found to be friendly but at times a bit overwhelmed when it gets busy. Some do not have a lot of experience, which makes sense considering these are seasonal jobs hours away from civilization. At times a bit of waving is needed to get their attention. No big deal. The Vermillion Valley usually contains a man made reservoir, but the water is not important to me. It is a beautiful piece of wilderness, and there are many places to hike in the area, which is what I like to do. But make no mistake. I come for the VVR. If it was not there, or was less attractively maintained and run, I would go elsewhere. I no longer can backpack, so this is the highlight of my summer, and I look forward to it all year long. Thank you, Jim and Vickie, for making the VVR a great place to visit. read more

It's a little oasis in the middle of an oasis. Besides supplying all the basics of a civilized campground, it's well organized and has a relaxed environment to just hang out and trade hiking stories. The staff is great, including but not limited to, Marisa, Jordan, and George. My car broke down on Kaiser Pass, and they were all supportive in helping me get it resolved. I hope to return next spring or summer. read more