Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (Fodor's) - Fodor's [5]
Ahwahneechee Village.
This solemn smattering of re-created structures, accessed by a short loop trail, is an imagination of what Indian life might have resembled here in the 1870s. One interpretive sign points out that Miwok referred to the 19th century newcomers as "Yohemite" or "Yohometuk," which have been translated as "some of them are killers." | Northside Dr., Yosemite Village 95389 | Free | Daily sunrise–sunset.
Pioneer Yosemite History Center.
Some of Yosemite’s first structures—those not occupied by American Indians, that is—were relocated from various parts of the park and placed here in the 1950s and 1960s. You can spend a pleasurable and informative half-hour walking about them and reading the signs, perhaps springing for a self-guided-tour pamphlet (50¢) to further enhance the history lesson. Wednesdays through Sundays in the summer, costumed docents conduct free blacksmithing and "wet-plate" photography demonstrations, and for a small fee you can take a stagecoach ride. | Rte. 41, Wawona 95389 | 209/375–9531 or 209/379–2646 | Free | Building interiors are open mid-June–Labor Day, Wed. 2–5, Thurs.–Sun. 10–1 and 2–5.
Wawona Hotel.
One can imagine an older Mark Twain relaxing in a rocking chair on one of the broad verandas of Yosemite’s first lodge, a whitewashed series of two-story buildings from the Victorian era. Across the road is a somewhat odd sight: Yosemite’s only golf course, one of the few links in the world that does not employ fertilizers or other chemicals. The Wawona is an excellent place to stay or to stop for lunch, but be aware that the hotel is closed in January. | Rte. 41, Wawona 95389 | 209/375–1425.
SCENIC STOPS
El Capitan.
Rising 3,593 feet—more than 350 stories—above the Valley, El Capitan is the largest exposed-granite monolith in the world. Since 1958, people have been climbing its entire face, including the famous "nose." You can spot adventurers with your binoculars by scanning the smooth and nearly vertical cliff for specks of color. | Off Northside Dr., about 4 mi west of the Valley Visitor Center 95389.
Fodor’s Choice | Glacier Point.
If you lack the time, desire, or stamina to hike more than 3,200 feet up to Glacier Point from the Yosemite Valley floor, you can drive here—or take a bus from the Valley—for a bird’s-eye view. You are likely to encounter a lot of day-trippers on the short, paved trail that leads from the parking lot to the main overlook. Take a moment to veer off a few yards to the Geology Hut, which succinctly explains and illustrates how the Valley looked like 10 million, 3 million, and 20,000 years ago. For details about the summer-only buses, call | 209/372–1240. | Glacier Point Rd., 16 mi northeast of Rte. 41 95389.
Half Dome.
Visitors’ eyes are continually drawn to this remarkable granite formation that tops out at more than 4,700 feet above the Valley floor. Despite its name, the dome is actually about three-quarters "intact." You can hike to the top of Half Dome on an 8.5-mi (one-way) trail whose last 400 feet must be ascended while holding onto a steel cable. To see Half Dome reflected in the Merced River, view it from Sentinel Bridge just before sundown. But stay for sunset, when the setting sun casts a brilliant orange light onto Half Dome, a stunning sight.
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.
When Congress green-lighted the O’Shaughnessy Dam in 1913, pragmatism triumphed over aestheticism. Some 2.4 million residents of the San Francisco Bay Area continue to get their water from this 117-billion-gallon reservoir, although spirited efforts are being made to restore the Hetch Hetchy Valley to its former, pristine glory. Eight miles long, the reservoir is Yosemite’s largest body of water, and one that can be seen up close from several trails. | Hetch Hetchy Rd., about 15 mi north of the Big Oak Flat entrance station 95389.
High Country.
The above-tree-line, high-alpine region east of the Valley—a land of alpenglow and top-of-the-world vistas—is often missed by crowds who come to gawk at the Valley’s more publicized splendors. Summer wildflowers, which usually