Yosemite Guide

Yosemite Guide Yosemite Guide December 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022 @YosemiteNPS UPDATE Wearing a face mask is required in federal buildings regardless of vaccination status. Check local resources, area signage, and our park website for updates, www.nps. gov/yose. Queen Mary at Badger Pass, Yosemite Research Library 003874 Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Guide December 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022 Yosemite Guide December 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022 & i Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Guide December 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022 Things to Do Winter in Yosemite WELCOME COVID-19 Information Ask A Ranger Drop by the visitor contact station located Wearing a face mask is required in federal behind the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center buildings regardless of vaccination status. to get park-related information and updates. Thank you for helping keep yourself and others Follow signs to park in Visitor Parking then safe. Check local resources, area signage, and follow signs to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Open 9am to 4pm. park website for updates, www.nps.gov/yose. WINTER SPORTS How Will My Visit Be Impacted? The COVID-19 pandemic will continue to Badger Pass Ski Area affect park operations in 2021. Visitation to Badger Pass Ski Area opens on December the park will be managed in accordance with 17, conditions permitting. Live information recommendations from public health officials. on winter sports is available by calling (209) Visit the park website, www.nps.gov/yose for 372-8430; recorded information is available more updates and safety information at (209)372-1000. See page 5 for service hours. Not Available or Modified Services this Winter Badger Pass A-Frame Open daily, 9am to 4pm, when Badger Pass Ski Area is open. Wilderness permits for the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center (VC) is closed; an outdoor visitor contact station is available behind the VC. Glacier Point area and crosscountry ski trail information is available. Ranger led snowshoe walks begin here, weather and conditions permitting. Badger Pass Shuttle (FREE) The free shuttle service to and from Badger Pass Ski Area begins December 17, weather and road conditions permitting. Badger Pass shuttle arrival and departure times are subject to change due to traffic and weather NPS Photo Crane Flat Snow Play Area outdoor adventures for people of all A snow play area is open at Crane Flat experience levels. Give us a call to join one of Campground in winter when enough snow our group classes or schedule a custom outing is present. Please do not sled onto roadways! designed specifically for your group. We offer professional guides for Nordic skiers and conditions. Walking and Hiking snowshoe trips. Reservations required. Call Yosemite Valley has a wide range of year- (209) 372-8444 or email yms@aramark.com Badger Pass Shuttle Schedule round walking and hiking possibilities. Stop Yosemite Valley to Badger Pass Departures Curry Village - 8:05am and 10:35am Yosemite Village (YTS) - 8:10am and 10:40am Ahwahnee Hotel - 8:15am and 10:45am Yosemite Valley Lodge - 8:30am and 11am by the visitor contact station behind Yosemite Yosemite Conservancy Adventures Valley Visitor Center for trail maps and CUSTOM YOSEMITE EXPERIENCES updated weather and trail conditions. (Open Join a Yosemite Conservancy naturalist guide 9am to 4pm.) for a customized experience that fits your Custom Adventures: Experience the park Badger Pass - 2pm and 4:30pm Naturalist Programs on personalized day hikes, birding walks, Naturalists give regular programs about stargazing programs and backpacking trips. Ice Skating Yosemite’s natural and cultural history. See yosemite.org/custom-adventures. Take the shuttle to Curry Village for a one-of-a- page 5 for scheduled programs. kind ice skating experience with a spectacular view of Half Dome. Open Nov 22 through Mar 6, conditions permitting. See page 5 for hours. 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). EMERGENCY INFORMATION Fire – Police – Medical Emergency: Dial 911 Medical Clinic (in Yosemite Valley) Open Monday- Friday from 9am to 5pm. (Closed holidays.) Medical Clinic Phone: (209) 372-4637. Some campgrounds are currently closed. Camp 4 is now available to first come, first served camping. Yosemite Theater and Yosemite Museum are closed until Spring 2022 . Yosemite Valley Shuttle System will resume operations on December 17, 2021. Select dining and shopping establishments are open and encourage social distancing. interests and schedule. PROGRAMS AND GUIDED ADVENTURES Badger Pass to Yosemite Valley Departures Many programs are canceled until further notice, see page 4 for programs schedule. Looking for ways to connect with Yosemite Adventure Out With Yosemite from home? Contact us to schedule a virtual Mountaineering School adventure: adventures@yosemite.org. Yosemite Mountaineering School provides ROAD AND WEATHER INFORMATION Within Yosemite National Park: 209/372-0200 Outside Yosemite National Park: 800/427-7623 PARK APP Download the National Park Service app for an interactive map, hiking trails, and park updates. Find more information on page11 of this Guide. ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 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. Sign Language interpreting is available upon request. Contact Deaf Services at (209) 379-5250 (v/txt). Two weeks advance notice is requested. INSIDE THIS ISSUE 01 Things to Do 04 Programs and Exhibits 05 Services 07 Permit Information 08 Protecting Yourself 10 Feature Story Back Yosemite Valley Map Accessible parking spaces available west of Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Where to Go and What to Do in Yosemite National Park 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 Walking Yosemite Valley Valley Visitor Center Upper Yosemite Fall Destinations on the east end of Yosemite Valleyare easily accessed on foot or by bike . The walking time between popular destinations Yosemite Valley Lodge 10 The Ahwahnee 5 30 Camp 4 Yosemite Pass $70, Valid for one year in Yosemite. Housekeeping Camp Chapel 5 Yosemite Falls Parking Interagency Annual Pass $80 Valid for one year at all federal recreation sites. Lower Pines North Pines Mirror Lake Trailhead Yosemite Village Parking Swinging Bridge Interagency Senior Pass $80 (Lifetime) For U.S. citizens or permanent residents 62 and over. Sentinel Beach 25 Happy Isles Yosemite Valley Walking Map - El Portal & Mariposa Interagency Access Pass (Free) (Lifetime) For permanently disabled - San Francisco U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Upper Pines Curry Village Parking El Capitan Picnic Area Interagency Annual Senior Pass $20 For U.S. citizens or permanent residents 62 and over. Campground Reservations Curry Village Mist Trail Average Walking Times 5 Stanislaus Cathedral National Beach Forest Walking Routes Campground Interagency Military Pass (Free) (Annual) for active duty US military, US military veterans, and Gold Star Bridalveil families. Fall Parking Picnic Area Restroom d oa aR n Interagency wo Wa 4th Grade Pass (Free) Must present paper voucher. 0 N 1 km 1 mile Walk-In Campground Reservations - Glacier Point Lake Eleanor Fresno Lodging Reservations (888) 413-8869 www.travelyosemite.com Group Sales Office: (888) 339-3481 White Wolf ga Tio ad Ro Yosemite Creek Hodgdon Meadow 4 Merced Grove Trailhead Crane Flat Yosemite Valley 1 Foresta 140 r Me d rce Glacier Point Tunnel View El Portal To Merced Valley Visitor Center Tamarack Flat O ak Tuolumne Meadows Tioga Road closed to vehicles in winter. 5 Tuolumne Grove Tioga Pass Entrance Tenaya Lake Porcupine Flat 120 To Manteca Arch Rock Entrance Yosemite West r Rive r Me 2 Glacier Point Glacier Point Road closed to vehicles (past Badger Pass) in winter. Rd Inyo National Forest Badger Pass Ski and Snowboard Area Waw a Road on Yosemite Mariposa County Tourism Bureau (209) 742-4567; www.yosemite.com Highway 120 East Lee Vining Chamber of Commerce and Mono Lake Visitor Center, (760) 647-6629, www.leevining.com Ranger Station Wawona Campground Sierra National Forest Food Service & Lodging Wawona Campground 3 Pioneer Yosemite History Center Gas Station Mariposa Grove Road closed Mariposa to vehicles in winter. Grove South Entrance 41 2 E4 Tuolumne Meadows d oa Mariposa County Visitor Center (866) 425-3366 or (209) 966-7081 n lum iver eR (Wilderness Permit Required) Flat R Highway 140/49 California Welcome Center, Merced (800) 446-5353 or (209) 724-8104 www.yosemite-gateway.org Tuo B ig Highway 132/49 Coulterville Visitor Center (209) 878-3329 Hetch 120 E3 6 ce d Highway 41 Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau (559) 683-4636; www.yosemitethisyear.com Big Oak Flat Entrance Ro Hetch Hetchy Backpackers' Campground oad Eve en R rgre Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) www.yarts.com Tuolumne County Visitors Bureau (800) 446-1333; www.tcvb.com Hetc hy Hetch Hetchy Entrance Regional Info Highway 120 West Yosemite Chamber of Commerce (800) 449-9120 or (209) 962-0429 Hetch Hetchy ad O’Shaughnessy Dam To 395 & Lee Vining Tio ga Ro ad Campground Reservations Wawona (877) 444-6777; www.recreation.gov Ri ve To Medical Clinic 10 Individual Valid for 7 days $20 (In a bus, on foot, bicycle, or horse), To W 20 Motorcycle Valid for 7 days $30/motorcycle To Yosemite Village Lower Yosemite Fall numbers in white circles show the average To Fresno Sierra National Forest 0 5 km 5 miles Yosemite Guide December 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022 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, car or with a tour, the scenery will leave you in awe and eager to see what’s around the next corner. Yosemite Valley in Winter. Photo by Christine White Loberg Glacier Point Road 2 Glacier Point, an overlook with a commanding view of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome, 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 wheelchair accessible 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 The view from Glacier Point. NPS Photo 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 nearby Yosemite History Center in Wawona is a collection of historic buildings associated with the people who came to Yosemite from all over the world to start a new life and make the park what it is today. 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 Snow at Wawona’s covered bridge. Photo by Christine White Loberg 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 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 Tenaya Lake. NPS Photo 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 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. Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. NPS Photo Winter Weather Driving and Chain Control Information: 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 209/372-0200. 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. R 2 - 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. 3 Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Yosemite Valley Programs, Art, and Exhibits Yosemite Valley Visitor Center and Bookstore massively expansive and powerful. Nature is in constant change, and photography is particularly well suited to capture and amplify the swirling A visitor contact station is available behindthe fluidity and the wonderfully serendipitous visitor center for information and updates moments born of the ephemeral. Photographing from 9am to 4pm. The Yosemite Conservancy nature is a very specific kind of exercise in Bookstore will be operating as an outdoor“to- mindfulness; to be out in nature with senses go” store, daily from 9am to 4:30pm. responsive, keenly aware of circumstances and completely receptive, yielding to the present.” YOSEMITE THEATER AND MUSEUM Please join us at The Ansel Adams Gallery Closed Fall and Winter of 2021 beginning November 14th to enjoy these noble and striking photographs that showcase a INDIAN CULTURAL VILLAGE gratitude of our planet, placing it at “the pinnacle Walk through the reconstructed Indian of the reverential order.” Village of Ahwahnee and learn about the structures the Ahwahneechee lived in and FUTURE EXHIBITION the plants they used for survival. View the SHADES OF WINTER interactive displays and see the ceremonial JANUARY 9TH, 2022 THROUGH FEBRUARY roundhouse, bark houses, and sweathouse 26TH, 2022 members of the local tribes still actively use. Located behind the Yosemite Museum in The gallery will be hosting a group exhibition of Yosemite Village. photographs that honor a truly magical season NPS Image UPCOMING PROGRAMS Snowshoe Walk Explore the Forest in Winter (Begins December 18) 10am to 12pm about our organization, and browse our full Experience a variety of fine arts, hand- at Badger Pass. Reservations required by 2pm program calendar. crafts, and a collection of Ansel Adams the day before the snowshoe walk. No first- original photographs. We offer half-day come first-served availability for the walk. UPCOMING PROGRAMS photography classes and private guided tours, Limited to 30 people. Reservations must Evening Campfire with storyteller reservations required. Call 209/372- 4413 or be made by calling 209-379-1899. Mask (December 24, 6:30 pm–7:30 pm) in visit anseladams.com/photographyeducation. required. Meet at Badger Pass Ranger Station Yosemite Valley. Located in Yosemite Village. for naturalist led tour of winter landscape. Winter Hike (January 22, 9am-3pm) in Bring warm clothing. Expect a moderately- Yosemite Valley. CURRENT EXHIBITION strenuous experience. Snowshoes provided. Full Moon Hike (January 17, 7pm-9pm) at REVERENCE - PLATINUM AND SILVER Begins December 18. Mask required If Badger Pass. PHOTOGRAPHS BY JEFFREY CONLEY, Badger Pass remains closed, this program Dewey Point Snowshoe Walk (January 29, NOVEMBER 14TH, 2021 THROUGH will not take place. 8am-4pm) at Badger Pass. JANUARY 8TH, 2022 Yosemite Conservancy Or plan a Custom Adventure with one of our Artist Jeffrey Conley writes: “For all of us, the Join Yosemite Conservancy for a memorable naturalists. Learn more and sign up: Earth sustains our existence. In an otherwise experience in the park this winter! Advanced yosemite.org/adventures. inhospitable known universe, our little blue registration is required for all Conservancy in Yosemite: Winter. We look forward to seeing you in the valley during our favorite time of year. BECOME A JUNIOR RANGER Complete the activities that are the best fit for you in the above self-guided handbook, sold for $3.50 plus tax at stores throughout Yosemite National Park and online. When you are done, share your booklet with a park ranger at any Yosemite visitor center during operating hours to receive your Junior Ranger badge. planet provides us absolutely everything. adventures. Explore our website (yosemite. The Ansel Adams Gallery org) and follow us on social media to find The Ansel Adams Gallery is open daily in its range of character and texture, from the latest updates from our team, learn more from 10am to 3pm. (Closed Christmas Day.) moments of delicate intimacy and subtlety to the “I find the natural world to be endlessly wondrous Illustration by Stefani Lacy TIME PROGRAMS - (NPS = National Park Service; YC = Yosemite Conservancy; TAAG = The Ansel Adams Gallery = Accessible; $ = Program offered for a fee) DURATION LOCATION REMARKS SU M TU W TH F SA 8:00am Dewey Point Snowshoe Trek Reservations required. Register at Yosemite.org/ adventures. $ (YC) 8hrs Badger Pass Jan 29 only X 9:00am Winter Hike in Yosemite Valley Reservations required. Register at Yosemite.org/ adventures. $ (YC) 6hrs Yosemite Valley Jan 22 only X 9:00am In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams Register at The Ansel Adams Gallery. $ (TAAG) 4hrs Yosemite Valley 9:00am Ansel Adams’ Legacy and Your Digital Camera Register at The Ansel Adams Gallery. $ (TAAG) 4hrs Yosemite Valley 9:00am In the Field: Creative Smartphone Photography Register at The Ansel Adams Gallery. $ (TAAG) 3hrs Yosemite Valley 9:00am Demystifying Digital Exposure Register at The Ansel Adams Gallery. $ (TAAG) 2hrs Yosemite Valley 10:00am Snowshoe Walk: Explore the Forest in Winter (conditions permitting) Reservations required by 2 pm the day before (209/379-1899) and masks required. (See above for details) (NPS) 2 hrs Badger Pass 1:00pm In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams Register at The Ansel Adams Gallery. $ (TAAG) 4hrs Yosemite Valley 1:00pm In the Field: Creative Smartphone Photography Register at The Ansel Adams Gallery. $ (TAAG) 3hrs Yosemite Valley 6:30pm Evening Campfire Stories Reservations required. Register at Yosemite.org/adventures. $ (YC) 1hr Yosemite Valley Dec 24 only 7:00pm Full Moon Snowshoe Hike Reservations required. Register at Yosemite.org/adventures. $ (YC) 2hrs Badger Pass Jan 17 only 4 X X X X Begins December 18 if Badger Pass is open. X X X X X X X X Yosemite Guide December 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022 Services in Yosemite Schedule YOSEMITE VALLEY LODGE Grocery Stores YOSEMITE VILLAGE Village Store 8am to 8pm YOSEMITE VALLEY LODGE Gift/Grocery 8am to 8pm CURRY VILLAGE Gift/Grocery 10am to 6pm WAWONA Wawona Store & Pioneer Gift Shop 9am to 5pm Gas and Service Stations The Yosemite Chapel, Yosemite Valley. NPS Image / Sheree Peshlakai Hours listed are core hours and maybe extended during peak visitation. Food and Drink YOSEMITE VILLAGE Degnan’s Kitchen 7am to 11am, 11:30 to 6pm The Loft at Degnan’s Closed for the season. THE AHWAHNEE Dining Room Breakfast: 7am to 10am Lunch: 11:30am to 2pm Dinner: 5:30pm to 8:30pm (Advance reservations available for hotel guests. Contact 209-372-1489 to inquire about same-day reservations.) The Coffee Bar Closed for the season The Ahwahnee Bar 2pm to 9pm YOSEMITE VALLEY LODGE Base Camp Eatery Starbucks Coffee: Closed Breakfast: 7:30am to 10am Lunch: 11am to 3pm Dinner: 4pm to 8pm Mountain Room Bar 5pm to 9pm Mountain Room Restaurant Temporarily closed CURRY VILLAGE Seven Tents Pavilion Breakfast: 7am to 10am Dinner: 5pm to 9pm Open weekends and holidays only after Dec 17. Closed Jan 2 through Jan 27 Bar 1899 2pm to 9pm Closed Jan 2 through Jan 27 Coffee Corner 6:30am to 11am Closed Jan 2 through Jan 27 WAWONA AREA Wawona Hotel Closed for the season BADGER PASS SKI AREA Skiers Grill (downstairs) 8am to 4pm, beginning Dec 17 Snowflake Room (upstairs) Friday: 12pm to 4pm Sat/Sun/Holidays: 10am to 4pm RELIGIOUS SERVICES YOSEMITE COMMUNITY CHURCH (The Chapel) Resident Minister: Pastor Brent Moore 209/372-4831 • www.YosemiteValleyChapel.org Sunday Service: 9:15am Sunday Evening: 6:30pm CHRISTMAS EVE CANDLELIGHT SERVICES Tuesday, December 24 at 4:00pm and 5:30pm *Subject to Covid -19 policies. Please call the chapel for current information before you travel. CHURCH OF CHRIST (Non-denominational) El Portal Chapel / Worship: Sunday 11am Info: 209/379-2100 SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS No meetings at this time Oakhurst Hotline: 559/683-1662 EL PORTAL Pay 24 hours with credit or debit card WAWONA SERVICE STATION Diesel & propane. Pay 24 hours with credit or debit card. CRANE FLAT Pay 24 hours with credit or debit card, Store closed for the season. 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 for lunch from 12:30pm to 1:30pm WAWONA Monday - Friday, 9am to 5pm Saturday: 9am to noon Books, Gifts and Apparel Gift/Grocery 8am to 8pm CURRY VILLAGE Gift/Grocery 10am to 6pm Mountain Shop 8:30am to 4:30pm WAWONA Wawona Store & Pioneer Gift Shop 9am to 5pm BADGER PASS SKI AREA Sport Shop 9am to 4pm, beginning Dec 17 Winter Recreation BADGER PASS SKI AREA Opens Dec 17, conditions permitting Lift Operation 9am to 4pm Lift Tickets 8:30am to 4pm Ski School Desk 8:30am to 4pm Tubing 10am to 11am, 11:30am to 1:30pm, and 2pm to 4pm Nordic Shop Rentals 8:30am to 4:30pm Alpine Rentals 8:30am to 4:30pm CURRY VILLAGE Ice skating Opens Nov 22, conditions permitting Monday-Friday 3:30pm - 6:00pm & 7:00pm - 9:30pm Saturday/Sunday: 12:00pm - 2:30pm, 3:30 - 6:00pm & 7:00pm - 9:30pm Holidays: 8:30am - 11:00am, 12:00pm - 2:30pm, 3:30 - 6:00pm & 7:00pm 9:30pm GLACIER POINT Ski Hut Closed for the season Other Services Medical Clinic - Yosemite Valley (209) 372-4637 For emergency care CALL 9-1-1 Monday - Friday: 9am to 5pm, Closed weekends and federal holidays YOSEMITE VILLAGE Yosemite Conservancy Bookstore at Yosemite Valley Visitor Center 9am to 4:30pm The Ansel Adams Gallery 10am to 3pm, Closed Dec 25 Village Store 8am to 8pm THE AHWAHNEE Gift Shop 9am to 8pm Sweet Shop 8am to 9pm Seaschultz and the dog team, Yosemite Valley, 1933RL 006272 5 Experience Your America Yosemite National Park Hiking Swinging Bridge, Yosemite Valley, NPS Image Choose Your Adventure 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. WINTER TRAILS PREPAREDNESS trees in the grove. While the Mariposa Grove half-mile, self-guided nature trail. There is Ski or snowshoe touring in Yosemite can Road closes to cars from the end of November no potable water at the parking area or in the be a magnificent experience with proper until at least March 15, the road to the grove grove. Bring drinking water with you. preparation. See page 8 for tips on how to and all trails in the grove remain open to protect yourself while adventuring in Yosemite. hikers, snowshoers, and skiers. Wilderness Merced Grove permits are required for camping. There is no Yosemite’s quietest stand of sequoias is the water in the grove. Merced Grove, a group of approximately 20 TRAILS IN WAWONA AREA Yosemite History Center big trees accessible only on foot. The first Go back to a time of horse-drawn wagons, a TRAILS IN CRANE FLAT AREA half mile is level and easy, a good warm-up covered bridge, and log cabins. A visit to the Tuolumne Grove for the steep 1 mile (1.6 km) descent into the Yosemite History Center will highlight how The trailhead for this grove of about 25 grove. This trail requires heavy snowfall from Yosemite was the inspiration for national parks sequoias is near the intersection of the Big Oak a cold, lower-elevation storm to be skiable. across America and around the world. The Flat Road and Tioga Road at Crane Flat. This There is no potable water at the parking area Center is always open and informational signs is a popular trail both with snowshoers and or in the grove. Bring drinking water with are found in front of each historic building. hikers and is an arduous return ski. The trail you. The grove is located 3½ miles north of leads downhill from the parking area into the Crane Flat and 4½ miles south of the Big Oak Mariposa Grove grove. The trail drops 500 feet (150 meters) Flat Entrance along the Big Oak Flat Road Located near Yosemite’s South Entrance, the in one mile. The way down can seem much (Highway 120 West). The trail is marked by a Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequioas is the park’s easier than the uphill return to the parking lot. sign and a post labeled B-10. largest stand of giant sequoias, with about 500 Within the Tuolumne Grove there is an easy, Bachelor and Three Graces, Mariposa Grove, NPS Image Yosemite Valley Day Hikes TRAIL / DESTINATION STARTING POINT DISTANCE / TIME DIFFICULTY / ELEVATION Lower Yosemite Fall Across from Yosemite Valley Lodge 1.0 mile round-trip, 20 minutes Easy Upper Yosemite Fall Trail to Columbia Rock Camp 4, across from Yosemite Valley Lodge 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 Mirror Lake (A seasonal lake) East of North Pines Campground 2 miles round-trip, 1 hour Easy Vernal Fall Footbridge Happy Isles 1.4 miles round-trip, 1–2 hours Moderate, 400-foot gain Top of Vernal Fall Happy Isles 3 miles round-trip, 2–4 hours Strenuous 1,000-foot gain Top of Nevada Fall Happy Isles 5 miles round-trip, 5–6 hours Strenuous 1,900-foot gain Four Mile Trail to Glacier Point Southside Drive 4.8 miles one-way, 3–4 hours one-way Very Strenuous, 3,200-foot gain Valley Floor Loop Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead 13 miles full loop, 5–7 hours full loop Moderate Bridalveil Fall - CLOSED due to Construction 6 Yosemite Guide December 1, 2021 - February 1, 2022 Permit Information Camping, Hiking, and Wilderness Use Badger Pass A-Frame in winter. NPS Image Wilderness Permits Wilderness permits are required year-round for all overnight trips into Yosemite’s 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 located at the Valley Visitor Center. The process for reserving wilderness permits in advance has changed for the 2022 season. Permit reservation requests can be made at www.recreation.gov/ permits/445859, 24 weeks to 7 days in advance. The 60% reservable quota for each trailhead first becomes available during a weekly lottery 24 weeks in advance. Any of the 60% that are not confirmed during the lottery will be released for advanced reservations, up to 7 days in advance. For every permit lottery application BIG OAK FLAT 6777. More information about the Half Dome Self-registration wilderness permits for the permit process is available at: nps.gov/yose/ Crane Flat area and Tioga Road trailheads planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm.The process for only are available on the front porch of the hiking Half Dome as part of a wilderness trip information station. Please come prepared with has also changed for 2022. Please visit: your own bear canister. The center is located nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/ just inside the park entrance on Hwy 120W. hdwildpermits.htm to learn about the new process. GLACIER POINT Self-registration wilderness permits for the Camping Reservations Glacier Point Road trailheads only are available For the 2021 winter season, campgrounds that at the Badger Pass A-Frame, conditions willbe open are a portion each of Upper Pines permitting. and Camp 4. Upper Pines requires reservations HETCH HETCHY advance and are released on the 15th of each Self-registration wilderness permits for the month at 7am Pacific time. which are available u