The Inn at Sugar Pine Ranch

Groveland, United States

4.7

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards

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Telephone:
+1 209-962-7823
Website:
www.sugarpineranch.com
Address:
21250 State Hwy 120, Groveland, CA, 95321
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Bussiness info

Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
Yes
Wi-Fi
Paid
Dogs Allowed
No

Today

Today 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Groveland) 00:03 Thursday, 12 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Friday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Saturday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm
Sunday 9:00 am – 8:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Quality lodging to Yosemite visitors, river rafters, those seeking rest and relaxation, and groups needing a home-​style atmosphere for reunions or just a place to hangout with friends and family. Sugar Pine Ranch has served guests since 1946 with old fashion country friendship and hospitality. Come see the friendly wildlife, beautiful trees and flowers, amazing night skies, and a secluded and scenic hilltop pool relaxation area.

We offer a wide range of affordability and rooms from standalone cottages to units in our uptown cottage. Wi-​Fi is available for a small free; some cell phone service is available, but no TV or room phones. In prime season, Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, a light continental breakfast is brought to guest rooms between 7:00 and 9:00 a.m.

Our facilities are clean and well maintained. The bedding, toweling and amenities are exceptional, and there are whirlpool tubs and fireplaces in some cottages, along with private entrances and decks.

History

Established in 1946.

Settled around 1860 with a split-​level ranch house and tack room, the property has served many purposes from milling lumber for local mines and housing, growing apples, a repair station for horse drawn wagons, the headquarters for the Yosemite Power Company, and visitor lodging services since 1946.

The two-​story addition to the ranch house was added around 1905. Cabins were added between 1947 and 1951. And a motor court (we call the uptown cottage, with three rooms with private bathrooms and entrances) was added in the 1950’s. The early proprietors were famous for serving southern fried chicken and homemade apple and black berry pies.

The current owner’s acquired the ranch in 1995. From then until now, a great deal of money and effort has been invested to restore forest health and to protect it from wildfire dangers. The grounds and facilities have been substantially improved, while maintaining the historic character and presentation.

You are invited to share this history.

Meet the Business Owner

Craig and Elaine M.

Business Owner

Craig and Elaine were raised in rural lifestyles, which like many of their friends and peers at the time lead to careers in metropolitan areas, away from ranching and farming. After raising their family, and living through the sometimes unhealthy fast paced corporate life, they decided to return to their roots and to become rural land caretakers and innkeepers.

On the ranch — Sugar Pine Ranch — where the air is fresh, trees are the biggest and tallest objects around, the night skies sparkle like diamonds, and the hard physical labor builds character and muscle — Craig and Elaine found new life and good health.

It has become their goal to share the benefits of this lifestyle with their guests.

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20 reviews of The Inn at Sugar Pine Ranch

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Place rating: 5
Taipei, Taiwan
Super awesome place to stay for your trip to Yosemite National Park! It’s about 1 hour to Yosemite Valley and 2 hours to Glacier point. You could go to glacier point first and the valley.
My friends and I stayed at cottage 6 & 9, no refrigerator, hairdryer and water boiler by request. The room is clean and there are L’OCCITANE toiletries. Wi-​Fi is about $ 3.xx, the speed is not fast.
The owner Craig and Elaine are so nice and warm. «where the traveler is a stranger but once.» just like the quote on their website. We will stay here again next time!
Place rating: 5
Savannah, GA
Loved loved loved our stay here!!! Excellent if you want a true getaway from the world and technology this is the place for you… No tvs and internet only if you request this will encourage you to get outside or enjoy face to face time with the people you are traveling with.
We stayed in one of the deluxe cottages which was super clean and we had our own private deck, a jacuzzi tub and a Vermont style fireplace.
The owners live on property so it’s very clean and well tended and they are super friendly. Definitely recommend and looking forward to returning in the future.
(Found this little gem online while planning a visit to Yosemite Valley (about 45 minutes away. But well worth the drive considering the cost 140.00 a night versus over 300.00 closer to the park)
Place rating: 4
Palo Alto, CA
I stayed here last month. My wife loves this place. Very neat, no smell, good soap. Loccitan, some famous brand, soap is provided. She said this stuff cost around 20 bucks if she buy. Good heater and air-​conditioner is provided. I, as Asian, feel cold very much. And my kids alway kick their blanket or comforter. I stayed family cottage and it was very cozy. The owner and his family warmly welcome us. Breakfast is also great.
Pro: very neat, cozy, good breakfast. heater.
Con: The family cottage is most close to 120 road, which is practically a free way. Night time, it’s okay. But early morning, you can feel vibration and sound of passing speedy vehicle or truck. The trail around here is not very good for walking.
Place rating: 4
Gilroy, CA
We were looking for a place to stay near Yosemite in Groveland and my main requirement was a pool because it had been so hot! There are no chain hotels and I went off of Unilocal reviews and google searches. I am so glad I went with the sugar pine ranch! The pool was large and had plenty of floats, noodles and other goodies for the kids to play with. I actually loved that there was no phone service or TV because it forced the kids to talk to me! They delivered a filling continental breakfast that we ate on the large front porch. The cottage was basic but clean and welcoming. I do wish there was a hot tub, that was my only complaint. I will definitely stay there again.
Place rating: 5
Oxnard, CA
The Inn at the Sugar Pine Ranch is a great place to stay. My wife and I stayed at cottage #3 and we are very satisfied with the overall stay. It is family run and operated by Elaine and her Husband Craig. Christina is the daughter who checked us in. They are very nice and welcoming. The buildings are well kept and it gave me the impression they where renovated not too long ago because of how clean and new the condition of the building is. The area is so rounded by pine trees and very quiet. There is a beautiful large pool b hind the cottages. I was expecting a small pool and I was surprise to see the size and how clean it is kept. There is fresh towels and some pool balls to use. A continental breakfast was delivered to out cottage at a predetermined time. The ranch is located near a small town with restaurants, bakeries and coffee shops.
There is spotty cellphone reception in the surrounding areas. In cottage #3, We had 1 to 2 signal bars with AT&T. Just enough to make calls, browse the net and even stream some TV to our cellphones. They do offer WiFi for a low price but we didn’t need it.
We are decently coming back to this place.
Place rating: 5
Morristown, NJ
Place to go if you’re looking for a simple accommodation with a friendly welcome.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I loved loved LOVED my stay at the Sugar Pine Ranch. The bf and I stayed in Cottage 3, which I think is supposed to be one of the roomier cottages. It was very clean and well kept.
The cottages are pretty simple: bed, table with two chairs, some simple games, a fireplace, and a porch with two chairs. No refrigerator in the room, but a communal guest fridge is available in the main house.
There is a fireplace in the room, which can be controlled by the thermostat. We made the mistake of falling asleep the first night with the fireplace set to «on», and the room was blazing hot! There’s also an A/​C unit for those hot summer days.
There’s plenty of outlets in the room, in case you can’t «unplug» from life, with plenty of spaces to plug in two phones, a laptop, and probably more if you wanted.
There is no TV. No cellphone service (or minimal if you are lucky enough to pick up a signal). No landline in the cottage. Wi-​Fi is available for an extra cost.
Other relevant things: The bed was comfortable. The water pressure in the shower was pretty good. The toilet water pressure was definitely super strong.
We were here during the off-​season unfortunately, so we didn’t get to enjoy the complimentary simple breakfast that gets delivered to the door. We also didn’t get to enjoy the lovely-​looking pool at the top of the hill, surrounded by all forest trees.
There isn’t another property nearby. The town of Groveland is about a 5 minute drive west, and the main gate to Yosemite is about a 30 minute drive east. Overall it felt great to be surrounded by nature and to take a little break from life.
In addition, I think the price was pretty comparable (or lower) than the other places within a 10 minute driving radius.
Place rating: 5
New York, NY
This place was great. Clean and comfortable. Elaine and Craig are wonderful hosts. They know a lot about the park and surrounding area. Free continental breakfast delivered to your cottage every morning! Drive to the valley was a little less than an hour depending on traffic, but this is a great alternative to staying in the valley if it is full/​too expensive for you.
Place rating: 4
Colorado Springs, CO
My son and I stayed here while visiting Yosemite. We stayed in one of the cottages. It was a lovely experience. The owners are very friendly and helpful. The cottages are quite nice. Its definitely an option we try again when visiting Yosemite.
Place rating: 5
Princeton, NJ
I stayed at the Sugar Pine Inn with my family and we were thoroughly happy with the accommodations. Craig and Elaine are warm and friendly. While Craig walked my family to our cottage, he took time to tell us about the history of the area and about the Inn.
We learned that the Inn has been completely resorted since they purchased it, and it is meticulous! Our cabin was impeccable, as was the pool and the grounds. I highly recommend The Sugar Pine Inn.
Place rating: 5
San Jose, CA
Absolutely lovely property! Elaine and Craig are such kind, welcoming and helpful people! We truly had a lovely but too short of an experience at this inn. If you want to feel at home, this is a great place to stay! Reasonable prices for such hospitality and breathtaking scenery. Elaine and Craig both prepare continental breakfast baskets and coffee for each guest and bring it to you at your desired time. Also, the pool area is large and kept very clean. I enjoyed swimming amongst the forest trees. Will be back– hopefully sooner than later!
Place rating: 5
Sunnyvale, CA
It was a pleasant experience for all of us. It’s easily accessible from Yosemite park and is amidst nature. Craig and Elaine are very warm and excellent hosts. They made us feel home away from home. The cabins here are unlike other ones where you’d have fully equipped kitchen. A refrigerator and a microwave would have been perfect but they make it up with their breakfast kit which is icing on the cake indeed. They were very kind in accommodating all of our requests. I highly recommend this place.
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
This was an extremely pleasant and affordable place to stay outside of Yosemite. It was clean, quiet, and the breakfast was great. The beds were very comfortable which was a necessity after a long day of hiking, and the outdoor picnic table was a game changer for an after dinner beer and/​or game of cards. Breakfast was brought to your picnic table in a picnic basket, lovingly prepared by Elaine (she’s incredibly sweet and thoughtful). We were given coffee, yogurt, banana and breakfast bars. Our only complaint was that our toilet was not in the best of shape. The shower was tiny such that anyone under the height of 5’6″ had to duck to get their head wet. This was more than likely an exclusive feature of our room (all cabins were built at different times). Again, the bathroom was very clean and well stocked with L’Occitane bathroom products!
The location was great, about 30 miles outside the park entrance and two miles from downtown Groveland. Groveland has a grocery store and a couple restaurants – all better than the park’s food.
Overall, I would recommend this place to anyone. Elaine and Craig are great hosts.
Place rating: 5
Pasadena, CA
If you are looking for a clean, quiet unassuming place to stop before or after a trip through Yosemite, or if you just want a nice escape for a day or two, this is the place for you! When owners Craig and Elaine Maxwell purchased the Inn 19 years ago, it was in what could only be called a shambles. I had stayed there one night not long before they bought it and I can attest to that. In the years since they bought it, they have put so much love and energy into the place that it virtually gleams.
The structures are all original with varying ages. Their residence, built well over a century ago, is the original office for the company that managed the Golden Rock Water Ditch that is still visible (although long dry) that meanders through their property. The other structures: cabins and a group of smaller guest rooms in a single building, were built more towards the mid 1900’s. They have completely redone the cabins and expanded the bathrooms to include whirlpool tubs and modern fixtures. They also include a gas stove /​heater and an air conditioner. The group of smaller and less expensive rooms are also all redone and clean with simpler amenities and smaller bathrooms, due to the limited space available within the original structure. Good speed WiFi is available for a small fee.
Much attention has been paid to the grounds and landscaping and it is quite beautiful and very well maintained. The rooms have all been refinished and are clean, comfortable and well outfitted with amenities. Don’t look for a TV or a radio though, and cell service is scant to non existent in the entire area.
The beautiful and large pool and surrounding deck and structures on the hill immediately behind the cabins have been completely redone and you could throw a very large party there if you had a mind to, although I doubt that is on the agenda for this quiet getaway.
Rooms include a simple breakfast basket and coffee or tea, delivered to your door at your specified time. The only staff here are the two owners and they have really worked hard to turn this gem around and it shows. Groveland with its stores and restaurants is a 10 minute drive west and the north park entrance is about a half hour east through the National Forest.
Lots of history here, and owner Craig will be happy to fill you in on some local lore.
Place rating: 5
Honolulu, HI
Like the place and the owner. Very cute and charming cottage. Good speed Internet with only a few bucks for the whole stay. Very cheap comparing to nearby location. Owners are very sweet. Cute breakfast basket. Good for getaway but a bit far from Yosemite if you like to do a lot of activity then just stay inside the park.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I almost never write reviews, but I have to say Sugar Pine Ranch was a great place to rest after a day of hiking. We had a private cottage just before the busy season and they set everything up like seasoned veterans: gas fireplace, bottled water, wine glasses, modern bathroom with whirlpool tub. The toiletries were from L’Occitane en Provence, which the girlfriend absolutely loved (she also loved the fact that there was a hair dryer). For those concerned about power and internet, our cottage had 8 power outlets and there is a one-​time wifi fee of about $ 4.00 as well as an electricity fee of around the same cost.
Considering the care and attention that goes into setting up the rooms, the property’s relatively close proximity to Yosemite, and the quiet nights sleep we got for 2 nights, Sugar Pine Ranch is a great combination of reasonable rates relative to convenience. I also loved the fact that it was a few miles outside of Groveland’s downtown.
Craig and Elaine are incredibly friendly and accommodating people and the 2 cats we met in their driveway, Tiger and Diamond Lil, are sweethearts. I’m thinking of organizing a larger family trip this year to Yosemite and will definitely consider reserving their larger family cottage to use as home base.
Absolutely recommended.
Place rating: 5
Oakland, CA
This is a lovely place to stay near Yosemite. The owners, Craig and Elaine, are delightful. The cottages are charming, with comfortable beds, pine paneling, and porches perfect for relaxing with a book. The bathroom is small but spotlessly clean, with nice towels and toiletries provided. The place has a very quiet, peaceful feel — a nice respite from the crowds, if you’re spending time in Yosemite. There is no phone or TV. The pool is large and surrounded by plenty of lounge chairs under the pine trees. It’s a short drive into Groveland for dinner and other necessities. We’ve stayed here twice and will definitely go back. Highly recommended.
Place rating: 5
Martinez, CA
First — I would like to say, WiFi is available for $ 3.49. No phone signal during our stay or in the Park, except near Mono Lake. Please don’t stay here for TV programs. No TV here. The bathrooms are smaller than most hotels because these cottages were built at the time when most people go for basic.
We stayed at Cottage 4 and 8.
Busy 4th of July Weekend. Every room is full near Yosemite. We stayed there one night, then decided to extend another night. We couldn’t find another place in the area at the last minute on Friday evening. Craig and his wife Elaine were very helpful. They offered a room in their home for an extra night. Beautiful, beautiful home decorated with local timbers (beams & ornate crown moldings) and crystal and rocks (Fire place). If you love history, Craig will tell you about the house. Lovely hotel ground with trees and flowers, picnic tables, BBQ place, etc… A good size pool, larger than most economy hotels.
Place rating: 5
Dublin, CA
This place is very charming — almost as much as the hosts Elaine and Craig. They are very genuine and I was treated so well that it made me feel very welcome there.
The accommodations were perfect and exactly what I needed while visiting the area for a motorcycle adventure rally event that was happening up the road in Buck meadows. The location was also perfect for Yosemite which was only 30m to the valley floor with traffic.
There’s plenty of space there to relax and enjoy the grounds for a hike or travel to Groveland for some dinner and shopping.
Place rating: 3
San Francisco, CA
Stayed here on a weekend trip to Yosemite. The cabin was comfortable and clean and the staff who checked us in at the Groveland Hotel was friendly and helpful. The front porch was nice too.
While it was perfectly adequate, the bed was uncomfortable and the shower was very small (and I am not a big person). Definitely nothing to avoid but it did fall just short of what I expected for the cost. (Also, it’s quite a schlep to the park).