Guide to Yosemite

This Guide and Trail Companion was brought about by thousands of requests for practical information concerning the many short excursions from Yosemite. Besides briefly describing Yosemite Valley, its scenic features, and the immediately adjacent portion of the Sierra, detailed information has been introduced concerning each trail and road in the region. These are described just as they are actually followed, and attention is called to each point of interest just as it is discovered during the trip itself. As far as possible, complete data has been introduced on condition of trails, time required to make the trips, fishing, camp sites, forage conditions, etc., in short all kinds of information which would be demanded of a hired guide.

The original draft of this Handbook was prepared in collaboration with Forest S. Townsley, Chief Ranger of Yosemite National Park. Later, each of the Park Rangers suggested valuable additions, and several members of the Sierra Club contributed bits of valuable information. The author has freely consulted old books and pamphlets in the Bancroft Historical Library at the University of California and has included several points of historical interest.

Acknowledgment is also due to Mr. Herbert Maier for the drawings and maps here reproduced and to the United States Geological Survey for permission to reproduce a portion of the "Administrative Map of Yosemite National Park."

Suggestions as to additions or corrections which would make this booklet more useful to the public would be greatly appreciated and should be addressed to the author, care of United States National Park Service, Yosemite, California.

ANSEL F. HALL

In charge of Information Yosemite National Park

Yosemite, California May 1, 1920

COPYRIGHT 1920 by ANSEL F. HALL

CONTENTS

~The Yosemite Region~ 1

~Yosemite Valley~ 2 Origin 2 Early History 2 General Features of the Valley 3 The Waterfalls 5

~Yosemite Village~ 8

~Yosemite Roads~ 13 I El Portal to Yosemite via El Capitan Road 14 I-A Pohono Bridge to Yosemite via Bridalveil Road 18 II-A Tour of the Floor of the Valley 20 III Yosemite to Glacier Point via Chinquapin Road 26 IV Yosemite to Tenaya Lake, Tuolumne Meadows, and Mono Lake via Big Oak Flat and Tioga Roads 30 V Yosemite to Hetch Hetchy via Big Oak Flat Road and Hetch Hetchy Railroad 38 VI Yosemite to El Portal via El Capitan Road 39 VI-A Yosemite Village to Pohono Bridge via Bridalveil Road 43

~Yosemite Trails~ 46 1 Yosemite to Glacier Point via Vernal and Nevada Falls and return via the Short Trail 47 2 Yosemite to Glacier Point via the Short Trail and return via Vernal and Nevada Falls 52 3 Yosemite to North Dome via Yosemite Falls and return via Mirror Lake 56 4 Yosemite to North Dome via Mirror Lake and return via Yosemite Falls 60 5 Yosemite to Tenaya Lake via Clouds Rest and Forsyth Pass and return via Mirror Lake 63 6 Yosemite to Tenaya Lake via Mirror Lake and return via Forsyth Pass and Clouds Rest 67 7 Yosemite to Lake Merced 70 8 Yosemite to Tuolumne Meadows via Sunrise Trail 72 9 Yosemite to Eagle Peak, El Capitan and Gentry 75 10 Yosemite to Ten Lakes via Yosemite Creek 76 11 Yosemite to Hetch Hetchy via Yosemite Creek, Harden Lake, and Smith Meadow 79 12 Yosemite to Sierra Point 81 13 Little Yosemite 81 14 Half Dome 83 15 Yosemite to Glacier Point via the Ledge Trail 85 16 Glacier Point to Sentinel Dome 86 17 Glacier Point to Fort Monroe via Pohono Trail 87 18 Fort Monroe to Glacier Point via Pohono Trail 88 19 Glacier Point to Wawona via Alder Creek Trail 90 20 Glacier Point to Ostrander Lake 92 21 Glacier Point to Chilnualna Falls or Johnson Lake via the Buck Camp Trail 93 22 Glacier Point to Johnson Lake via Buena Vista Trail 94 23 Yosemite or Glacier Point to Moraine Meadows via Merced Pass Trail 96 24 Wawona Road to El Portal via the Sunset Trail 97 25 Wawona Road to El Portal via the Hennessy Trail 98