Medley - The Complete Guidebook to Yosemite National Park

Table of Contents

On the whole, Yosemite is incomparably the most wonderful feature on our continent.

A. D. Richardson, 1865

From the discovery of Yosemite to the present day the wonders of this region of sublimity have been a source of inspiration to visitors, but none have been able to describe it to the satisfaction of those who followed after them.

Lafayette Bunnell

Youve got a good point, Lafayette, but here goes anyway....

SPM

For Jane and the boys

2004 by Yosemite Association

2012, 2018 by Yosemite Conservancy

Published in the United States by Yosemite Conservancy. All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

yosemiteconservancy.org

Yosemite Conservancys Mission

Yosemite Conservancy inspires people to support projects and programs that preserve Yosemite and enrich the visitor experience.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2017954165

Caveat

Given the rapidity with which things change, the accuracy and completeness of the contents of this book cannot be guaranteed. The publisher and author assume no legal responsibility for the appreciation or depreciation of the value of any premises, commercial or otherwise, by reason of their inclusion in, or exclusion from this book. Further, the names of businesses mentioned here are provided as a service to readers and not as an endorsement or guarantee.

Cover photograph by Pung/Shutterstock.com

Cover design by Nancy Austin Design

Interior design by Nancy Austin Design based on a design by J. Spittler/Jamison Design

Maps by Ben Pease, Pease Press Cartography, based on original maps by Bill Kuhn and the National Park Service

ISBN 978-1-930238-87-9

1 2 3 4 5 6 22 21 20 19 18

Mule deer

A view of Vernal Fall

Many wonderful, helpful people have participated in the production and updating of this book over the years.

Thank you to Pat Wight, Penny Otwell, Holly Warner, Anne Steed, Laurel Rematore, Beth Pratt, Mary Vocelka, Ann Gushue, Jim Snyder, Linda Eade, Len McKenzie, Dean Shenk, Marla LaCass, Laurel Boyers, Craig Bates, N. King Huber, Jan van Wagtendonk, Peter Browning, Jim Alinder, Bill Neill, Mike Osborne, Mono Lake Committee, Keith Walklet, Nancy Lusignan, Kris Fister, Bob Jones, Tori Keith, Jack and Gay Reineck, and Norma Craig. You provided a foundation for future editions and in doing so have assisted many thousands of Yosemite National Park visitors.

For assisting tremendously with the 2012 edition, thanks are due to Bob Hansen, Peter Brewitt, Ben Pease, the staff of Heyday Books, and the National Park Service and its dedicated employees, especially Linda Eade, Mary Kline, Brenna Lissoway, and Laura Patten.

This new edition would not have been possible without the continued assistance of the National Park Service, especially Sabrina Diaz, Jeffrey Trust, Marion Roubal, Sharon Miyako, Robert Loudon, Kara Stella, and Adrienne Freeman. Thank you to all those who contributed updates to the text and the maps: Carolyn Botell, Kathy Chappell, Butch Farabee, Nicole Geiger, Schuyler Greenleaf, Ryan Kelly, Katie Manion, Ben Pease, Adonia Ripple, Laurie Stowe, Molly Woodward, and Lisa Cesaro of Yosemite Hospitality who fielded many, many questions. This book would not be possible without you all.

Summer beauty in Tuolumne Meadows

Summer sunrise at Tunnel View

Yosemite National Park is one of the best places on earth. Yosemite holds rugged 13,000-foot mountains, two major rivers, living glaciers, and broad alpine meadows. It has the largest (and smallest) trees, one of the tallest waterfalls in North America, and a mountain that looks like its been cut in half. It is our oldest wilderness park, a mecca for photographers, and a world center of rock climbing. Millions of people visit the park every year, and all of them can find true solitude. If youve come for intense adventures, climbing, skiing, or backpacking, Yosemite is the place for you. If youve come to relax, enjoy the scenery, and take some time out from your life... Yosemite is still the place for you. From the joys of the high country and Tuolumne Meadows in the summer to the gushing waterfalls of spring to cross-country skiing in the winter, there is no bad time to visit Yosemite National Park.

Established: October 1, 1890

Size: 748,436 acres (302,881 ha), or 1,170 square miles (3,030 sq km); 94 percent of the park is designated wilderness.

Address: P.O. Box 577, Yosemite National Park, CA 95389

Campsites: 1,520 individual sites parkwide

Overnight accommodations: 1,370 units

Paved roads: 214 miles (344 km)

Paved walking & bike paths: 20 miles (32 km)

Developed trails: 800 miles (1,287 km)

Wildlife species (approximate):

Amphibians and reptiles: 34

Birds: 260

Fish: 6 native species

Mammals: 90

Flora species:

Flowering plants: 1,500

Trees: 35

Meadows: Approximately 36,620 acres (14,820 ha)

Geographic center: Mount Hoffmann

Highest paved pass in the Sierra Nevada mountain range: Tioga Pass, 9,945 feet (3,031 m)

Major lakes: 318

Water bodies: approximately 2,700 total, with an estimated 245 that contain fish

Rivers and streams: 1,200 miles (1,931 km)

Park speed limit: 25 to 45 mph (40 to 72 kph); obey posted speed at all times