Yosemite National Park
Location: Middle eastern California. Area: 1125 square miles. Season: May 1 to November 1. Address of Supervisor: Yosemite, California.
For many years the name Yosemite National Park has been considered synonymous with Yosemite Valley, because only within the last year has it been possible for any one except an experienced mountaineer to enjoy the beauties of the wonderful area of mountains and forest that lies beyond the great Valley. Only a part of it is now supplied with permanent camps, but it is expected that more of these will be established and that more and more of this beautiful Park will be accessible every year. Yosemite is the only great Park that is accessible throughout the year. The season extends from May 1 to November 1, but the hotel in Yosemite Valley is open during the winter for those who desire to see the Park in its winter dress of snow. In winter, however, the higher portions of the Park are accessible only to hardened and experienced mountaineers.
Railroad Connections
The Yosemite Valley Railroad reaches the western border of Yosemite Park at El Portal. This road connects with the Southern Pacific and the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroads at Merced, where stopovers may be obtained on tourist tickets, and excursion ticket to Yosemite Village may be purchased for $18.50 for the round trip. Through sleeping and parlor cars are also operated from San Francisco to El Portal by way of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The round-trip fare from San Francisco to Yosemite Village is $23.00. During the season the Park may also be reached by automobile stage from Fresno or Merced on the Southern Pacific and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroads. The latest automobile rates from these points by way of the Yosemite Stage and Turnpike Company are as follows:—
Automobile stage fares from Fresno or Merced to—
| Yosemite via Mariposa Big Trees, Wawona, and Inspiration Point, in each direction | $14.25 |
| Yosemite via Mariposa Big Trees, Wawona, and Inspiration Point, including side trip Chinquapin to Glacier Point and return, in each direction | 19.25 |
| Yosemite and return to either point via Mariposa Big Trees, Wawona, and Inspiration | 24.00 |
| Yosemite and return to either point via Mariposa Big Trees, Wawona, and Inspiration Point, including side trip Chinquapin to Glacier Point and return | 29.00 |
| Wawona, in each direction | 8.50 |
| Wawona and return to either point, including side trip to Mariposa Big Trees | 15.00 |
| Wawona and return to either point, without side trip to Mariposa Big Trees | 14.00 |
Automobile Routes
The motorist approaching California over the Lincoln Highway should turn south at Ely and reach the Tioga Road at the eastern border of the Park near Mono Lake; distance about 200 miles. There are two routes from San Francisco: via Stockton, Modesto, and Coulterville, 210 miles; or via San José, Gilroy, Los Baños, Fresno, and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees, 280 miles. The best route from Los Angeles is by way of Saugus, Neenach, Bakersfield, Tulare, Fresno, and Mariposa Grove of Big Trees; distance 365 miles.
The entrance fee for an automobile is $5.00 for a single trip, or $8.00 for a season permit. Speed limits range from 8 to 20 miles per hour. On account of the snow the Tioga Road is generally not open before July 15 or after October 1, the Big Oak Flat Road not before May 15 or after November 1, the Wawona Road not before May or after November. Motor-cycles are not allowed in the Park.
Hotels and Camps
At Yosemite Village in the Valley a new modern hotel is now under construction, but accommodations are now furnished by the old Sentinel Hotel, which has been refurnished, and by a number of camps.
Hotel and Camps in Yosemite Valley
| Operated by Desmond Park Service Company:— | |
| Sentinel Hotel, per day | $4 to $5 |
| Yosemite Falls Camp, wooden bungalows, per day | 3.50 |
| El Capitan Camp, wood frames covered with canvas and wood floors, per day | 2.50 |
| Camp Lost Arrow, operated by W. M. Sell, Jr., per day | 2.50 |
| Camp Curry, operated by Curry Camping Company, per day | 2.50 |
| Camp Ahwahnee, operated by W. M. Sell, Sr., per day | 3.75 |
At Glacier Point, above the Valley, the Desmond Park Service Company operates the New Glacier Point Hotel, with a uniform rate of $4.00 per day.
At Tenaya Lake, Tuolumne Soda Springs, and Merced Lake the Desmond Park-Service Company operates permanent camps known as lodges. These lodges have wood frames covered with canvas and wood floors. The rate at all of the lodges is $3.00 per day, with an additional charge of $1.00 when the lodge is occupied exclusively by one person.
Eight miles from the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees, but outside the Park, is the Wawona Hotel at Wawona; rates are from $4.00 to $5.00 per day.
Tours
The main roads in Yosemite National Park are the Tioga Road, which crosses the Park in an east-west direction almost in its center; the Big Oak Flat Road, by which Yosemite Valley may be reached from Modesto and Stockton; the Coulterville Road, by which Yosemite Valley may be reached from Merced; El Portal Road, between the terminus of the Yosemite Valley Railroad and Yosemite Valley; the Wawona Road, connecting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees; and the Glacier Point Road, extending from the Wawona Road to Glacier Point. Travel between points in the Park that are not contiguous to these roads must be made on foot or horseback over the many trails that connect the principal points of interest.
Yosemite Village is the center of all activities in the Park and practically all the trips radiate from this point. Every variety of trip may be taken, ranging from a single day excursion to the peaks surrounding the Valley to a 9-day tour of the High Sierra. Arrangements may be made for extended or special trips, but the tours and trips listed below include the more important points of interest. All of these trips are under the supervision of the Desmond Park Service Company and are made on horseback unless otherwise noted. The rates include transportation only. Meals and lodging may be obtained at Glacier Point Hotel and at the lodges at the regular rates.
| One-day trips:— | ||
| Vernal and Nevada Falls, round trip | $3.00 | |
| Vernal and Nevada Falls, Glacier Point and return, continuous, round trip | 3.00 | |
| Vernal and Nevada Falls and Clouds Rest, round trip | 3.00 | |
| Glacier Point and Sentinel Dome via Union Point (short trail), round trip | 3.00 | |
| Yosemite Point, round trip | 3.00 | |
| Eagle Peak, round trip | 3.00 | |
| Pohono Trail to Fort Monroe, thence by automobile from Fort Monroe via Wawona Road to Valley | 5.00 | |
| North Dome via Mirror Lake, and return via Yosemite Falls, or vice versa | 3.00 | |
| Lake Tenaya via Tenaya Cañon, round trip | 3.00 | |
| Glacier Point, Sentinel Dome, and Fissures via Union Point (short trail) and return | 3.00 | |
| Two-day trips:— | ||
| Happy Isles, Vernal and Nevada Falls, Glacier Point Hotel, Sentinel Dome, Taft Point, Dewey Point, and Inspiration Point | 8.00 | |
| Mirror Lake, Tenaya Lake Lodge, Nevada and Vernal Falls | 6.00 | |
| Three-day trips:— | ||
| Happy Isles, Vernal and Nevada Falls, Merced Lake Lodge, Merced Soda Springs, and Washburn Lake | 9.00 | |
| Mirror Lake, Tenaya Lake Lodge, Nevada and Illilouette Falls, and Glacier Point Hotel | 9.00 | |
| Four-day trips:— | ||
| Mirror Lake, Merced Lake Lodge, Merced Soda Springs, Washburn Lake, Nevada and Vernal Falls | 12.00 | |
| Mirror Lake, Tenaya Lake Lodge, White Cascades, Le Conte, California, Nevada, and Illilouette Falls, and Glacier Point Hotel | 12.00 | |
| Five-day trips:— | ||
| Mirror Lake, Tenaya Lake Lodge, Tuolumne Meadows, Soda Springs, Tuolumne Soda Springs Camp, Donohue Pass, Mount Lyell, Glen Aulin Falls, Magee Lake, Eagle Peak, and Yosemite Point | 15.00 | |
| Six-day trips:— | ||
| Mirror Lake, Tenaya Lake Lodge, White Cascades, Le Conte, and California Falls, Soda Springs, Tuolumne Soda Springs Camp, Tuolumne Meadows, Donohue Pass, Mount Lyell, Eagle Peak, and Yosemite Point | 18.00 | |
| Seven-day trips:— | ||
| Mirror Lake, Tenaya Lake Lodge, White Cascades, Le Conte and California Falls, Tuolumne Meadows, Soda Springs, Tuolumne Soda Springs Camp, Donohue Pass, Mount Lyell, Nevada and Illilouette Falls, and Glacier Point Hotel | 21.00 | |
| Eight-day trips:— | ||
| Mirror Lake, Tenaya Lake Lodge, White Cascades, Le Conte and California Falls, Tuolumne Meadows, Soda Springs, Tuolumne Soda Springs Camp, Donohue Pass, Mount Lyell, Merced Lake Lodge, Merced Soda Springs, and Washburn Lake | 24.00 | |
| Nine-day trips:— | ||
| Mirror Lake, Tenaya Lake Lodge, Cascades, Le Conte and California Falls, Tuolumne Meadows, Soda Springs, Tuolumne Soda Springs Camp, Tuolumne Pass, Mount Lyell, Merced Lake Lodge, Merced Soda Springs, Washburn Lake, and Glacier Point Hotel | 27.00 | |
Automobile trips to points reached by road may be made at the following rates:—
| From Sentinel Hotel or any of the permanent camps:— | ||
| To or from Happy Isles or Mirror Lake, one way | $.75 | |
| Round trip to Happy Isles or Mirror Lake | 1.25 | |
| To Bridal Veil Falls, one way | 1.00 | |
| To Bridal Veil Falls, round trip | 1.75 | |
| To Happy Isles, Mirror Lake, the Village, Cathedral Rocks, Bridal Veil Falls, El Capitan, round trip | 3.25 | |
| To Happy Isles, Mirror Lake, the Village, Cathedral Rocks, Bridal Veil Falls, El Capitan, Artist and Inspiration Points, round trip | 4.50 | |
| To Artist and Inspiration Points, round trip | 3.00 | |
| From Yosemite Valley:— | ||
| To Wawona, one way | 5.50 | |
| To Wawona, round trip | 9.50 | |
| To Mariposa Big Tree Grove and return to Wawona | 7.75 | |
| To Mariposa Big Tree Grove, round trip | 11.25 | |
| To Mariposa Big Trees and return via Inspiration Point and Wawona, including side trip Chinquapin to Glacier Point and return | $16.25 | |
| To Glacier Point, one way | 5.50 | |
| To Glacier Point, round trip | 9.50 | |
| To Tuolumne Big Trees, one way | 2.50 | |
| To Tuolumne Big Trees, round trip | 4.25 | |
| To Tenaya Lake via Tuolumne Big Trees, one way | 8.75 | |
| To Tenaya Lake via Tuolumne Big Trees, round trip | 15.25 | |
| To Soda Springs via Tuolumne Big Trees, one way | 10.00 | |
| To Soda Springs via Tuolumne Big Trees, round trip | 17.50 | |
| From Glacier Point:— | ||
| To Mariposa Big Tree Grove and return to Valley or Glacier Point | 11.25 | |
| To Wawona, one way | 5.50 | |
| To Wawona, round trip | 9.50 | |
The automobile rates from Yosemite Village to El Portal, Fresno, and Merced are given in connection with the account of the railroad connections.
Principal Points of Interest
Distances from Yosemite Post-Office to Principal
Points in Yosemite Valley
| Miles | ||
| Basket Dome (top of) | 9.0 | Northeast |
| Camp Ahwahnee | 1.0 | West |
| Camp Curry | 1.0 | East |
| Camp Lost Arrow | .5 | North |
| Clouds’ Rest | 11.0 | East |
| El Capitan | 3.5 | West |
| Glacier Point | 4.5 | South |
| Glacier Point Hotel and Camp | 4.5 | South |
| Half Dome (foot of) | 3.0 | East |
| Happy Isles | 2.5 | East |
| Liberty Cap | 5.5 | East |
| Mirror Lake | 3.0 | East |
| Mount Watkins (top of) | 9.0 | East |
| Nevada Falls | 6.0 | East |
| North Dome (top of) | 11.0 | Northeast |
| Sentinel Rock | 1.0 | West |
| Tenaya Cañon | 4.0 | East |
| Union Point | 3.0 | South |
| Vernal Falls | 5.0 | East |
| Yosemite Falls | .5 | North |
Mariposa Big Tree Grove
Sizes of Big Trees in Mariposa Grove
[All dimensions are in feet]
| Trees | Girth at base | Approximate diameter at base | Girth about 10 feet above ground | Approximate diameter about 10 feet above ground | Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grizzly Giant | 93 | 29.6 | 64.5 | 20.5 | 204 |
| Faithful Couple | 94 | 29.9 | 63 | 20 | 244 |
| Michigan | 55.5 | 17.7 | 40 | 12.7 | 257 |
| Fresno | 63 | 20 | 38.5 | 12.2 | 273 |
| Columbia | 80.5 | 25.6 | 52 | 16.5 | 294 |
| Old Guard (South Tree) | 45 | 14.3 | 31 | 9.9 | 244 |
| Lafayette | 92.5 | 29.4 | 53 | 16.9 | 273 |
| Nevada | 48.5 | 15.4 | 35 | 11.1 | 278 |
| General Sherman | 63 | 20 | 41.5 | 13.2 | 267 |
| General Grant | 67 | 21.3 | 42 | 13.4 | 271 |
| General Sheridan | 76 | 24.2 | 51 | 16.2 | 263 |
| Philadelphia | 61.5 | 19.6 | 50.5 | 16.1 | 275 |
| St. Louis | 73 | 23.2 | 51 | 16.2 | 269 |
| Lincoln | 72 | 22.9 | 54.5 | 17.3 | 258 |
| Washington | 92 | 29.3 | 65 | 20.7 | 235 |
| William McKinley | 70 | 22.3 | 46.5 | 14.8 | 243 |
| General Logan | 76 | 24.2 | 49.5 | 15.7 | 259 |
| Galen Clark | 59.5 | 18.9 | 47 | 14.9 | 238 |
| Pittsburgh | 53.5 | 17 | 41 | 13 | 242 |
| Vermont | 47 | 14.9 | 38 | 12.1 | 257 |
| Wawona (26 feet through opening | .. | .. | 60.5 | 19.2 | 227 |
| New York | 52 | 16.5 | 45.5 | 14.5 | 237 |
| Forest Queen | 53.5 | 17 | 38 | 12.1 | 219 |
| Boston | 58 | 18.4 | 47 | 14.9 | 248 |
| Chicago | 57 | 18.1 | 40.5 | 12.9 | 223 |
| Whittier | 62 | 19.7 | 47 | 14.9 | 268 |
| Longfellow | 51.5 | 16.4 | 43 | 13.7 | 273 |
| Captain A. E. Wood | 52 | 16.5 | 40 | 12.7 | 310 |
| Mark Twain | 53 | 16.9 | 41 | 13 | 331 |
| Mississippi | 54.5 | 17.3 | 37.5 | 11.9 | 269 |
| Stonewall Jackson | 53 | 16.9 | 38.5 | 12.2 | 265 |
| Georgia | 48 | 15.3 | 35 | 11.1 | 270 |
| South Carolina | 74 | 23.5 | 54.5 | 17.3 | 264 |
Principal Points Reached From the Camps
All the places listed below may be reached on horseback and return made to camp in one day:—
| From Merced Lake Lodge:— | |
| Merced Soda Springs. Washburn Lake. | |
| From Tenaya Lake Lodge:— | |
| White Cascades. Le Conte Falls. California Falls. | |
| From Tuolumne Soda Spring Lodge:— | |
| Donohue Pass. Mount Lyell. Tuolumne Meadows. Tuolumne Pass. | |
Height of Summits in Yosemite Valley
| Name | Height above pier near Sentinel Hotel1 (feet) |
|---|---|
| Artist Point | 739 |
| Basket Dome | 3,642 |
| Cathedral Rocks | 2,591 |
| Cathedral Spires | 2,154 |
| Clouds’ Rest | 5,964 |
| Columbia Rock | 1,071 |
| Eagle Peak | 3,813 |
| El Capitan | 3,604 |
| Glacier Point | 3,254 |
| Half Dome | 4,892 |
| Leaning Tower | 1,903 |
| Liberty Cap | 3,112 |
| North Dome | 3,571 |
| Old Inspiration Point | 2,643 |
| Panorama Point | 2,264 |
| Profile Cliff | 3,543 |
| Pulpit Rock | 765 |
| Sentinel Dome | 4,157 |
| Stanford Point | 2,699 |
| Washington Column | 1,952 |
| Yosemite Point | 2,975 |
Height of Waterfalls in Yosemite Valley
| Feet | |
|---|---|
| Yosemite Falls | 1,430 |
| Lower Yosemite Falls | 320 |
| Nevada Falls | 594 |
| Vernal Falls | 317 |
| Illilouette Falls | 370 |
| Bridal Veil Falls | 620 |
| Ribbon Falls | 1,612 |
| Widow’s Tears Falls | 1,170 |
Clothing and Equipment
As the best trips are made afoot or on horseback the tourist should carry only such extra clothing as may be transported in a haversack or rucksack. If additional material is carried it is necessary to hire a pack-horse at additional expense. The best outfit for men consists of woolen riding-breeches, flannel shirt, stout shoes, sneakers, woolen army socks, light weight woolen underwear, a felt hat, a sweater, and a pair of smoked glasses. As it seldom rains in the summer it is not necessary to carry a poncho. If many trips are made in automobiles a linen duster is advisable. Women should wear riding-breeches, woolen middy blouse, and woolen stockings, with puttees or leggings, a man’s felt hat, and other clothing as described for men.
Camping outfits may be obtained from the store of the Desmond Park Service Company at Yosemite Village, and provisions may be obtained at the Tenaya Lake, Tuolumne Soda Springs, and Merced Lake Lodges. Tourists desiring to rent camp equipment should make the necessary arrangements before their arrival in the Park. Prices for regular outfits are as follows:—
Price List for Camping Outfits
| Persons in party | One week | Two weeks | Three weeks | One month |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | $5.00 | $6.50 | $7.50 | $8.00 |
| Two | 7.50 | 9.00 | 9.50 | 10.00 |
| Three | 9.00 | 10.50 | 11.50 | 12.00 |
| Four | 11.00 | 12.00 | 13.00 | 14.00 |
| Five | 13.00 | 14.00 | 15.00 | 16.00 |
| Six | 15.00 | 16.00 | 17.00 | 18.00 |
Fishing
There is good fishing in almost all the streams for Eastern brook, rainbow, cutthroat, and Loch Leven trout. The flies most commonly used are the black gnat, royal coachman, alder, king of the waters, and gray hackle; but other standard flies are used. Flies and tackle may be obtained at the general store at Yosemite Village. All fishing must be done in conformity to the laws of California, both as regards open season and limit of catch, and size of fish. Every man fisherman over 18 years of age must have a fishing license, which may be obtained from any County Clerk or from the offices of the State Board of Fish and Game Commissioners at San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and Fresno. The license fee is $1 for citizens of the United States who are bona-fide residents of California, and $3.00 for citizens of the United States who are not bona-fide residents of California and for persons not citizens of the United States.
Notes
1 This pier is 3962 feet above sea-level.