YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK–Park officials are announcing that the Merced Grove is closing for restoration. The closure will be for 2 months. Giant sequoias are adapted to frequent, low-intensity fire and depend on fire for reproduction. Frequent fires reduce fire intensity by thinning the forest of small and unhealthy trees and reducing the accumulation of dead branches and trees. But over ...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK – What can visitors expect in Yosemite National Park for 2024? There are notable improvements to some of the park’s most visited spots headlined by the renovated approach to iconic Bridalveil Fall, now open to visitors and offering a front-row view of the 620-foot roaring waterfall that millions see each year entering Yosemite Valley. The new Yosemite ...

NORTH FORK—A near-record crowd filled the North Fork Scout Building the evening of Tuesday, February 13, 2024. They gathered for the annual general meeting of the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway Association (SVSBA). Perhaps even more, they came to hear reports from U. S. Forest Service (USFS) personnel on the status of the Sierra Vista Scenic Byway (SVSB). The Byway consists ...

OAKHURST — Since its inception, the Welcoming Committee has grown from seven to ten members, and in 2021 they began educating visitors on how to Recreate Responsibly in the outdoors and protect the home of local wildlife. The wild cast of characters have appeared in YouTube videos, in a printable activity kit, at select local restaurants on coloring placemats, around ...