Dear Wawona and Tuolumne communities and friends: The stress of drought across parts of America is visible in the national media and when you look at Yosemite, you can see those effects too. After an arid winter and spring, water levels in the South Fork Merced and Tuolumne Rivers continue to decline. Worse, no significant rain is forecast.

Yosemite Fire Crew 6 is working near Swinging Bridge conducting a hazardous fuel reduction project. They are cutting, piling and mechanically thinning dense vegetation including shade tolerant conifers such as incense cedar, white fir and ponderosa pine. They are also clearing accumulated dead biomass on the forest floor like sticks and logs. You will hear chain saws and see crews ...

Cascade Fire Update – This lightning caused fire has been slowly burning since June 16, in Yosemite’s high elevation Wilderness. It started during an afternoon thunderstorm on June 15th. The fire has grown to 182 acres. It is burning in a short needle red fir forest between two upper forks of the Cascade Creek. The fire has slowly smoldered through ...

Nine bears have been hit by vehicles so far this year in Yosemite National Park. The public is reminded to please obey speed limits and scan roadsides while driving to ensure the safety of bears and other wildlife. Of the bears nine that were hit, two were confirmed to be dead. A female yearling was the bear most recently hit ...

American athletes at the Summer Olympic Games will be wearing uniforms made in China. It has been a hot topic in the news this past week as Americans continue to wrestle with the issue of just when and if we should require Americans to buy American. Last year, ABC World News with Diane Sawyer presented a series, “Made in America,” ...

Making it to the top of Half Dome is a breath-taking achievement. Literally! For those of you who want to take on this challenge, there are some things you’ll need to know. So let’s get the facts from someone who is still resting up from his trek to the top this past weekend, Tim Madden. But first, some pertinent information: ...

Yosemite National Park is requesting help from visitors to protect newborn animals in the park. During the summer months, many baby birds, fawns, and other young wildlife can be found on the ground. They may appear to be in distress, but are not sick, injured, or abandoned. If moved from their location, the parents cannot care for their offspring and ...

Yosemite National Park Seeking Volunteers for Habitat Protector ProgramHalf Day Drop- In Volunteer Help Needed Throughout Yosemite Valley Yosemite National Park is seeking volunteers to become a Habitat Protector of Yosemite (HaPY) Volunteer. The park’s Resources

Nearly 150 years ago, Californians and their Senator John Conness recognized the remarkable nature of Yosemite Valley with its majestic cliffs, gentle meadows and lovely meandering Merced River—as well its fragility and threat from exploitation. Their foresight and subsequent efforts secured the original Yosemite Grant, which gave us an extraordinary legacy-Yosemite National Park. Today, using that same foresight, Representative Jim ...

Yosemite’s Tenaya Lake, once called “Lake of the Shining Rocks,” will sparkle even more brightly following major restoration efforts this summer to its east beach and surrounding wetlands and trails with funding provided by Yosemite Conservancy.