Nature-y cabins/lodges near the bay area

In My Humble Opinion
1

The lovely Araminty and I are thinking of taking a mini trip for the three day weekend, and are hoping to find somewhere to stay within about a 3 hour drive of the SF bay area that is an out-in-nature rustic-y lodge or cabin. It doesn’t have to be fancy at all, but we want to feel like we can walk around and night and see the stars and be away from the big city, etc.

Can anyone suggest one? Or somewhere to search for this kind of thing? I tried to do some google searches but mainly ended up with super-fancy resort castles in Yosemite and fancy hotels on the big sur coast and things like that.
thanks!

2

Pinecrest Lake Resort (just add .com) has cabins and is a pretty good balance of rustic - affordable - modern.

3

Key Lime Guy beat me to it; I was going to suggest Pinecrest too. It’s up near Sonora. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen cabins around Murphy’s too, which may or may not be available for rent. There’s a grove of sequioas near there that’s worth seeing.

4

I highly recommend the Yosemite Bug. It’s just over 3 hours from the East Bay. They have private rooms, tent cabins, group hostel type bunkrooms and so on. Great lodge with restaurant (and beer!), you’re out in the forest under the stars and for $12 round trip the YARTS shuttle takes you to/from Yosemite!

This is where my buddies and I assemble as our jumping-off point when we go backpacking in Yosemite; it’s great to be able to drive up from difference places in California, have a nice cooked meal and a warm bed waiting and be able to decompress from the drive, then get up the next morning, have a hot breakfast, sort out our gear and head off to the valley.

http://www.yosemitebug.com/index.html

Go hiking. Swim. Sit in a hammock. Hang out in the lodge playing games and talking with other guests. Just. Chill.

5

Camp Mather near Hetch Hetchy in Yosemite. Owned by the City of San Francisco. All of Yosemite is within 3 hours. It is quite and beautiful and snowy this time of year. Yosemite Lodge or The Awahnee in the valley may have room this time of year. It is priceless and very romantic.