The Badger Pass A-frame is open for the 2023 Season!  The Badger Pass A-frame is open and staffed seven days a week by Wilderness staff to answer questions and issue backcountry Wilderness permits. Call 209-372-0408 for current ski and snow conditions. Snow Conditions With calmer and dryer conditions prevailing for the last two weeks, we have watched the snow consolidate ...

OAKHURST —  The Welcoming Committee of Visit Yosemite | Madera County has been known to act like animals, that’s because they are a wild cast of characters. This animated bunch has been welcoming visitors to Madera County since 2019, and their crew is growing! Meet Ranger, the California Mule Deer and mascot of North Fork, the geographic center of California and newest stop on the Fossils to ...

By Debby Carter, Sierra Historic Sites Association Sam Clark and his wife, Trudel, were fixtures in Oakhurst for many years. They both had very interesting pasts and loved to tell their stories. They were early members of the Sierra Historic Sites Association, and when Sam died his wife left a large collection of his things to the SHSA, which you ...

MADERA COUNTY —  Great news, everyone! You can now collect trading cards from your animal friends at Visit Yosemite Madera County’s Welcoming Committee. These awesome cards can be found at various locations around Madera County. Mr. Mead the Saber Toothed Cat MR. MEAD can be found at Fossil Discovery Center, located at 19450 Ave. 21 1/2, Chowchilla, CA. Saber-toothed cats, also known ...

MARIPOSA–The charming town of Mariposa, Ca. is in the national spotlight again for a cultural scene that residents and returning visitors alike know is among the best in the United States. On Monday, January 23, Mariposa was named as one of 20 finalists for the 2023 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice travel award in the category of Best Small-Town Cultural ...

MADERA COUNTY — Enjoy the best of Madera County on the Fossils to Falls Trail, a four-day road trip! On your trip, collect the Welcoming Committee’s trading cards at ten destinations and discover the best attractions in Yosemite’s Southern Gateway. Participants can use their trading cards to enter the Yosemite Adventure Contest grand prize drawing. Day 1 Start your journey ...

MOUNTAIN COMMUNITIES —  Mother Nature is the best form of therapy. The sound of roaring falls and smell of blooming wildflowers. The deafening silence of freshly fallen snow on the ground. Recreate Responsibly (PDF) Not Just Yosemite But ALL Outdoor Lands Although the main attraction is Yosemite National Park, the idea of recreating responsibly shouldn’t be applied only to the ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK — The sight of a ribbon of “fire” off a cliffside is something you would imagine seeing in a Lord of the Rings film. And as such, the “legend” of the annual formation of the Horsetail Fall as Yosemite’s natural Firefall has become a global phenomenon. With that being said, here’s the scoop on Horsetail Fall.   For ...

NORTH FORK — Good news, everyone! Storytelling is back at the Sierra Mono Museum and Cultural Center in North Fork. Enjoy an afternoon of great stories, told by veteran storytellers from the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians of California. It’s always a great time, so we’ll see you there! This event will be held Saturday, January 14, from 1 – ...

MERCED – Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) will soon benefit from a $3.68 million federal award for replacing four buses. The funding is part of the fiscal year 2023 omnibus spending package signed by President Biden this week. It is one of several community projects in the region sponsored by Congressman Jim Costa (D-16) and funded in the bill. ...