The Wawona area in southern Yosemite is the perfect place for a quick trip into the park’s past, thanks to the Pioneer Yosemite History Center, a collection of historic buildings from throughout the park, and Hill’s Studio, where 19th century artist Thomas Hill worked on hundreds of Yosemite landscape paintings.

This grant funded much-needed improvements to the high-traffic trail connecting the studio, now a visitor center, and the History Center. Crews replaced the trail’s steep steps with a smooth ramp surfaced with sustainable non-asphalt tread. The transformed trail enables people to move more safely and easily in a popular area, while reducing the incentive to create “social trails” through the surrounding habitat.

Your gift supported key upgrades on a much-used trail to improve the visitor experience in a place that offers an important glimpse into Yosemite’s past.

Completed in partnership with Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite Tourist, 1889

Project Notes

If Wawona had no other attraction than Hill's Studio, it would be enough to amply repay a visit. The tourist can here see Yosemite on canvas, as natural as the gifted and true artist can make it.