No snow? No problem! Plenty to see in Yosemite

Jarrod Lyman
Director of Media
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau
(559) 683-4636

No snow? No problem

Oakhurst, CA. – A surprising lack of snow in Yosemite National Park has opened up some unique travel opportunities for people looking for a quick winter getaway.

Perhaps the most exciting opportunity for travelers is the fact that the Tioga Road in Yosemite is still open, something quite rare this time of year.

“Tioga Road, while offering some beautiful views of Yosemite’s country, is a seasonal road. This is the first time that a lot of people can remember it still being open in December. The result is people getting a rare chance to take in the high country beauty during the winter,” said Jarrod Lyman, Director of PR with the Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau.

Travelers can still visit iconic spots in the park like Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia, Glacier Point and even Tenaya Lake.

“We’ve heard of people ice skating on the lake there, so it’s really something quite special,” Lyman said.

Tourism officials also report that just because there isn’t any snow doesn’t mean there are no winter activities.

“Ice skating at places like Tenaya Lodge in Fish Camp or Curry Village in Yosemite Valley are popular activities right now, and people are having a blast with it,” Lyman said.

Add in the fact that motorists don’t have to worry about chain controls going in to effect as sometimes happens during the winter, and people are finding the lack of precipitation a good excuse to make a special trip to the Yosemite region. 

Vacation Planning

There are many options for lodging, dining and other activities in and around Yosemite. To start planning  your vacation and to book your room, go to www.YosemiteThisYear.com.

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Yosemite seeks public comment on Mariposa Grove plans

        Yosemite National Park Announces the Public Scoping for the

                      Mariposa Grove Restoration Plan  Plan Calls for Extensive Improvements in Yosemite’s Largest Giant Sequoia

                                   Grove

Yosemite National Park announces the opening of public scoping for the Mariposa Grove Restoration Plan Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).  The scoping period will begin Wednesday, August 31, 2001 and extend through Saturday, October 15, 2011.  Comments will be used to assist the park in a plan that will meet the purpose and need of the project.

The Mariposa Grove is the largest of the three giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) groves in Yosemite National Park and was part of the original Yosemite Grant signed by President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 (the rest of the grant included Yosemite Valley).  The giant sequoias are the largest living things and can measure up to 35 feet in diameter and up to 300 feet in height.  There are approximately 500 mature sequoia trees in the grove.

The proposed plan aims to restore the Giant Sequoia habitat in the Mariposa Grove. This would be accomplished through a range of actions including:

   ·  Restoring the natural hydrology within the grove

   ·  Removing unnecessary infrastructure

   ·  Realigning roads and trails in sensitive sequoia habitat

   ·  Relocating the existing visitor parking

   ·  Reducing visitor trampling of soils and vegetation around the giant

      sequoias

The project also seeks to improve the visitor experience within the Mariposa Grove by assessing visitor facilities and transportation.

A public Open House will take place tomorrow, August 31, 2011, and again on Wednesday, September 28, 2011, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in Yosemite Valley at the Visitor Center Auditorium. Park staff will be available to discuss the project, answer questions, and accept comments.

Comments can be submitted either in person at public meetings, by mail, fax, or online.

Online comments can be submitted through the Planning, Environment, and Public Comment (PEPC) website at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/yose/mariposagrove

Written comments can be mailed to:

            Yosemite National Park, Superintendent

            Attn: Mariposa Grove Restoration Plan

            P.O. Box 577

            Yosemite, CA 95389

Comments can also be faxed to 209/379-1294

For more information about this project:

http://www.nps.gov/yose/parkmgmt/mgrove.htm

                                   -NPS-