If you’ve been looking for Half Dome Village lately, you might have noticed something weird. It’s gone. Or rather, the name is. In 2016, a massive legal battle over trademarks forced Yosemite National Park to rename its most iconic lodging spots. For a few years, travelers were booking stays at "Half Dome Village," but today, it’s officially back to its original 1899 name: Curry Village. Honestly, most locals and repeat visitors just call it "The Village."
It’s a chaotic, dusty, beautiful place.
Staying here is basically a rite of passage for anyone visiting Yosemite National Park. You aren't staying in a luxury hotel. Not even close. You’re staying in a canvas tent with a wooden floor and a bear locker outside your door. It’s loud. You’ll hear your neighbors snoring through the canvas walls. But you’re also waking up right under the shadow of Glacier Point with the mist from the valley floor hitting your face.
The Name Change Drama That Almost Broke the Park
So, why the identity crisis? For decades, Delaware North held the concessions contract for Yosemite. When they lost the contract to Aramark (Yosemite Hospitality), they claimed they owned the trademarks to names like "The Ahwahnee" and "Curry Village." To keep the park running while the lawyers fought it out, the National Park Service had to strip the old signs.
Curry Village became Half Dome Village.
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It stayed that way for about three years. People were confused. Maps were wrong. Finally, in 2019, a $12 million settlement was reached, and the names reverted. If you see a blog post or an old guidebook talking about Half Dome Village Yosemite, just know they are talking about the exact same cluster of tent cabins and pizza decks at the east end of the valley. It’s the same vibe, just different letterhead.
What It’s Actually Like Staying in a Tent Cabin
Expectations are the biggest killer of a Yosemite vacation. If you think you’re "glamping," you’re going to be disappointed. These are rugged.
A standard tent cabin at Half Dome Village (Curry Village) consists of a wooden frame draped in heavy white canvas. Inside, you get a bed, a small desk, and a single lightbulb. That’s it. No outlets. No TV. No Wi-Fi that actually works. Most of the tents are unheated. If you visit in May or October, you will be cold. Like, "wearing three layers inside your sleeping bag" cold. They do have heated tents, but they sell out months in advance.
The bathrooms are communal. You’ll be walking across a dirt path in your flip-flops at 2:00 AM to use a shared restroom. It feels like summer camp for adults.
The Bear Situation Is Real
This isn't a joke for the tourists. Yosemite bears are smart. They know what a cooler looks like. They know what a grocery bag looks like. At Half Dome Village, every single guest is required to store food, toiletries, and anything that smells (even toothpaste) in the metal bear lockers provided outside the tents.
If you leave a Snickers bar in your backpack inside the tent, a bear might decide to tear through the canvas to get it. It happens. The park rangers are strict about this because a "food-conditioned" bear usually ends up being euthanized. Staying here means you’re part of the ecosystem. You’ve got to play by the rules.
Survival Tips for the Valley Floor
Let’s talk logistics because the park doesn't always make them clear.
- Parking is a nightmare. Once you find a spot at Curry Village, do not move your car. Use the Yosemite Valley Shuttle. It’s free and runs constantly.
- The Pizza Deck is the social hub. It’s expensive, and the line is long, but there’s something about eating a pepperoni pizza while staring at the granite walls that makes it taste better.
- Charging your phone is a mission. Since the tents don’t have outlets, people congregate around the few outlets in the lounge or the dining pavilion. Bring a high-capacity power bank. You'll thank me later.
- The showers are surprisingly decent. They have hot water and provide towels, but they can get crowded right after the hikers come off the Half Dome cables.
Why People Keep Coming Back to Half Dome Village
With all the noise and the shared bathrooms, why does this place have a 90% occupancy rate? Location.
You are at the trailhead for everything. You can walk from your tent to the Mist Trail, which takes you up to Vernal and Nevada Falls. You can see the sheer face of Half Dome from the parking lot. You’re in the heart of the action.
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While the Yosemite Valley Lodge is "nicer" and the Ahwahnee is "fancier," Curry Village is the soul of the park. It’s where the climbers stay. It’s where the families who have been coming for four generations stay. There’s a specific smell—a mix of pine needles, woodsmoke, and old canvas—that defines the Yosemite experience for millions of people.
Understanding the Booking Chaos
Getting a reservation is a sport. Most people book a year in advance. The system opens up 366 days out, and the summer weekends vanish in minutes. If you’re looking for a last-minute spot at Half Dome Village, your best bet is the "7-day window." People cancel their trips about a week before their arrival to get their deposits back. If you refresh the booking site like a maniac on a Tuesday morning, you might snag a cancellation.
The Cultural Significance of David and Jennie Curry
We can't talk about this place without mentioning the Currys. They started this whole thing with seven tents and a dream to make the park affordable. They were famous for the "Firefall," where they would push glowing embers off the top of Glacier Point to create a waterfall of fire for the guests below.
The National Park Service eventually banned the Firefall in 1968 because it wasn't "natural," but that spirit of showmanship and community still lingers. When you sit around the communal fire pit at night, you’re doing exactly what people were doing 120 years ago.
Actionable Advice for Your Trip
- Bring a Headlamp. Walking to the bathroom at night in total darkness is a recipe for a stubbed toe or a literal run-in with a deer.
- Pack an Extension Cord. If you do manage to get a heated tent, there is usually only one outlet. An extension cord or a power strip turns that one outlet into a charging station for the whole family.
- Earplugs are Mandatory. The canvas walls are paper-thin. If the person in the tent next to you is a loud breather, you’re going to hear it.
- Check the "Yosemite Guide." When you enter the park, they give you a newspaper. Read it. It lists the ranger programs, many of which happen right in the Curry Village amphitheater.
- Secure Your Food. I’ve seen people lose their deposit because they left a bag of chips in their car. The ravens are just as bad as the bears—they can unzip bags. Seriously.
Staying at Half Dome Village (Curry Village) is about embracing the messiness of nature. It’s not a sterile hotel room. It’s a basecamp. It’s dusty, it’s crowded, and it’s spectacular. If you want the "real" Yosemite, this is where you find it.
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Book your stay through the official Yosemite Hospitality website to ensure you aren't paying third-party markups. Check the weather forecast for Yosemite Village, not just "California," because the valley has its own microclimate. Pack a warm hat, even in July. Most importantly, leave the screen behind and look up. The stars over the valley floor are worth every bit of the hassle.