Project goal: Revamp an obsolete video to help Yosemite visitors easily access key park-related information, including orientation, safety and stewardship tips.

Why this work matters: Most of the park’s millions of annual visitors spend the bulk of their time in Yosemite Valley. People seeking information, especially during the busy summer season, often encounter long lines. On an average summer day, wait times to talk to a ranger can stretch to 15 minutes, prompting some people to leave without the information they were seeking.

Recognizing that many common visitor questions don’t require one-on-one interactions with rangers, this project takes a creative approach to making sure visitors can get information they need in a timely manner: a “One Day in Yosemite”* trip-planning video. The new film, a modernized remake of an outdated, but once-popular, video, will help address frequent visitor questions and concerns, including how to get around the park, observe wildlife, store food and stay safe, with the goal of helping people plan and enjoy a successful experience.

Once complete, the video will be featured on the Yosemite National Park website, mobile app and YouTube channel, and it will be played at the new Yosemite Valley Welcome Center. Giving people easy access to key information, whether they’re watching online before a trip or at the welcome center once they arrive, will help promote safety and stewardship — and will ensure rangers can focus on helping visitors with more complicated questions.

The COVID-19 pandemic delayed production, but your support enabled filmmakers to finalize the script and storyboard for the new video, and to start capturing footage, including scenic shots of Glacier Point, Tunnel View and Yosemite Valley. The team hopes to finish filming and production in 2021, with support from another Conservancy grant.

*Note: The “One Day in Yosemite” trip-planning video is not related to the special episode of Yosemite Nature Notes that shares the same name. The latter video, filmed in 2012, documents a day in the life of the park and is available on the Yosemite National Park website.

Project partners: Yosemite National Park and Steve Bumgardner (filmmaker).

Sabrina Diaz

Chief of Interpretation and Education, Yosemite National Park

Project Notes

"A modernized remake of a much-loved video, 'One Day in Yosemite,' will provide visitors with a method for planning a safe and enjoyable experience in the park."