Drove up from Bridgeport to fish. Stopped in to the cafe for a bite to go. Stepping in is stepping back into time (In a good way) Very rustic and only if the walls could tell stories from the last 100 years... Menu is standard fare, burgers, sandwiches e.t.c. Time was short and we ordered turkey burger, cheeseburger and I had the ham and cheese on sheepherder bread. Food prepared quickly and with smiles. All were tasty and hit the spot. Don't forget slices of homemade pie or you will Regret it. Important! Cash only and there is no ATM so plan accordingly. read more

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My family and I stayed at Virginia Lakes Resor this year, and the experience was not only disappointing, it was deeply concerning from a health and safety perspective. A couple of the cabins had mouse infestations, and we're now anxiously waiting up to eight weeks to find out if anyone has contracted hantavirus -- a deadly disease carried by rodents, and one that is prevalent in the Mono county right now. This isn't just an inconvenience; it's a terrifying, life-threatening situation that no guest should ever be exposed to. Do not stay here if you don't want to put your and your family's health and life at risk. The place was stunning though. Worth a day trip to the area and surrounding lakes. read more

Different from what I expected. It's a small motel & cabin Park. The rooms are clean and the beds are comfortable. My biggest complaint is that IT is DARK The room is so dark with only two lamps that are not bright at all. read more

Virginia Lakes Resort - This is the motel - Hotels Near Me - Bridgeport, California

Rustic and charming little cottages, beauty, everywhere, and the restaurant there is basic but satisfying. I enjoyed my stay and the hiking is terrific. read more

Peaceful and relaxing forest location next to a creek. Beautiful surrounding lakes, scenery, nature and hiking. Rustic Cabins were well equipped with kitchen, showers and everything we needed to be comfortable. Great off grid vacation. read more

What a terrible experience. Sure the location is great, but the owners are horrid--they hate visitors and let you know that. They charge extra fees, like for towels and other basics. The owners are rude, yell at their employees (in front of guests), and will ignore you. The cabins are old, out of date and all the furniture extremely dated. The shower had mold (or what looked like mold) on the walls and ceiling, the bed coverings had stains and mouse droppings stuck into one of them. We had mice every night even though we put everything away...Yuck. The oven didn't work either! I am experienced traveler and enjoy old cabins and lodges, and enjoy 'quirky' places, but this place is not worth spending your time or money on...It is not quirky or quaint--it is old and the owners have zero interest in updating it because they could care a less about you and your experience. There are many excellent old cabins/resorts on the east side of the Sierra Nevada range, so go elsewhere. read more

This place is great; John and Carolyn are great and they take great care to keep the place as it has been for 60 years and more. Reliably good fishing, incredible beauty, fantastic hiking, great food at the lunch counter. Its rustic but that is what we came for. We love this place. Been coming back regularly. Planning to return soon. John and Carolyn and their staff were very responsive to our questions and needs. This is a little bit of heaven deep in the high eastern sierras where you can access the Hoover Wilderness, Yosemite, Mono Lake, Mammoth, June Lake Loop, Bodie and other great sites on the famed Sierra Highway AKA 395. read more

Enjoyed staying in the cabin. It definitely is a fishing cabin so don't expect a five star cabin, but it's great if you just wanna stay on the lake and close to fishing, the staffing is very nice and welcoming, but make sure you bring sandals for the showers. read more

Virginia Lakes Resort - Inside cabin #8 great view - Hotels Near Me - Bridgeport, California

It's only two hours and twenty minutes from our place, vs. when we lived in Ca.tacking on another two and a half hour drive.... Fortunately, we left early 5:45 am, one stop for gas and ice and we arrived 9:30 am! Darn! Parking lot was full! Anglers lined up almost all the way around the bank! Hubby discouraged!, but not me.. I didn't just put the dogs in boarding, pack the car up and drive all this way and say forget it! We found an open spot to the right of lake.. Gorgeous and a PERFECT weather conditions! No wind, no smoke! In the 60's.. what more could you ask for??? Maybe a nibble, a tug on either of my lines???.. Nope! Only saw one guy catching a fish.. the rest of the tube floaters and guys on boats nothing either. Enjoyed the sun and scenery for an hour and decided it was time. Saw one big 2lb. Cursing the bank.. read more

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We had great pie a la mode indoors in October. Good service and a nice place. If you dine in, you can use the small indoor restroom. That's a secret - so imagine I wrote it in a tiny font! read more

Virginia Lakes Resort - pie with ice cream - Hotels Near Me - Bridgeport, California

This place is a slice of heaven. The cabins are great and have everything you need away from home. Carol and John who own and run this resort are first notch great people, they are very personable and are there to help you out like the good ol days. A true step back in time. Their entire staff are great and wonderful they all are personable and go the extra step to help you out. God willing my wife and I will be back next year on our yearly getaway in the mountains.Thanks again john and carol, we will miss you until next year !!!!! read more

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Cancelled reservation with 8 months notice and they kept our $400 . My daughter cancelled with 2 months noticed , lost $500 deposit and then billed for the remaining fee of $600. Wouldn't recommend this place. We supported this business for 40 years. They'll never see us or anyone else that I can let know of their business practices. read more

I want to say thank you to Carolyn, the owner, for saving my Mom's hand from swelling up and risking the loss of her ring finger after my Mom's dog reacted to a deer and lunged on leash. Thankfully Carolyn saved the day with a bag of nicely crushed ice and a rag to help wrap her hand. Thank you Carolyn! My Mom had to get her ring cut off, but I'm so glad the ice helped make it a non-emergency situation. read more

The owners were the the grumpiest, sarcastic, angrist people I have ever come across owning a resort where your income comes from your guest. We drove 830 miles to get here. we will never be back and do not recommend. read more

One star is too high of a rating for this so called "resort." This place is overpriced, under-kept, and poorly managed by very poorly-mannered owners. Carolyn and John Webb, the owners of the property, shouldn't be in the hospitality business. From the moment my partner and I checked in, they made us feel like we were a nuisance. We asked for ONE extra towel and Carolyn put up a fight for several minutes saying that there's no reason for two people to have THREE towels during our stay. Anytime we entered the lodge to buy fishing supplies or food (which was consistently poorly made and overpriced) or ask a simple question, they would either ignore us or begrudgingly help us out. Don't stay here if you enjoy cleanliness. The bathroom sink hot water barely trickled out of the faucet and the shower was jury-rigged from rusty sheet metal. The lighting was so dim that when you closed the shower curtain, you couldn't see a thing. We had to hang one of our waterproof lanterns in the shower just to see what soap bottle we were reaching for. My partner has done humanitarian trips in Kenya and she said they had nicer showers than this dump. The only nice employee was a young woman named Sarah. We witnessed the owners yell at her on multiple occasions, but she was a very sweet person. We just hope she gets paid enough to put up with their abusive management. The lakes and hiking trails are beautiful, but we recommend finding another place to stay during your vacation. read more

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Go for the fishing, but stay for the homemade apple pie - just like mama used to make! Service @ the cafe was superb (Summer students from Taiwan and Shanghai practicing their rather proficient English), on tap Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was cold, slab turkey sandwich was GOOD, as was the protein style veggie burger, and campground fav burger. Fries were natural cut & crispy and seasonal fruit was this really sweet watermelon. But, the piece de resistance was the pie. Worth the drive from Mammoth and then some. And... save room for a dipped Mono Cone on the way back to your condo - there's always a nook or cranny in your belly for soft serve! read more

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I am a 3rd generation patron of the Virginia lakes resort. I love that it is a place that fits the scenery and casual atmosphere of being in the beautiful Eastern sierras. The owners of the resort were so helpful and I so appreciate the hard work it takes to keep a rustic resort like this up and running. And Carolyn 's apple pie, warmed to perfection, was fabulous! Don't go home without having a slice! read more

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This one of the worst places I have ever been to... The people who run and own this place are completely the worst..Nasty HICKS ...who have no idea what customer service or any semblance of kind decorum. As far as the property..it's ok for what it is...old cabins over 40 years old ...clean..just old dilapidated read more

Still a wonderful place to experience high sierra splendor and hospitality. My family has been coming here for almost 70 years. Not much has changed. The road went from dirt to paved, some of the surrounding private cabins now have solar panels and satellite tv. Yes, there is a generator for electricity at the resot so that one doesn't have to rely on gas lamps and wood fires. Good old fashioned food at the cafe. The longtime owners, John and Carolyn Webb, were just as friendly as they always have been. Gave me some great advice for my fishing and I immediately caught three trout on the evening rise. Loved to hear the families barbecuing on their porches and watching the deer come right up to the lake to drink next to me. The scenery is unmatched in all my travels around California. Take the time to rent a row boat on Little Virginia for some of clearest water and fishing you can imagine. Most of the lake is shallow enough that you can see the bottom and the fish swimming by. I look forward to many more memorable visits in the years to come. read more

Virginia Lakes Resort - Front of Virginia Lakes Resort July 2014 - Hotels Near Me - Bridgeport, California

If you're looking for big mountains, pretty lakes, and a chance to catch a big trout then Virginia Lakes Resort delivers. However, if you're accustomed to friendly welcome, basic courtesies, helpfulness and a comfortable interaction with staff when you hand over $1150 for a week's stay in a marginally clean cabin, you'll be sorely disappointed. The proprietors seemed determined to ruin the experience with nasty customer service. You can camp at Trumbull Lake nearby and enjoy yourself more. read more

We stayed there August 2022 and just got the 2023 rate sheet. Very nice location, rustc cabins, and extremely rude owners. John is mildly rude and Carolyn is in your face rude. We will not go back. read more

A group of us have been coming to Virginia Lake Resort to fish for over 30 years. John and Carol have been wonderful hosts. The restaurant is great and the fishing on Lower Virginia is fantastic. Some of our group has stayed in the cabins and say they are very nice. Hopefully they can continue being one of the premier place in the the Sierras. Tom Benford read more

When we drove up to this place I felt I had discovered paradise, a stunning mountain lake with a natural dam and trout jumping, what could be finer. We decided to have breakfast here. the service was very curt from the minute we walked in and got a dirty look from the owner when we asked if they were serving breakfast, and menus were slammed on our table. Every time I tried to engage the owner for conversation she was to busy to talk to me, and turned her back on me. The food was OK and at this point I was still thinking of a return trip staying here, so I gave here an above average tip of 25%. We were about to leave and I asked for them to provide us waster to fill our bottles, they replied no! What rude jerks, I will never go near this forsaken place! read more

Stopped by Little Virginia for a paddle board and fly fish. Crazy lady at the resort said paddle boarding was not allowed in "her" lake. She also stated it would cost $5 to use "her" lake. Avoid this place. read more

We've been going here for over 20 years. It's definitely a mom & pop establishment, so don't expect a lot of attention when they're busy. But when they're not busy, Carolyn is an expert on fishing & hiking! Her photography graces the cabins. The cabins are basic fishing cabins, not fancy resort. Clean & stocked with cooking pans & utensils. There are 3 lakes within walking distance of 10-15 min. You can hike to many more. The lodge has reasonably priced food that is very good. We had the special of blue cheese burger & fries. The lakes are stocked and you can catch some big ones! My husband caught a 4 lb and a 5 lb last week! No internet or TV or high powered appliances because they run on generators. Very dog friendly. You can't beat the scenery & usually you can see deer or an occasional bear. Lots of chipmunks (Carolyn sells peanuts that are unsalted to feed the animals). If you are lucky enough to go when the lakes are still frozen (sometimes in early June), you can even ice fish! There is a reason they are usually booked solid in all 20 cabins! read more

Virginia Lakes Resort - Lodge - Hotels Near Me - Bridgeport, California

Just got back from a week of camping in the area. We go every year and used to stop at the diner in Virginia Lakes for lunch. After having rude service the last couple years, we decided to skip having lunch at the diner this year. I guess we will give it another chance after the rude old lady passes on. read more

This is a great resort in a beautiful surrounding. We stayed at Trumbull lake but came here frequently to fish, buy bait and ice and had breakfast. After not catching fish the first few days the owners told us what bait to use and how to set it up and we immediately caught fish. The food is really good. Would recommend any of the omelettes and the homemade apple pie is amazing. We rented a boat and it was inexpensive and clean and worked out great. Definitely coming back next to we go camping. read more

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This review is only for the resort RESTAURANT: the breakfast is awesome!! I'm a pancake conissuer and these are the best pancakes I've ever had!!! The bacon is super good, a lot of meat on it. The iced coffee mocha is fantastic, it's like drinking a shake, very sweet but really good. We stayed at the nearby campgrounds on Trumbull Lake and ate breakfast here both mornings. Not busy either. Highly recommend!! read more

This one of our favorite places to go on vacation. The scenery at Little Virginia Lake is beautiful. The fishing is usually good. Over the years we've been coming here, Carolyn has always been so kind and helpful to me and my wife. She is more than willing to answer our questions about which lines, flies, bait or lures to use. I also really enjoy reading her fishing reports on www.virginialakesresort.com. Looking forward to fishing at our favorite lake again in a couple of months! read more

Virginia Lakes Resort - Hotels Near Me - Bridgeport, California

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My father and I were looking for cool new vacation spots, and we happened across this joint. It had a really cool lake and view of the mountains right out front, but that was merely a facade. We walked in, we were the first customers, and the staff seemed annoyed at our presence. The owner tossed our menus and coffee on the table, and the waitress was short and rude the whole time. My father asked her if there was good fishing out front, and she angrily replied, "I've never seen a bad one." My father eventually asked about reservations at the hotel, and the waitress was still being short with him. After we tipped her an undeserving 20%, I asked her if I may fill up three quart water bottles, and she looked as though I cursed her, rudely saying, "no, we don't do that." I told my father, so he went to ask why, to which the owner told him to get the hell out. After that my father told them to fuck off. The food was reasonably priced for what you got, but that service was the worst I've ever had. read more

Very nice cabins; highly recommended. We have stayed in cabins at six different locations in the high country of the Eastern Sierra, and this cabin was the best. The generator noise is the only drawback; I'd recommend the creekside cabins; they are far away enough you don't hear the generator. read more

My wife, I and family have stayed here for over 14 years. If your looking for lush and a 5 star hotel, you need stay in the city! This is the outdoors and nature, you will see bears, deer,chipmunks and up at lakes if your lucky you'll see bald eagles. Great owners are John and Carolyn, any problems or concerns they are there to accommodate. The cabins are rustic and great with a small kitchen. ( we always bring a BBQ) don't leave cooler out on the deck ( it is outdoors and nature) the bears will open to see what you have. Also keep food out if your vehicles and windows rolled up! ( bears) Remember where you are at. Now for the fishing 3 lakes are walking distance (little virginia, big virginia and Trumbull lakes. Little has some big browns in the shallows by the trees and big alpers and stockers everywhere! So fish from shore with powerbait,eggs, worms, or cast a lure. Take your canoe, float tube, kayak or rent a boat from the lodge. Also close are Bodie, Lee Vining and Bridgeport or stop by Mono Lake and check out the tufas. Would recommend this to anyone who lives nature and the great outdoors. So if you want the comforts of the if city, you need to stay somewhere else. Other wise give them a call and book your trip and enjoy the great outdoors and nature of the Eastern Sierras. read more

Virginia Lakes Resort - Little Virginia - Hotels Near Me - Bridgeport, California

We stayed up here on opening weekend (Memorial Day) for 3 nights in Cabin #7. John and Carolyn are excellent hosts and are lot of fun to talk to and to get to know. Our cabin was 50 ft from Little Virginia Lake, it was clean, rustic and warm. We had an issue with the shower "rocks in the Head" and John was over in a matter of minutes to fix it. There is a little restaurant cafe inside the lodge where there's a game of some kind playing on the TV. The food is good, typical hamburgers, fries (American food). The cabins have kitchens and the goal is to catch your own dinner in the lake, we didn't have much luck in that, but had back up dinners just in case... Trout would have been good to eat and people were catching them, but we are not experienced fishermen, so we were not successful. This is a wonderful place to go to get away from it all, wind down from everyday life and experience a quieter time, no TV's barely any cell reception, no internet, it was a FRESH breath of air being 9700 ft up. There are so many hiking trails and beautiful lakes, in the three days we were there, we didn't have anywhere near the amount of time to explore what was out there. We look forward to coming back in the years to come. read more

Virginia Lakes Resort - View from Cabin #7 - Hotels Near Me - Bridgeport, California

I'll give it to you straight!!!! The wife and I and our two kids (3 and 6) stayed here a couple weeks ago. A friend of mine recommended it last summer, but because their website didn't have too many pictures we stayed somewhere else...but we did take a drive up to visit and check the place out. We liked it a lot and decided to book it for our Summer 2014 trip. We only stayed three nights and we stayed in one of the "creek cabins." (number 16 to be exact). Anyways...maybe it was because we knew what to expect (read: rustic), but we really enjoyed it. The cabins are definitely older and need updating but it was cozy and comfortable and in my opinion...for the location, you can't beat it for the price. We paid about $140 a night. I'm pretty sure a big, newer cabin in the area from Mammoth to Bridgeport would cost WAY more than $140 a night. Our cabin had a bedroom with a queen bed and a bathroom with a shower. There was a living area with three single beds that had cushions to sort of make them into couches. There's a little stand-alone (danish?) fire place also. Small little kitchen with a fridge and a oven/stove top combo. In the center of the living area is a big table with chairs. There was a small deck off of the back of the cabin with some plastic chairs. The cabin is a stone's throw to the creek. The inside of the cabin looks like nothing has changed since the 70's...but who cares...normally that stuff bothers me but it kind of reminded me of staying in a cabin in June Lake when i was a little kid. We didn't spend a whole lot of time in there anyway...we basically just ate and rested and/or slept in there. Like others have said..the location is amazing. The lakes are absolutely beautiful and so are the surrounding mountains. You can hike off in all different directions and find other small lakes. We really liked the store/cafe also. It was built in the 20's and has a lot of history. We also found the owners, John and Carolyn to be nice people and very accommodating. I guess it depends on your attitude when you get there. Some people have said negative things but we didn't experience that. As soon as we got there...Carolyn gave my two boys some free lollipops and John was giving me a map of places to hike and tips on where to catch fish. Nice people! The store/cafe is old and rustic and very cool. There is a fire place with a couch in front of it so you can just sit and relax. The cafe is pretty good too. We only ate there once but it was decent. I guess it's just a matter of taste. If you go up there expecting the Four Seasons...forget it! This isn't LA...it isn't fast paced and fancy people. get over it. We went in with a open minded attitude and expecting rustic and had a good time. One final thing to keep it real here......yes, like i said the cabins could use updating. It's a little disappointing that it seems like there isn't any money reinvested into updating the cabins. They keep them maintained but that's about it. We generally stay in nicer hotels and expect nice, new and clean. This is a cabin in the woods...and even with the flaws...we dug it read more

My family and I stayed here years ago with friends. The location of this place is phenomenal! Abundant hiking, fishing and wildlife. The problem is the owners, very rude almost to the nasty level. The cabins could be amazing but they need some serious cleaning. A huge problem that they don't mention is that the whole place is powered by a generator... not a little Honda generator a huge barn sized generator that is running 24-7! You can here this thing running everywhere on the property. Very obnoxious ruins the ambiance of why you are here in the first place. If you want to experience the location stay at the campground across the road! read more

My husband and I and two 15-year-olds stayed in Cabin #4 for four nights in June. It was rustic, but clean and comfortable and just steps from the lower lake. Beautiful view of the lake and the mountain behind it. The cabin has two bedrooms, a kitchen with a good sized eating table and a small sitting area with two worn, but comfortable cushioned rocking chairs. The kitchen was fairly well-stocked with cookware and utensils. The shower had surprising good flow of hot water. My husband didn't like the queen bed, but I thought it was fine. John and Carolyn are helpful with hints about fishing, the history of the area and supplies when you need them. The cabins are in close proximity to Yosemite, Mono Lake and other sites, such as the Bodie ghost town. As other reviewers have mentioned, there are a number of great trails, two lakes and a creek with rushing water in the resort compound itself. We didn't get to explore enough of them and we didn't get to take advantage of the boat rental to try our hand at fishing in the lake. It's quiet and not crowded. We had no cell service, but didn't really want it, preferring to enjoy the nature around us. The lodge opens early, but closes at 7 pm, which was usually before we got back from our adventures in the area. We ate breakfast there one morning and it was a good, standard breakfast. The closest town is 12 miles, so be sure to be well-stocked before you go back. We saw a bear our first evening there; once across the footbridge and once in front of our cabin. Make a little noise and it takes off. We also saw deer by the lake right in front of our cabin. The resort is up at 9,600 feet so if altitude bothers you, it might be better to stay below. But for the money and the facilities, it was a great find -- and they allow dogs! read more

A lovely peaceful rustic setting, with comfortable cabins. We were there for three days, and next time I'd love a week. It's what it says it is and supposed to be. If one wants woods and high country, perfect; if one prefers 4 Seasons, go there! Good for a base place for the area, and also it could be a wonderful high country week, easily! In our October visit, nights were delightfully crisp, with pleasant days. Good heating inside, both heaters with thermostats and wood stoves. The lodge is well maintained and the food of quality and nicely prepared. I'll remember drinking tea before sunset and watching tree and rock reflections on the lake. Look forward to next year there! read more

We stayed at VLR for 4 nights in the creekside cabins. John the owner was very accommodating. The cabins were serviceable but rustic. The bed was comfortable and we had all the amenities we needed. The downside was a slight propane leak which I was able to fix by tightening a loose gas couple behind the stove and the mice which got into our fresh peaches and paper towels. The little cafe in the store made a great Ortega chili burger and their natural cut fries were great. The store also has the fishing tackle you might need and other sundries for your convenience including ice. This place makes its own power from generators so no 1800 watt blow driers allowed. The fishing in the stocked lakes was decent and you do have a shot at a fish over 5 lbs. Watching the ospreys crash the water and catch trout is quite amazing and the surroundings at 9600 ft are spectacular. There is also great hiking on well defined trails in the area. They just need to tighten up the ship a little bit to make the stay a 4 star experience. We will go back again next year with our fly fishing club! A good place to enjoy a few days in the mountains. read more

Little Virginia Lake is one of our family's favorite places to vacation. The scenery is gorgeous. Over the years we have fond memories of fishing with our family that are priceless at this lake. We are so grateful for Carolyn and John who run the resort and general store. Carolyn's gracious hospitality is so loving. Her knowledge of fishing is amazing! We look forward each year to not only fishing at Lake Virginia, but to say hello to Carolyn and John. read more

I've been going to VLR since the late 90s when I was a teenager. VLR is the best place to go to disconnect!! No phone calls, texts, internet, emails, TV, just pure relaxation in the most beautiful setting. The fishing is always amazing no matter what you use. I am a fly fisherman so I spend hours on the lake taking in the wild life and fighting big fish. When you're there make sure to take advantage of the hiking!! Get a map from the lodge and pick a high altitude lake and go!! Don't forgot your fly rod!! The cabins are cozy and rustic, I prefer to stay at the cabins on the lake. John and Carolyn have always been wonderful hosts. read more