July Is High Country Heaven In Yosemite National Park

Outdoor Adventure Classes Stimulate the Senses in the High Sierra

With the seasonal opening of Yosemite's Tioga Pass and Glacier Point Road offering access to the breathtaking High Sierra, Yosemite Association's Outdoor Adventures program heads for the high country in July, exploring the unique wildflowers, bird life, water habitats and granite outcroppings of Yosemite's higher elevations.

Nature enthusiasts can take advantage of a great number of summer outdoor field classes in this extraordinary part of Yosemite National Park from July through September. Courses start at $80 and are open to the public. Here is a sampling of classes starting in July, many of which are specially tailored for those wanting to attend two classes with one overnight stay.

*July 3 - Investigating the Wildflowers of Tuolumne Meadows
*July 4 - Summer Birding in Tuolumne Meadows
*July 10 - Yosemite Valley Rim Wildflower Walk, Glacier Point
*July 11 - Wildflowers of Forests & Meadows, Glacier Point
*July 12-17 - Women Writing the Wild III: Beginning Backpack, Tuolumne Meadows
*July 15-18 - Lyell Canyon Beginning Backpack
*July 16-17 - Creeks, Springs & Ponds of Tuolumne
*July 16-18 - Introduction to Sierra Fly Fishing, Tuolumne Meadows
*July 17-18 - Nature's Chemistry Lab at Tuolumne
* July 18 - Go Climb A Peak, Mt. Hoffman
*July 18 - Meadows, Forests and Wildflowers Along Tioga Road, Tuolumne Meadows
*July 18-22 - Starry Skies over Yosemite, Glacier Point
*July 19-23 - Alpine Flora Base Camp, Tuolumne Meadows
*July 23-25 - Backpacking the Pohono Trail, Glacier Point
*July 24-25 - Yosemite: The Explorations of the Original Surveyors, Tuolumne Meadows
*July 29-Aug. 1 - Mono Pass Beginning Backpack, Tuolumne Meadows
*July 30 - Aug. 1 - Photographing High Country Habitats, Tuolumne Meadows

In addition to these high country classes and backpacking trips, the Yosemite Association offers courses in Yosemite Valley this July including Yosemite en Espanol, Yoga and Creative Writing, Fire Ecology, Junior Ranger Adventures and a Wawona History Walk. Courses are led by experienced instructors ranging from park rangers and professional photographers to noted authors and skilled naturalists.

For a free course catalog and to register, call (209) 379-2317 or click here.

Yosemite Outdoor Adventure participants do not have to be a member of Yosemite Association to attend field courses. However, those who wish to become a steward of Yosemite, one of the world's most beautiful places, can join the Yosemite Association with memberships starting at $35 per year. Membership benefits include discounted room rates in and around Yosemite, a 15% discount on all outdoor adventures, subscription to "Yosemite," the quarterly journal of the Association, 15% discount on all books, maps, posters and calendars, and regular email newsletters.

Founded in 1923, the Yosemite Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to the support of Yosemite through its volunteer, publishing, outdoor education and other programs. Yosemite Association revenues are used to support education, museum, research and environmental programs in Yosemite through donations to the National Park Service.