Program Overview: What was it like to visit Yosemite more than 100 years ago? Find out on this history-themed three-day program in the park! Long before a ranger issued Yosemite’s first automobile permit in 1913, allowing cars to enter the park, stagecoaches were bringing visitors to see the famous sights.
Over the course of three half-day hikes (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), you’ll spend the morning and early afternoon traveling back in time to Yosemite’s first few decades as a national park. As you explore the Old Big Oak Flat Road, Old Wawona Road and other historic roads in Yosemite Valley with your naturalist guide, you’ll step inside the stories of Chinese immigrants who helped build the roads, of the tourists who traveled from near and far to see Yosemite’s renowned landscape, and of the stagecoach drivers who had to navigate the winding, steep and sometimes risky routes.
Know Before You Go
- When: Friday, October 22, Saturday, October 23 and Sunday, October 24, 8 am to around 1 pm each day.
- Where: Yosemite Valley
- Registration includes: Guided hikes, park entry (as needed), and four nights of tent camping at a shared group site in Yosemite Valley (October 21, 22, 23 and 24). There is no discount if you choose not to use the included gate pass or campsite.
- Lodging options: Tent camping (included, dates cannot be adjusted). No additional lodging options have been arranged for this program, but guests are welcome to find their own alternate accommodations if desired.
- Experience level: No experience necessary!
View a suggested packing list.
COVID-19: We have implemented special safety measures to keep participants and instructors safe during the ongoing pandemic. For example, participants will hike single-file and keep moving to avoid crowding the trail, and instructors will stop to offer interpretation only when there is ample space to stay at least six feet apart. Please review our COVID-19 procedures for details.
