Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
www.nps.gov/yose/
1. Yosemite National Park
HeadingnorthfromOakhurst,Rte.41meandersintotheevergreen-scentedSierraNational
Forest, a vast domain that abuts Yosemite National Park and is dominated by ponderosa
pine, oak, and incense cedar. For a unique way to sample the forest, take the 45-minute
ride on the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, which hauled timber out of the woods
beginning in 1899 but now restricts its load to visitors. About seven miles north of the rail-
road, the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park beckons like the gates of Eden. In
the words of its early champion John Muir, Yosemite “is surely the brightest and the best
of all the Lord has built.” Native Americans must have thought so too, for they lived in the
area for nearly 4,000 years before pioneers discovered it in the mid-1800s. First declared a
national park in 1890, thanks in large part to the efforts of John Muir, Yosemite has attrac-
ted more and more visitors with the passage of time, and they now number many millions
each year.
2. Mariposa Grove
Just beyond the park's entrance, a two-mile spur winds east to the Mariposa Grove of giant
sequoias. No ordinary trees, these noble giants—among the largest of living things—can
grow more than 300 feet tall, with trunks that measure up to 27 feet across. The venerable
GrizzlyGiant,about2,700yearsold,wasinitsyouthwhenSocratesdispensedhiswisdom
to students in ancient Greece. Another Goliath, the Wawona Tunnel Tree, was made fam-
ous when, in 1881, an opening was cut in its base to allow stagecoaches and, in later years,
cars to pass through—until the tree toppled in 1969. A tram tour and museum highlight the
magnificent trees.
3. Wawona
Located in a broad, pleasant valley on the south fork of the Merced River, the village of
Wawona was once a favorite stop on the old stagecoach route to Yosemite. The era is re-
called by the elegant 1870s-vintage Wawona Hotel, while the Pioneer Yosemite History
Center re-creates the park's early days with a stagecoach ride, period buildings, a covered
bridge, and a variety of exhibits.
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