Yosemite Conservancy

Yosemite Conservancy We inspire people to support projects and programs that preserve Yosemite and enrich the visitor experience for all.
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06/05/2026

What is your favorite trail in Yosemite?

While we feel like it’s trail appreciation day everyday in Yosemite, this Saturday, June 6 is National Trails Day, the perfect excuse to get outside and hit your favorite trail with some extra love.

Thanks to the generosity of Conservancy donors, the Legendary Valley Trails and California Conservation Corps projects support talented trail crews to refresh many miles of trails within the park every year like the Mist Trail Corridor, Cathedral Lakes, and Bridalveil Fall, just to name a few!

Some simple ways to take care of our favorite (and least favorite!) trails is to never take shortcuts (this hurts trails & fragile ecosystems!), never litter (this includes orange peels, apple cores, etc!), and to pick up trash we find along our way. By implementing these simple rules into our trail etiquette we can keep enjoying these hikes for years to come.

Description: Two hikers headed toward Yosemite Falls. Picking up trash from the ground. Hikers gazing up at Lower Yosemite Fall. Hiker showing odd piece of large styrofoam found in Yosemite next to trail sign that reads Lower Yosemite Fall. Peering into the trash bag. Palm raised, a gloved hand presents several pieces of trash: a tube or orajel, a candy wrapper, a red feather, a crusty paper towel, a straw, sugar packet. A hiker deposits the bag into a dumpster.

06/03/2026

What are your favorite ways to show love to Yosemite?

In 2016 Yosemite Conservancy teamed up with the NPS, the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA), and Subaru of America to implement the Zero Landfill Initiative. Together we have built a strong program that currently diverts waste from going into the Mariposa County landfill through recycling, composting, and reusable propane canister initiatives. Learn more at yosemite.org/sustainability

June 5th is World Environment Day, started in 1973 to encourage action for the preservation of our favorite planet, Earth! As individuals we can show our planet love, and as a result Yosemite, by using refillables, rechargeables, disposing of our trash responsibly, and remembering the phrase “Use it up, wear it out, make do, or do without!”.

Video description:

A scene of Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls flowing with the words “this & showing Yosemite how much I care”, followed by crystal clear lake water lapping at the shore with Cathedral Peak in the background with the words “this & always having my own reusable water bottle”, followed by raindrops hitting a stream flowing through a lush green high sierra meadow with the words “this & riding my bike to the trailhead”, followed by aggressive white water flowing over Nevada Fall with the words “this & supporting Yosemite’s zero landfill initiative”, and lastly ducklings following their mother down the river with El Capitan in the background with the words “this & remembering we’re all stewards of this land.”

Fog yea. Cool cloudy weather brought low, lingering wisps of fog to Yosemite Valley this week. Snow has been spotted as ...
05/28/2026

Fog yea. Cool cloudy weather brought low, lingering wisps of fog to Yosemite Valley this week. Snow has been spotted as low as Mariposa Grove and inches are accumulating up in the High Sierra once again. The beauty of Yosemite is more than sunshine and rainbows.

Want to watch the clouds in Yosemite today? We recommend the El Capitan we**am at: https://goyose.org/4o39yKo

Traveling to the park? Tioga Road closed at 5pm on May 26 due to weather this week and has not yet reopened. Text Yosemite to 333111 for updates from Yosemite regarding traffic, roadways, and parking availability.

Description of photo by NPS: A delicate cloud layer lingers over Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park. The pines and meadows look hydrated and happy.

Have you ever attended an event at Parsons Memorial Lodge? Every summer the Parsons Memorial Lodge Summer Series welcome...
05/27/2026

Have you ever attended an event at Parsons Memorial Lodge? Every summer the Parsons Memorial Lodge Summer Series welcomes speakers, artists, musicians, and poets to the historic stone structure nestled in beautiful Tuolumne Meadows.

We're doubly excited this year to see Yosemite Wildlife featured in the series on August 8! Author Beth Pratt and photographer Robb Hirsch will be presenting as well as signing copies of their book.

See the full schedule at https://goyose.org/41C3Pkj

These events are made possible in part by the generosity of Conservancy donors.
The featured photo on this year's flyer is a great gray owl by Robb Hirsch.

Congratulations to Yosemite Wildlife, Beth Pratt, and Robb Hirsch! Yosemite Wildlife has won the Gold Award in the Natu...
05/27/2026

Congratulations to Yosemite Wildlife, Beth Pratt, and Robb Hirsch! Yosemite Wildlife has won the Gold Award in the Nature & Environment category from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA). This is a respected award for independent presses, and all of us at Yosemite Conservancy are delighted by the news!

According to IBPA: "Yosemite Wildlife’s blend of storytelling, the latest research, and compelling photographs will deeply connect people to the national park. It includes 150+ species and 300+ photos and archival images, plus only-in-Yosemite stories such as “bear jams” on park roads, peregrine falcons saved from extinction by big wall climbers, and tiny amphibians that persist on the tallest peaks."

Learn more at: https://goyose.org/3PKy7ig

Image descriptions:
IBPA website showing the gold award next to Yosemite Wildlife book cover.
Close up of Yosemite Wildlife book cover

Ready for the weekend? Memorial Day Weekend is right around the corner and Yosemite National Park is a popular destinati...
05/21/2026

Ready for the weekend? Memorial Day Weekend is right around the corner and Yosemite National Park is a popular destination. Yosemite Conservancy compiled important trip planning updates and tips so that you can plan like a park ranger: https://goyose.org/4dWw3go

Our top things to remember for this weekend:
- Having your Digital Pass or America the Beautiful Pass ready at the entrance gate will help keep lines moving.
- Text Yosemite to 333111 for park updates.
- Yosemite Valley will fill quickly in the morning.
- Consider visiting destinations outside of Yosemite Valley: Mariposa Grove, Tuolumne Meadows, Glacier Point.
- Respect wildlife: Never approach wildlife and store your food safely during your visit.
- Pack your patience: the park will be full of people who are excited to experience the beauty of Yosemite.
- Leave No Trace: Keep in mind the 7 rules to help protect the park for future generations. (Stay on trail, take only photos/memories, dispose of your trash properly, etc.)

Do you have any questions about visiting Yosemite?

05/13/2026

Did you know you can get texts from Yosemite? Text ‘YNPtraffic’ to 333111 for real time updates from the National Park Service.

Description: shows someone picking up a phone, Yosemite Falls, texts from Yosemite, Vernal Fall.

05/12/2026

Have you ever heard of bird banding? And no, it’s not feathered friends jamming together (unfortunately). Welcome to Yosemite Science’s introduction to bird banding. Let us know if you have any bird or bird banding related questions in the comments!

Bird banding is when trained and permitted scientists capture birds, collect data, and then release the birds back into the wild. Thanks in part to Conservancy donors, The Institute of Bird Populations, and Yosemite National Park, Yosemite has been a key bird banding location for decades, contributing critical data to important scientific understanding of bird populations and behavior over time.

If you would like to see bird banding for yourself, consider joining Yosemite Conservancy on the upcoming Yosemite Field School: Bird Banding program, June 11-12. Or if you have a general interest in birds, there are Birding and Birding and Wildlife walks taking place on Mondays and Wednesdays in Yosemite Valley through June 9. You can find out more about both these programs and more at yosemite.org/experience

Visual description: A series of scenes pass by where we see scientists carefully handling birds at a work station in a forest. We see a table with clipboards and various tools. The scientists handle the songbirds carefully, moving their wings to look at their feathers, tucking birds into little tubes to weigh them, and pausing to jot down data. There are also scenes of the scientists releasing the birds and the birds either creep up a tree or fly off.

05/11/2026

Delighted to see the California red-legged frog event in Yosemite featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Yosemite National Park and other partners gathered last week to celebrate an amazing milestone: 10 years and 10,000 frogs! Through a decade of coordinated efforts, scientists have been able to establish a population of the threatened species in Yosemite Valley.

Much of this work was made possible by the generosity of Conservancy donors. Thank you for your support!

Look who's home! This is the time of year when we begin to see the return of migratory bird species to Yosemite Valley. ...
05/08/2026

Look who's home! This is the time of year when we begin to see the return of migratory bird species to Yosemite Valley. Has anyone spotted the bright red-orange head and yellow body of the Western Tanager or the orange, black, and white displays of the Black-headed Grosbeak yet? Or perhaps you've heard their distinctive calls?

Happy World Migratory Bird Day where we celebrate our feathered friends who often migrate incredible distances between their winter grounds and breeding habitats! Western Tanagers and Black-headed Grosbeaks come up to Yosemite during their breeding season and then go to winter in the warmth in Mexico and sometimes even further south.

To learn more about Yosemite's birds, join us on one the Conservancy's 'Birding in Yosemite Valley' or "Birding and Wildlife Walk in Yosemite Valley'. These guided naturalist programs meet on Mondays and Wednesdays until June 9. Great for beginners and avid birders alike! Learn more about these programs at: https://goyose.org/4wjVxvt

Photo credits:
Male Western Tanager by Austin Dillman
Male Black-headed Grosbeak by Marie Read

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Yosemite Valley Visitor Center
Yosemite Village, CA
95389

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