Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [432]
Near the Wawona Hotel are the Thomas Hill Studio and Pioneer Yosemite History Center. The studio, which keeps sporadic hours that are frequently listed in Yosemite Today, is the former workspace of noted 19th-century painter Thomas Hill. He came to Wawona in 1885 after his daughter married a Washburn. Hill painted a number of award-winning landscapes, including some recognizable ones of Yosemite.
The Pioneer Center offers a self-guided walking tour of the cabins and buildings moved to this site in 1961 from various locations in the park. Each represents a different time in Yosemite's short history. During the summer, National Park Service interpreters dress in period clothing and depict characters from the park's past. To reach the center, walk across the covered bridge. An entertaining 10-minute stagecoach ride is offered during the summer for a small fee.
Nearby, the Mariposa Grove is a stand of giant sequoias, some of which have been around for 3,000 years. They stretch almost 300 feet tall, are 50 feet in circumference, and weigh an average of 2 million pounds. The 500 trees here are divided into the Upper Grove and the Lower Grove. The easiest way to see the trees is from the open-air tram ( 206/375-1621) that runs during summer. Cost is $16 for adults, $10 for children, free for kids under 5. Trams leave every 20 minutes. A guide provides commentary during the trip, which lasts about an hour. It makes regular stops at the Grizzly Giant, Wawona Tunnel Tree, and Mariposa Grove Museum. It's worth hopping out and walking around as often as possible. Just take the next tram back. All of the area is also accessible on foot. It is an uphill walk to the upper grove, 2.5 miles each way.
The Grizzly Giant is the largest tree in the grove. At "just" 200 feet, it is shorter than some of its neighbors, but its trunk measures more than 30 feet in diameter at the base. A huge limb halfway up measures 6 feet in diameter and is bigger than many of the "young" trees in the grove. Some claim that the limb is larger than any tree east of the Mississippi.
The Wawona Tunnel Tree had a tunnel 10 feet high and 26 feet long cut through it in 1881. Thousands of visitors were photographed driving through the tree before it toppled in the winter of 1968–69, a victim of heavy snow. (The tree had been weakened by the tunnel and a shallow root system.) No one saw the tree fall.
Organized Tours & Ranger Programs
The park offers a number of ranger-guided walks and hikes and other programs. Check at one of the visitor centers or in the Yosemite Guide for current topics, start times, and locations. Walks may vary from week to week, but you can always count on nature hikes, evening discussions on park anomalies (floods, fires, or critters), and the sunrise photography program aimed at replicating some of Ansel Adams's works. The sunrise photo walk always gets rave reviews from the early risers who venture out at dawn. All photo walks require advance registration. The living history evening program outside at Yosemite Lodge is great for young and old alike.
Several organizations also conduct guided trips. Yosemite Guides (☎ 877/ 425-3366 or 209/379-2231; www.yosemiteguides.com) offers excursions to some of the less known areas of the park and guides fly-fishing trips for all levels. Also check out Incredible Adventures (☎ 800/777-8464), which offers 3-day trips and hikes in Yosemite from San Francisco.
Yosemite Sightseeing Tours (☎ 559/ 658-8687; www.yosemitetours.com) conducts scheduled as well as customized trips. Costs run about $80 for adults, $40 for kids. Tours are on small air-conditioned buses with huge picture windows. The sightseeing includes Mariposa Grove, Yosemite Valley, and Glacier Point. Geology, flora, and fauna are pointed out along the way.