The Experience
The Natural Splendors in California’s Sierra Nevada
John Muir knew exactly what he was seeing. So big, so beautiful, so worth preserving. Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls – legendary landmarks in a legendary park whose grandeur is almost overwhelming. It’s no surprise that many 19th-century tourists to this glacier-carved wonderland saw it as a new Eden. Soak up jaw-dropping vistas from Glacier Point. Marvel at soaring granite cliffs that the early travelers once likened to Gothic cathedrals. Bask in the shade of towering sequoias. Welcome to Yosemite National Park: 747,956 acres of “wow!” Sublime hikes to alpine meadows, spectacular panoramas and waterfalls Glean secrets of Yosemite Valley from a local naturalist Ahwahnee Hotel, the best way to stay in the valley
Day 1 Sublime hikes to serene waterfalls, alpine meadows and spectacular panoramas in the Sierra Nevada, called the “Range of Light” by John Muir After fueling up with a picnic, get your legs moving on a scenic canyon hike lined with ferns, evergreens and moss. Day 2 Walk amid the awe-inspiring Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, Yosemite’s largest stand of these ancient trees The grove’s famous Grizzly Giant tree is estimated to be 1,800 years old – give or take a few centuries Perhaps you’ll be up for a swim or a spa treatment at our hotel, cradled by the pines of the Sierra National Forest. Day 3 Ahwahnee Hotel, the best way to stay in the valley Travel to Glacier Point, with commanding vistas of Yosemite Valley, Half Dome and the Sierra Nevada As you hike to the historic Ahwahnee Hotel, feel dwarfed by the vertical cliff walls looming above you. Day 4 Glean secrets of Yosemite Valley from a local naturalist The valley is yours to explore however you wish, be it horseback riding, hiking to Lower Yosemite Falls or paying a visit to the Ansel Adams Gallery. Days 5-6 Sprawling Tuolumne Meadows, with endless hiking trails, glorious high-country scenery and a profusion of summer wildflowers Cap off the week with a hike to a lookout with views of Hetch Hetchy, Wapama Falls and the surrounding high country.
LESS
The Route
