Type: Extensive national park recreation, with holiday accommodation, outdoor activities and longer-term rentals.
Location: Four distinct areas: Yosemite Valley, Mariposa Forest, Glacier Pass and High Sierra.
Accommodation: Two lodges, twelve furnished B&Bs, plus cottages, cabins, treehouses, glamping tents and campsites.
Prices: Bighorn Lodge L$50/day; ‘Rustic’ B&Bs L$100/day; More deluxe B&Bs L$200/day. Longer-term rentals also available.
Prim allowances: 50 prims at Bighorn Lodge; 100 at Rustic B&Bs. Additional prims available.
Activities: Hiking, horse riding, kayaking, skiing, skating, ziplining, cycling, fishing and much more.
Rental requirements: Yosemite VIP group membership (L$95) required for rezzing.
Owner and creator: Jadin Emerald.
Finding actual hotels in Second Life can require a little detective work. I often use the Firestorm viewer's search function, but most results for 'hotel' lead to either hookup or hooker places (case in point, the top search result takes you here). You have to look quite carefully to find somewhere that might qualify.
That's how I came across the Bighorn Lodge. I was working my way down the search results, which are ranked by traffic, when I spotted a name I hadn't noticed before.
Based on the traffic figures, it didn’t seem like a place that was particularly busy, so I didn’t expect much. Probably a run-of-the-mill guesthouse or motel, of which SL has plenty.
And, to begin with, that's more or less what I found. Bighorn Lodge is indeed a modest, traditional mountain hotel, set among snowy peaks. Quite attractive, if a little old-fashioned.
But when I stepped outside, I realised there was rather more to this place than a few rooms in the mountains.
A whole national park
I'd stumbled across Yosemite, an enormous recreation of the Californian national park, with forests, mountains, lakes, hiking trails, outdoor activities and a remarkable range of places to stay.
I've been reviewing Second Life hotels and resorts for years, and I was genuinely amazed that I'd never been here, as it’s clearly existed for a while.
The first indication of just how much there is to do at Yosemite comes from the large destination board just outside the Lodge, which lists around 50 places to visit.
There are four main areas: Yosemite Valley, Mariposa Forest, Glacier Pass and High Sierra. Each has its own character, and you can travel between them using a network of teleporters or a Navigator HUD.
Alternatively, you can simply walk. There are extensive trails, marked paths and plenty of places to stop along the way.
The park is the creation of Jadin Emerald, who says she's visited the real Yosemite National Park in California between 15 and 20 times. Her aim has been to recreate its atmosphere and natural beauty, rather than produce an exact geographical replica.
And she's done a remarkable job.
Glacier Pass, where I first arrived, is a permanently snowy mountain resort, with skiing, skating, a chairlift, a zipline and mountain cafés. It feels like the sort of place you might visit for a winter holiday.
Mariposa Forest has enormous sequoias, woodland trails and cabins tucked away among the trees. The scale of the forest is particularly impressive, with some tree trunks dwarfing the surrounding accommodation.
Yosemite Valley offers a greener landscape with waterways, kayaking, and other outdoor activities, while High Sierra is a mountainous wilderness area with hiking trails, horseback riding, and spectacular views.
One thing I particularly like is that you can choose your environment to match your mood. If you fancy a winter holiday, head for Glacier Pass. If you prefer forests, there is Mariposa. Or perhaps you want to spend an afternoon kayaking in Yosemite Valley.
All these different environments are available year-round.
There is also a great deal of attention to detail. The visitor centre has maps, information boards and a well-stocked gift shop, where you can buy Yosemite mugs for L$5. You can even pick up free audiobooks by the American naturalist John Muir, including The Mountains of California.
Throughout the park, there are cafés, seating areas, picnic spots and information boards. It all feels remarkably well organised.
You could easily spend several days here without running out of things to explore.
Bighorn Lodge
But let's return to the original reason for our visit.
Bighorn Lodge is a fairly traditional two-storey wooden mountain hotel in Glacier Pass. Architecturally, it's quite simple, with a pitched roof, timber walls and a broad staircase leading up to the entrance.
Inside, there's a reception area, a dining room with a large stone fireplace, and guest accommodation.
The decor is a little old-fashioned, but I rather like it. There's something authentic about the place, in the way that real mountain lodges often feel more traditional and comfortable than glamorous.
Maya made much the same observation when we arrived.
The rooms cost L$50 per day or L$350 per week and come with a 50-prim allowance. We rented one for a week.
Our room was surprisingly spacious, with a separate sitting area, a Chez Moi sofa, an adult bed from LA Lou and a Dutchie hot tub. There were also bookcases, rugs and other decorative touches.
The furniture is perfectly decent, and everything fits the surroundings.
At L$50 a day, I really couldn't find much to complain about.
There is one practical consideration. The room doesn't have its own security orb, so you can't automatically prevent other visitors from entering.
However, unlike some hotels I've visited, Yosemite explains its approach in the rental information. If someone enters your accommodation, you're asked to politely ask them to leave. If they refuse, you can contact one of the park administrators, who will deal with the situation.
It's an arrangement that relies partly on visitors behaving themselves, but at least the policy is clearly explained.
The B&Bs
What I hadn't appreciated when we arrived was that Bighorn is only one of numerous places to stay.
According to Yosemite's visitor guide, the park has two lodges and twelve furnished B&Bs, divided into seven rustic and five deluxe properties. There are also many other accommodation options, from simple campsites to substantial log cabins.
Obviously, it would have been practically impossible to inspect all of them.
Maya and I rented two properties during our visit, Bighorn Lodge and Traveler's B&B, and also looked around a selection of other available accommodations.
Think of this as a sample of what's on offer, rather than an exhaustive survey.
Traveler's B&B: a real find
Of the properties we visited, my favourite was Traveler's B&B in Mariposa Forest, one of the ‘rustic’ properties.
This is a lovely little wooden cabin, tucked away among the enormous sequoias, with terraces overlooking the surrounding woodland and water.
It costs just L$100 a day, with a 100-prim allowance.
Inside, there's a kitchen, a sitting area, and a raised bedroom featuring a Bazar adult bed, all surrounded by greenery and fairy lights. There is also a Bazar sofa, a Chez Moi adult bathtub, a massage table, a sauna and a hot tub.
Outside, there are several places to sit and enjoy the surroundings, including a particularly attractive terrace.
The bedroom is especially appealing. The combination of wood, greenery, glass and soft lighting gives the place a romantic atmosphere without being excessively elaborate.
Maya and I spent some time here, and I could easily imagine returning for a longer stay.
One minor complaint: although there's an elaborate bathtub, there's no WC. I know this is Second Life and nobody actually needs one, but I always find it slightly peculiar when virtual accommodation goes to great lengths to provide luxurious bathrooms, only to forget the toilet. Still, that's a minor point.
For L$100 a day, I think Traveler's B&B is exceptionally good value. I've stayed at SL resorts charging several times as much for accommodation that offers considerably less.
What about the more expensive B&Bs?
I also visited East Cliff B&B, a deluxe property in the snowy mountain area, advertised at L$200 a day.
This is a much larger property, with a substantial kitchen, a separate dining area, a bedroom, a bathroom, and an attractive covered terrace overlooking the snow-covered landscape.
There's also a sauna, a hot tub, and a massage table.
It's a very nice place indeed, and I can see why somebody wanting more space might prefer it.
However, for a couple looking for a romantic retreat, I would personally choose one of the ‘rustic’ B&Bs at half the price.
That said, the two property types offer rather different experiences, so much depends on what you're looking for.
There's also another hotel, Yosemite Lodge, with three rooms advertised at L$100 a day. We didn't inspect the accommodation there, as these rooms are in individual skyboxes, but it's another option worth considering.
Somewhere to live, rather than simply visit
Yosemite also has an extensive range of longer-term rentals.
These include cottages, log cabins, A-frame houses, treehouses, tent cabins and campsites, scattered across the different areas of the park.
I inspected a few of these, including some of the woodland cottages and treehouses, and was struck by how affordable they are.
For example, I found cottages and treehouses advertised at L$150 a week, with 100 prims. These are unfurnished, so you'd need to bring your own furniture, but for somebody looking for a peaceful SL home, they offer an attractive alternative to more conventional residential developments.
In High Sierra, I came across some great log cabins with large porches and mountain views. Elsewhere, there are small wooden cottages almost hidden among the enormous trees.
A number of the properties appeared to be rented during our visits, suggesting that the accommodation is seeing some use.
I also like the way the rules encourage residents to respect the park's appearance. Furniture and other objects should fit the rustic setting, noise is discouraged, and there are restrictions on vehicles and other items that would look out of place.
It's sensible, particularly in a development where the landscape is such an important part of the experience.
Getting out and about
Of course, there's little point in staying somewhere like Yosemite if you never leave your accommodation.
The park offers an enormous range of activities, including hiking, horse riding, kayaking, fishing, skiing, sledding, skating, cycling and ziplining.
There are also more unusual attractions, such as hang gliding and skydiving.
I tried kayaking and explored some of the trails and visitor facilities. I particularly enjoyed the contrast between the snowy mountain scenery around Glacier Pass and the greener landscapes elsewhere.
And I like the fact that Yosemite makes it easy to explore. The destination boards and Navigator HUD mean that you don't have to spend ages trying to work out where everything is.
At the same time, you can simply wander along the trails and see what you come across.
That's probably the best way to appreciate how much work has gone into the landscape.
A few practical considerations
Yosemite is accessible to visitors at no charge, although accommodation is rented separately.
If you want to rez objects, you'll need to join the Yosemite VIP group, which currently costs L$95. This is an additional expense to consider when renting a room.
Extra prims can be rented in increments of 50 for L$75 a week.
The park has a Moderate maturity rating, although some of the accommodation includes adult furniture and animations.
Privacy arrangements can vary between properties, so it's worth checking exactly what facilities are provided before renting.
I would also recommend reading the rental note card. It's unusually comprehensive and explains everything from rezzing rights and prim allowances to the park's rules and how to contact management.
The whole operation gives the impression of being thoughtfully managed, with an emphasis on maintaining a peaceful environment.
The verdict
Yosemite is one of the most interesting destinations I've come across in Second Life in a long time.
I went looking for a fairly obscure mountain lodge and ended up discovering an enormous national park, with four very different environments, dozens of places to explore and an extraordinary range of accommodation.
What particularly impresses me is the attention to detail. The landscapes, trails, visitor information, cafés and rental properties have all been put together with obvious care.
There is also something refreshing about the prices.
Bighorn Lodge, at L$50 a day, offers comfortable and authentic mountain accommodation. The rustic B&Bs, at L$100 a day, are lovely little retreats, comparing extremely favourably with far more expensive resorts.
And for those who want a longer-term home, the cabins, cottages and treehouses offer plenty of options.
Some of the furniture is a little older, and individual properties have their quirks. But these are relatively minor considerations when you look at everything Yosemite offers.
What I particularly like is that you can come here for almost any sort of holiday. You can spend time in the snow, walk through enormous forests, go kayaking, ride horses or simply sit outside a cabin enjoying the scenery.
After years of reviewing Second Life hotels and resorts, I'm still occasionally surprised by what I find.
Yosemite was one of those surprises.
Highly Recommended.
