Yosemite Guide

Yosemite Guide Yosemite Guide February 3, 2021 - March 30, 2021 @YosemiteNPS UPDATE Due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19, visitor services and access may be affected. Check local resources, area signage, and our park website for updates, www.nps.gov/yose. Please follow CDC guidance to reduce the spread of COVID-19. • Maintain 6 feet of distance between you and others. • Wear a face covering when social distancing is not possible. • Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. • Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze. • Stay home if you feel sick. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Day-use reservations may be required: go.nps.gov/covid Park scientists have determined that the Lyell Glacier in Yosemite’s high country has shrunk by more than 80 percent since it was first mapped in the late 1880’s. Glacier loss is one of the many signals of a warming climate that scientists are tracking across the park. See feature story on page 10 to learn more. NPS Image / Greg Stock Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Guide February 3, 2021 - March 30, 2021 Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Guide February 3, 2021 - March 30, 2021 Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System Yosemite Valley Map Year-round Route: Valley Visitor Center Valley Shuttle Upper Yosemite Fall Campground Hetch Hetchy Parking Picnic Area Lower Yosemite Fall Tr ll ai i te Walk-In Campground The Ahwahnee se U p p er Yo Yosemite Valley Lodge Yosemite Falls Parking Swinging Bridge Housekeeping Camp Yosemite Village Parking il Sentinel Beach Lower Pines North Pines ra T te r i le wi n n Curry Village 8836 ft 2693 m Curry Village Parking Upper Pines Trailhead Parking i d cl o Fo Half Dome Campground Reservations se ur M 1 mile El Capitan Picnic Area Chapel Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center (YCHC) Wawona 1 km Mirror Lake seasonal Camp 4 0 Medical Church Bowl Clinic Picnic Area m Yosemite Valley Area in inset: Fa Yosemite Valley Map N The Ansel Adams Gallery l Tuolumne Meadows Restroom Yosemite Village Glacier Point Happy Isles Art and Nature Center closed in winter Vernal Fall 72I4 ft 2I99 m Cathedral Beach & oo Mist Trail r ai l pT Bridalveil Fall ho rse s on l y Merc ed R iver Nevada Fall The Yosemite Valley Shuttle System will not be operating during the Spring 2021 season. il ve al id Br na wo Wa ad Ro l Va L le y Cree k Winter Weather Driving and Chain Control Information: Illilouette Fall Winter road conditions through Yosemite can vary widely and may require tire chains. Chain requirements are strictly enforced. For updated 24-hour road and weather conditions for Yosemite National Park, please call 209/3720200. Signs will indicate when chains are required. Here is a summary of chain control signs on Yosemite roads: R1 - All vehicles without mud and snow tires are required to install chains/cables. Vehicles with mud and snow tires do not, but must still carry chains. See chain control regulations on www.nps. gov/yose for vehicles towing trailers. R2 - Chains/cables must be installed on ALL vehicles except 4-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with mud and snow tires. Fourwheel drive vehicles must have 4-wheel drive engaged. R3 - ALL vehicles are required to install chains/cables, regardless of having mud and snow tires or 4-wheel/all-wheel drive capability, NO EXCEPTIONS. *“M+S” will be on the side of your tires if they are mud and snow tires. i Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Guide February 3, 2021 - March 30, 2021 Things to Do Winter in Yosemite THINGS TO DO IN YOSEMITE VALLEY Custom Yosemite Experiences Join a Yosemite Conservancy naturalist SAFETY ALERT guide for a Custom Adventure designed to fit For your safety and the safety of other visitors snowshoe outings, day hikes, birding walks, and employees, we encourage you to follow stargazing programs, backpacking trips, and CDC guidance to reduce the spread of more. Contact adventures@yosemite.org, COVID-19. or visit yosemite.org/custom-adventures for your interests and schedule. Options include details. Practice social distancing. Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between Walking and Hiking you and others. Yosemite Valley has plenty of year-round walking and hiking possibilities. Stop by the Wash hands using soap and water or use hand sanitizer frequently. outdoor visitor contact station behind the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center for trail maps and updated weather and trail conditions. Wear a facecovering when social NPS Image distancing cannot be maintained. Crane Flat Snow Play Area Cover your mouth and nose when How Will COVID-19 Impact My Visit? you cough or sneeze. Following guidance from federal, state, and local public health authorities and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we are increasing access and services in a phased approach at Yosemite Additionally, avoid touching your eyes, nose, National Park. Visit the park website, www.nps.gov/yose, for more updates and safety information. and mouth, and most importantly, stay home if you feel sick. Download the Yosemite app for an interactive map, hiking trails, and park updates. See page 11 for more information. WELCOME Ask A Ranger Not open or available at this time Unavailable in early 2021 An outdoor visitor contact station is located behind Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Visitor Centers are closed until further notice. All shuttles and tours are canceled during this time Most roads and trails are open. Some trails may be closed or re-routed. Some campgrounds are currently closed. Yosemite Theater and Yosemite Museum will be closed during this time. Upper Pines campground is open and reservations are required. Most programs are canceled until further notice There is no first come, first served camping. Select dining and shopping establishments are open and encourage social distancing. signs to direct you to the exact location. Open 9am to 4:30pm, then hours will change to 9am to 5pm beginning February 13 is present. Please do not sled onto roadways! Hike, snowshoe, or ski in one of three sequoia groves, conditions permitting. The Merced Grove and Tuolumne Grove are located near Crane Flat, while the Mariposa Grove, the largest of the three, is near South Entrance. YOSEMITE INSPIRATIONS Celebrate African American History From the first footsteps of enslaved peoples on American soil to where Martin Luther King, Jr. challenged us all to rise to his Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and services are closed during this time. “Dream,” national parks preserve the places where this history happened. The National Park Service, along with others, pays tribute to the generations of African Americans behind the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center to get park information and updates. Look for Campground in winter when enough snow Inquire at a visitor contact station for details. Drop by the visitor contact station located ask your Yosemite-related questions and to A snow play area is open at Crane Flat Visit A Sequioa Grove Currently open and available Park App THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE YOSEMITE VALLEY who struggled with adversity to achieve full What Does 6-ft Look Like? citizenship in American society. Visit www. The wing span of a bald eagle is nps.gov to find ways to celebrate African roughly 6 feet long. While social American History Month, including the distancing, imagine the length viewing of a NPS short film, Twenty & Odd. of a soaring eagles’ wing span between you and others. Entering a National Park Yosemite is a place where wilderness prevails. Prepare yourself for a wild experience. The National Park Service is bound by its mission to protect Yosemite's natural and cultural resources for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. Please, be attentive to the regulations in place to protect park resources (page 9) and those designed for your safety (page 8). Fire – Police – Medical Emergency: Dial 911 Medical Clinic (in Yosemite Valley) Open 7 days per week from 9am to 7pm. Medical Clinic Phone: (209) 372-4637. Road, Weather, and Park Information: (209) 372-0200 Yosemite Village Garage - 8am to 5pm, 24 hour AAA towing, NO gas, propane service until 4:30pm. (209) 372-1060 Access for People with Disabilities Upcoming Park Projects For a complete list of accessible services, exhibits, and recreational opportunities, pick up a Yosemite Accessibility Guide at any park entrance station or visitor center, or view online at www.nps.gov/ yose/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm, or call a park Accessibility Coordinator at (209) 379-1035. Bridalveil Fall Rehabilitation Project Why: To rehabilitate visitor facilities at the base of Bridalveil Fall and surrounding area, and to protect natural and cultural resources in the area. When: 2020 - 2021 Visitor Impact: Trail, comfort station and parking lot may not be available due to construction. Sign Language interpreting is available upon request. Contact Deaf Services at (209) 379-5250 (v/txt). Two weeks advance notice is requested. Assistive Listening Devices available upon advance request at any visitor center. Audio tours available at Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Refer to the Accessibility Guide, or contact an Accessibility Coordinator for more information. Tioga Road Rehabilitation Plan Why: To make safety improvements and manage roadside parking and traffic flow while preserving natural and cultural resources along the road. When: 2020 and 2021 seasons Visitor Impact: 30-minute traffic delays along Tioga Road due to construction. Accessible parking spaces available west of Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Where to Go and What to Do in Yosemite National Park Inside: 01 Things to Do 04 Exhibits and Programs 05 Services 07 Permit Information 09 Protecting Yourself 10 Feature Story Back Shuttle Map 1 Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Discover Yosemite Let your curiosity guide you to new places Entrance Fees Non-commercial car, truck, RV, or van with 15 or fewer passenger seats (No per-person fee) Vehicle Valid for 7 days $35/Vehicle Motorcycle Valid for 7 days $30/motorcycle Walking Yosemite Valley Valley Visitor Center We strongly recommend moving around the Upper Yosemite Fall east end of Yosemite Valley on foot or bike if possible. On the map below, the numbers time between each destination, represented Yosemite Valley Lodge 5 30 Housekeeping Camp Chapel 5 Yosemite Falls Parking Lower Pines El Capitan Picnic Area 5 Cathedral Beach Average Walking Times Walking Routes Campground Parking Picnic Area Restroom R na wo Star Gold Wa Walk-In Campground Families (Free) Must present paper voucher Interagency 4th Grade Pass (Free) - Glacier Point Must present paper voucher. N Wawona U.S.Fresno 5th Grade Voucher (Free) 0 1 km 1 mile The Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road, beyond Badger Pass, are closed for the winter. For current road and weather information, please call 209/372-0200. 6 Must present paper voucher. E3 Reservations E4 Campground Reservations (877) 444-6777; www.recreation.gov Lodging Reservations (888) 413-8869 www.travelyosemite.com Group Sales Office: (888) 339-3481 5 Regional Info Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) www.yarts.com 4 1 Highway 41 Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau (559) 683-4636; www.yosemitethisyear.com 2 Highway 132/49 Coulterville Visitor Center (209) 878-3329 Highway 140/49 California Welcome Center, Merced (800) 446-5353 or (209) 724-8104 www.yosemite-gateway.org Mariposa County Visitor Center (866) 425-3366 or (209) 966-7081 Highway 120 East Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce and Mono Lake Visitor Center, (760) 647-6629, www.leevining.com 2 25 Yosemite Valley Walking Map U.S. Military VeteransBridalveil (Free) Must present suitable IDFall d oa Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau (209) 742-4567; www.yosemite.com Upper Pines Curry Village Parking Interagency Military Pass (Free) (Annual) For active duty U.S. military and dependents. Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau (800) 446-1333; www.tcvb.com Campground Reservations Curry Village Sentinel Beach Interagency Annual Senior Pass $20 For U.S. citizens or permanent residents 62 and over. Highway 120 West Yosemite Chamber of Commerce (800) 449-9120 or (209) 962-0429 North Pines Yosemite Village Parking Swinging Bridge Interagency Senior Pass $80 (Lifetime) For U.S. citizens or permanent residents 62 and over. To The Ahwahnee 10 10 Camp 4 Interagency Annual Pass $80 Valid for one year at all federal recreation sites. To Medical Clinic 20 Yosemite Pass $70, Valid for one year in Yosemite. Interagency Access Pass (Free) - El Portal & Mariposa (Lifetime) For permanently disabled U.S. citizens or permanent residents. - San Francisco W by the red circles. Individual Valid for 7 days $20 (In a bus, on foot, bicycle, or horse), To Yosemite Village Lower Yosemite Fall in the white circles show the average walking 3 Mariposa Road closed for winter season Yosemite Guide February 3, 2021 - March 30, 2021 Yosemite Valley 1 Yosemite Valley is world-famous for its impressive waterfalls, cliffs, and unusual rock formations. It is open year round and can be reached via Highway 41 from Fresno, Highway 140 from Merced, Highway 120 West from Manteca, and via the Tioga Road (Highway 120 East) from Lee Vining in summer. The Valley is known for massive cliff faces like El Capitan and Half Dome, its plunging waterfalls including the tallest in North America, and its attractive meadows. While Yosemite Falls will be dry until rain and snow recharge it, a moderate hike will take you to Vernal and Nevada Falls. Yosemite’s meadows are great places to see wildlife and to photograph fall and winter scenery. Admire El Capitan, the massive granite monolith that stands 3,593 feet from base to summit. Whether you explore the Valley by foot or car, the scenery will leave you in awe and eager to see what’s around the next corner. Glacier Point Road 2 Glacier Point, an overlook with a commanding view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, Yosemite Valley in Winter. Photo by Christine White Loberg and Yosemite’s high country, is located 30 miles (1 hour) from Yosemite Valley. The road stays open as weather permits, however, overnight parking along it ends October 15. Glacier Point Road closes beyond the Badger Pass Ski Area after the first significant snow fall. When the road is snow-covered and conditions permit, a system of cross-country ski tracks are maintained on it. From Yosemite Valley, take the Wawona Road (Highway 41), then turn left onto Glacier Point Road. At Glacier Point, a short, paved, and wheelchairaccessible trail leads you to a stunning view looking into Yosemite Valley. Wawona and Mariposa Grove 3 The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is located 36 miles (1¼ hours) south of Yosemite Valley via the Wawona Road (Highway 41), two miles from the park’s south entrance station. While the Mariposa Grove Road closes to cars in the winter, approximately from the end of November until mid-March, the road is open to hikers, snowshoers, and skiers, and all trails in the grove remain open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. The The view from Glacier Point. NPS Photo nearby Pioneer Yosemite History Center in Wawona is a collection of historic buildings associated with people and events that shaped the national park idea in Yosemite. Crane Flat and Tuolumne Grove 4 Crane Flat is located 16 miles from Yosemite Valley at the junction of the Big Oak Flat and Tioga Roads. A number of hikes through pleasant meadows are available— when snow covers the ground these turn into delightful ski and snowshoe tracks. To see giant sequoias, park at the Tuolumne Grove parking area located on the Tioga Road, and walk one steep mile down to the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias. Or, park at Merced Grove trailhead and walk two steep miles down to this small grove. These groves north of Yosemite Valley are smaller than the more-famous Mariposa Grove, but are quieter and off limits to vehicles. Remember that the walk down is easier than the walk back up. Tuolumne Meadows and Tioga Road 5 Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. NPS Image The Tioga Road offers a 39-mile scenic drive past forests, meadows, lakes, and granite domes. The road closes after the first big snowfall, and overnight parking ends on October 15. The road’s elevation ranges from 6,200 feet to just under 10,000 feet. Tuolumne Meadows embodies the high-country of the Sierra Nevada. The Wild and Scenic Tuolumne River winds through broad sub-alpine meadows surrounded by granite domes and peaks. It is the jumping off place for countless hikes, whether you venture out for a day or a week. In winter, Tuolumne Meadows is often reached by skiers via the Snow Creek Trail from the Mirror Lake trailhead, a short distance east of Yosemite Valley. Hetch Hetchy 6 Hetch Hetchy Reservoir, a source of drinking water and hydroelectric power for the City of San Francisco, is home to spectacular scenery and the starting point for many wilderness trails. The area’s low elevation makes it a good place to hike in autumn and winter. The Hetch Hetchy Reservoir is located 40 miles (1¼ hour) from Yosemite Valley via the Big Oak Flat Road (Highway 120W) and the Evergreen Road. The Hetch Hetchy Tenaya Lake. NPS Photo Road is open from 8am to 5pm. Vehicles and/or trailers over 25 feet long, and RVs and other vehicles over 8 feet wide are not permitted on the narrow, winding Hetch Hetchy Road. Buy Your Site Pass on Recreation.gov Purchase your Yosemite National Park site pass on Recreation.gov before you arrive. Your site pass can easily be downloaded on your phone or tablet, or be printed to be displayed when you arrive. Learn more at https://www. recreation.gov/sitepass/74296 Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. NPS Photo 3 Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Valley Information, Art, and Exhibits Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, 2020. Image by Deanna Shorter Yosemite Valley Visitor Center and Bookstore A visitor contact station is available behind the visitor center for information and updates. 9am to 4:30pm, hours will change to 9am to 5pm beginning February 13. The Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore will also be operating as an outdoor “to-go” store from 9am to 5pm. Located in Yosemite Village. used for survival. Check out the interactive Custom Adventure at 8am (7 hrs.) $ Our outdoor art classes start April 5. Be sure to displays and see the ceremonial roundhouse, Schedule a private snowshoe hike to Dewey register online in advance (yosemite.org/art)! bark houses, and sweathouse members of the Point. Contact us at advenures@yosemite.org or Classes are offered every weekday (Monday– local tribes still actively use for ceremonies yosemite.org/custom-adventures to learn more. Friday, 10am to 2pm) through October, and and special gatherings. Located behind the Yosemite Museum in Yosemite Village. Yosemite Conservancy ADVENTURES AND ART CLASSES Join Yosemite Conservancy for a memorable park experience! Preregistration is required YOSEMITE THEATER Closed Spring and Summer of 2021 Yosemite Museum Closed Spring and Summer of 2021 INDIAN CULTURAL VILLAGE Walk through the reconstructed Indian Village of Ahwahnee and learn about the structures the Ahwahneechee lived in and the plants they for Conservancy adventures (yosemite.org/ adventures) and art classes (yosemite.org/art). Snowshoe Walks Experience Yosemite’s winter magic on a naturalist-led snowshoe outing, conditions permitting. Snowshoes provided, as needed! Mariposa Grove Winter Hike or Snowshoe March 6 at 9am (7 hrs.) $ are taught by a professional artist. Learn Day Hikes more about all our upcoming programs and Celebrate the start of spring in the Sierra sign up at yosemite.org/experience. Nevada on a day hike with a naturalist guide. Spring Equinox Hike in Yosemite Valley March 20 at 9am (6 hrs.) $ The Ansel Adams Gallery In light of recent Stay-At-Home orders, The Wildflowers on the Merced Day Hike Ansel Adams Gallery is temporarily closed March 27 at 9am (8 hrs.) $ to visitors. You can still enjoy a bit of Ansel Adams inspiration during your time in the Planning a spring trip? Don’t miss our April Park with our new Find Your Ansel App. The outings, including a Leave No Trace Trainer app invites you to follow in the footsteps of certification course (April 2–3), a night of Ansel Adams and explore some of the same stargazing and a daytime bike tour in the locations he made famous. Select a region Valley (April 8–9), a weekend intro to birding in Yosemite, use the map to discover images (April 17–18), and a Yosemite Field School Ansel made there, and make your own program on climate change (April 22–24). photographs. Download the app here: https:// www.anseladams.com/find-your-ansel-app/. For information on classes, private guiding, Yosemite Renaissance Art Exhibit Yosemite Renaissance – “Great Grey Owl” – oil painting by James McGrew 4 refunds, or any other questions, please contact us at info@anseladams.com. Our online store, Yosemite Renaissance has supported the arts in Yosemite since 1985. If you are an artist inspired by Yosemite and the California Sierra Nevada region, this is the show for you! The competition is open to artists word-wide and offers $4000 in cash awards. The organization seeks to encourage the public to protect and preserve our parks and wild lands through art. Because the Yosemite Museum will be closed this Spring, the exhibit will open at Yosemite Gateway Art Center in Oakhurst in March, Kings Art Center in Hanford in June, Carnegie Arts Center in Turlock in August, and the Yosemite Museum Gallery in October. Visit www.yosemiterenaissance.org to learn more. anseladams.com, is still open, and we will be sharing Gallery updates on our social media channels, newsletter, and website. Take care and we look forward to seeing you soon! Yosemite Guide February 3, 2021 - March 30, 2021 Services in Yosemite Schedule All available operations and hours of operations are subject to change. Check local resources and area signage in light of changing public health requirements related to COVID-19. Gas Stations EL PORTAL Pay 24 hours with credit or debit card WAWONA SERVICE STATION Pay 24 hours with credit or debit card. CRANE FLAT Pay 24 hours with credit or debit card Books, Gifts, & Apparel The Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, 2019. NPS Image / Jamie Richards Hours listed are core hours and may be extended during peak visitation. Food and Drink YOSEMITE VILLAGE Degnan’s Kitchen 7am to 11am; 11:30am to 6pm The Loft at Degnan’s Closed for the Season THE AHWAHNEE Dining Room Breakfast: 7am to 10am Lunch: 11am to 4pm Dinner: 5:30pm to 8:30pm The Ahwahnee Bar Friday & Saturday: 3pm to 9pm YOSEMITE VALLEY LODGE Starbucks Coffee Thursday - Sunday: 7am to 3pm Base Camp Eatery Breakfast: 7:30am to 10am Lunch: 11am to 2pm Dinner: 4pm to 8pm Mountain Room Bar Friday & Saturday: 4pm to 9pm Mountain Room Restaurant Temporarily closed due to COVID-19 CURRY VILLAGE Pizza Deck Closed for the Season Pavilion/Coffee Corner Closed for the Season WAWONA AREA Wawona Hotel Closed for the Season BADGER PASS SKI AREA DINING Temporarily closed due to COVID-19 Groceries YOSEMITE VILLAGE Village Store 9am to 7pm YOSEMITE VALLEY LODGE Gift/Grocery 10am to 6pm RELIGIOUS SERVICES YOSEMITE COMMUNITY CHURCH (THE CHAPEL) 209/372-4831 Pastor Brent Moore-Resident Minister www.yosemiteValleyChapel.org www.YosemiteValleyChapelWeddings.org Email for wedding information and availability YosemiteChapel@sbcglobal.net SUNDAY CHAPEL SERVICES: 9:15am year-round and 11am Labor Day – Memorial Day *Subject to Covid -19 policies. Please call the chapel for current information about indoor services. CURRY VILLAGE Gift/Grocery Closed for the Season EL PORTAL El Portal Market 10am to 6pm WAWONA Wawona Store & Pioneer Gift Shop 11am to 3pm 11am to 3pm Post Offices YOSEMITE VILLAGE Main Office Monday - Friday: 8:30am to 5pm Saturday: 10am to noon YOSEMITE VALLEY LODGE Monday - Friday: 12:30pm to 2:45pm EL PORTAL Monday - Friday: 8:30am to 5pm Closed 12:30pm to 1:30pm WAWONA 11am to 3pm CHURCH OF CHRIST (Non-denominational) El Portal Chapel / Worship: Sunday 11am 209/379-2100 YOSEMITE VILLAGE Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore at Yosemite Valley Visitor Center Monday - Friday: 9am to 5pm, Saturday & Sunday: 9am to 4:30pm (operating as an outdoor “to-go” store) Yosemite Museum Store Temporarily closed due to COVID-19 The Ansel Adams Gallery Temporarily closed due to COVID-19 Village Store 9am to 7pm THE AHWAHNEE Gift Shop 9am to 7pm Sweet Shop 11am to 6pm YOSEMITE VALLEY LODGE Gift/Grocery 10am to 6pm CURRY VILLAGE Gift/Grocery Closed for the Season WAWONA Wawona Store & Pioneer Gift Shop 11am to 3pm Recreation BADGER PASS SKI AREA Temporarily closed due to COVID-19 CURRY VILLAGE ICE SKATING Temporarily closed due to COVID-19 GLACIER POINT SKI HUT Temporarily closed due to COVID-19 General Services Medical Clinic - Yosemite Valley (209) 372-4637 For emergency care CALL 9-1-1 Monday - Friday: 9am to 5pm, Closed during federal holidays Yosemite Village Garage Towing available 24 hours NO gas in Yosemite Valley. OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS Catholic Mass Sunday 10am (year - round) Visitor Center Theater Shuttle stop #5 or #9 SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS No meetings at this time Oakhurst Hotline: 559/683-1662 Image by Tom Whitworth NPS Image 5 Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Hikes in Yosemite Valley Swinging Bridge, Yosemite Valley, 2019. NPS Image / Sheree Peshlakai Choose your adventure PARK UPDATE • Please practice social distancing while walking on trails. • Expect trail closures. What better way to enjoy the beauty of Yosemite than on foot. Ask a ranger at any visitor contact station for updated trail conditions and one of several free day-hike handouts. Yosemite Valley Day Hikes* STARTING POINT DISTANCE / TIME DIFFICULTY / ELEVATION Bridalveil Fall - CLOSED due to Construction Bridalveil Fall Parking Area 0.5 mile round-trip, 20 minutes Easy Lower Yosemite Fall Lower Yosemite Fall Shuttle Stop #6 1.0 mile round-trip, 20 minutes Easy Upper Yosemite Fall Trail to Columbia Rock Camp 4 Near Shuttle Stop #7 2 miles round-trip, 2–3 hours Strenuous 1,000-foot gain Top of Upper Yosemite Fall Same as above 7.2 miles round-trip, 6–8 hours Very Strenuous 2,700-foot gain Know Before You Go: Mirror Lake (A seasonal lake) Mirror Lake Shuttle Stop #17 2 miles round-trip, 1 hour Easy • Stay away from swift-moving water Vernal Fall Footbridge Happy Isles Shuttle Stop #16 1.4 miles round-trip, 1–2 hours Moderate, 400-foot gain *Top of Vernal Fall Happy Isles Shuttle Stop #16 3 miles round-trip, 2–4 hours Strenuous 1,000-foot gain Top of Nevada Fall same as above 5 miles round-trip, 5–6 hours Strenuous 1,900-foot gain *Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point (Partially closed in winter) Southside Drive 4.8 miles one-way, 3–4 hours one-way Very Strenuous, 3,200-foot gain Valley Floor Loop Lower Yosemite Fall Shuttle Stop #6 13 miles full loop, 5–7 hours full loop Moderate • Some trails may be re-routed to accommodate social distancing protocol. Please comply with all posted signs. • Always supervise children closely. • Never swim upstream from a waterfall. TRAIL / DESTINATION *Trails may be closed due to unsafe conditions. Ask a ranger for current conditions and heed all warning and closure signs! Please wear a facecovering when social distancing cannot be maintained. NPS Images 6 Yosemite Guide February 3, 2021 - March 30, 2021 Permit Information Camping, Hiking, and Wilderness Use CAMPING RESERVATIONS In Yosemite Valley’s car campgrounds, reservations are required year-round.Outside the valley, reservations are required summer through fall for Hodgdon Meadow, Crane Flat, Wawona, and half of Tuolumne Meadows. All other campgrounds (except group and stock campgrounds) are first-come, first-served. Campground reservations are available up to five months in advance, on the 15th of each month at 7am Pacific time. Log onto the website or call as soon as possible as some campgrounds fill within a few minutes of the opening period. For campground reservations, visit www. recreation.gov (recommended) or call 877/ 444-6777 or TDD 877/833-6777 or 518/ 8853639 from outside the US and Canada Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park. NPS Image Wilderness Permits Wilderness permits are required year-round for all overnight trips into the Yosemite Wilderness. Self-registration quota sheets and permits are available at Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, Hill’s Studio in Wawona, Big Oak Flat Information Station, Hetch Hetchy Entrance Station and at the Badger Pass A-Frame (conditions permitting). Bear canisters are only available for rent at the Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore at the Valley Visitor Center. For summer trips, reservations are taken 24 weeks (168 days) in advance of the start of your trip. Visit https://www.nps. gov/ yose/planyourvisit/wildpermitdates.htm to view a helpful chart. A processing fee of $5 per permit plus $5 per person is charged to each confirmed reservation. Go to www.nps.gov/ yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm to check trailhead availability and for more information on how to make a reservation. Reservations can be made online (preferred) at www.yosemite. org/experience/wilderness-permits or by phone at 209/372-0740, Monday through Friday from 9am to 4:30pm. For more information, visit www. nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/backpacking. htm, www.yosemite.org and the Leave No Trace website at www.lnt.org. YOSEMITE VALLEY HETCH HETCHY Wilderness permits for Yosemite Valley Self-registration wilderness permits for Hetch trailheads are available by self-registration in Hetchy trailheads only are available at the front of the visitor center. Bear canisters are Entrance Station daily from 8am to 5pm. Please available for rent or to buy at the bookstore. See come prepared with your own bear canister. • Camping during the 2021 season is Half Dome Permit Information • There is no walk-up service, pg. 8 for details on wilderness travel and safety. WAWONA AND MARIPOSA GROVE Self-registration wilderness permits for the The Half Dome Cables are down for the Wawona trailheads only are available on the season. They will be put back up May 28, 2021 front porch of Hill’s Studio. Please bring your conditions permitting. Permits are required own bear canister. Hill’s Studio is located on the 7 days a week when the cables are up. The grounds of Wawona Hotel; walk from the hotel pre-season lottery application period for or park at the store and follow the path uphill. 2021 permits begins March 1, 2021 and ends BIG OAK FLAT March 31, 2021. To apply for permits visit recreation.gov or call 877/444-6777. More Self-registration wilderness permits for the information about the Half Dome permit Crane Flat area and Tioga Road trailheads process is available at: http://www.nps.gov/ only are available on the front porch of the yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm. information station. Please come prepared with your own bear canister. The center is located just inside the park entrance on Hwy 120W. GLACIER POINT Camping Upper Pines is open year-round during the 2021 season. For more information on campground opening dates, visit our website Self-registration wilderness permits for at go.nps.gov/campground. Sleeping in vehicles the Glacier Point Road trailheads only are and frontcountry camping are only permitted in available at the Badger Pass A-Frame. designated campsites. Fire Restrictions Are in Effect for the Entire Park • Pile burning will take