Support Yosemite through Yosemite Conservancy

HomeThings To DoSupport Yosemite through Yosemite Conservancy

If you love Yosemite as much as we do, consider giving back with a donation to Yosemite Conservancy.

Yosemite Conservancy Supports Yosemite National Park

The Yosemite Conservancy is the official non-profit partner for Yosemite National Park. With your help, Yosemite Conservancy supports key programs, important park projects, and opportunities for people to connect with the park and with each other.

Yosemite Conservancy Projects

The Yosemite Conservancy funds a wide array of projects in Yosemite, ranging across important areas like trail maintenance, youth education, historic preservation, and wildlife management.

Yosemite Conservancy donations go toward protecting wildlife, managing trails and so much more.

Here are just a few of the many recent projects that Yosemite Conservancy has helped to fund.

Helping to save endangered species like bighorn sheep, pacific fishers, peregrine falcons, and many more.
Maintaining and improving Yosemite trails
Restoring ecological habitats like meadows
Digitizing historic park documents like maps, plans, and drawings to make them more accessible to everyone
Supporting scientific research into songbirds, hiking patterns
Youth programs like Adventure Risk Challenge (ARC) – a program that helps teens from under-served communities build confidence and leadership skills in a natural environment.

You’ll also see Yosemite Conservancy’s handiwork in great visitor services like the Yosemite Valley Bike-Share program, and the always-popular Junior Ranger program.

Close to our home base in Wawona, Yosemite Conservancy donations contributed $20M to preserve and enhance the experience at the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. (Some of these new additions were damaged in an intense Mono Wind storm that uprooted trees – including some ancient sequoias – and damaged buildings in early 2021.)

Yosemite Conservancy programs give deeper insights into the wonder and interconnected ecosystems of the park.

Yosemite Conservancy Programs

In addition to making Yosemite a better place, the Yosemite Conservancy is also dedicated to helping people connect and interact with the park in a variety of ways. For example:

Outdoor Adventures programs include guided backpacking trips and day hikes with a Yosemite naturalist.
Art classes give artists of all levels a different perspective on the park and a unique souvenir of their time in the park.
Fill and evening with entertaining Yosemite stories at the Yosemite Theater.
Have you checked conditions or stopped for a moment of inspiration using the Yosemite webcams? Time to thank the Yosemite Conservancy again.

If you want to get a wilderness permit for backpacking or stay overnight at the Ostrander Ski Hut in the winter, those are managed by the Yosemite Conservancy as well.

How You Can Help Yosemite Too

Donate

Yosemite is here for you. It’s here with beautiful overlooks and the promise of adventure. It’s here for the many wild plants and animals that call this park home. It’s here across all seasons and in all weather conditions.

Help keep the park going with your generous support to the Yosemite Conservancy. Every little bit helps!

Become a Friend of Yosemite – Yosemite Conservancy Membership Benefits

Yosemite Conservancy Passport & Redwoods mug

Friends of Yosemite donors receive many membership benefits including the Membership Guide and Passport with in-park and regional deals including lodging and gift store offers from The Redwoods In Yosemite.

With a donation of $25 or more, you also get benefits including many in-park and regional discounts. For example, The Redwoods In Yosemite often provides a special discount to Yosemite Conservancy donors in the Yosemite Conservancy Passport.

So you can actually support the park and save!

Shop the Yosemite Conservancy Stores

When you order directly from the Yosemite Conservancy, your purchases help fund important work in the park. You can shop online, or in person at the Yosemite Conservancy Gift Shop in the Yosemite Valley Visitor’s Center, or at the Museum Store.

Volunteer

Yosemite Conservancy volunteers restore trails and habitat, teach art classes and help other park visitors. You can volunteer for a few days or several weeks to become part of the Yosemite team and get to know the park even better.

Get Married in Yosemite

Celebrate your most remarkable day in a remarkable place.

Host a Group Gathering

Inviting a big group? Set your group up in adjacent cabin clusters.

Yosemite Half Dome, Vernal and Nevada Falls views from Glacier Point

Support Yosemite

The Yosemite Conservancy is a non-profit park partners that funds many of the most beloved programs in Yosemite.

Ride a Bike

Cycling in the best way to explore Yosemite Valley.

Grandpa and grandson sharing a view of giant sequoias

Wonder at Giant Sequoias

Get a peek at the most massive trees in the world.

Go on a Treasure Hunt

Geocaching is a fun way to explore Wawona.

Wawona Hikes

With a Redwoods In Yosemite cabin as your home base, you’ll also find plenty of activities even closer to home.

There are great hikes nearby that you can start right from your doorstep without even getting in a car. Try the Chilnualna Falls Trail for views of cascades and waterfalls, the Wawona Meadow Loop for a casual stroll around the outskirts of the meadow, or Swinging Bridge along with a bit of swimming when the season is right.

Enjoy a serene walk around Wawona Meadow.

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is also practically in your backyard. This is Yosemite’s largest and most impressive grove of giant sequoias. Most prefer to take the short drive to the parking area and walk from there, however, the ambitious can walk straight from Wawona. The trail connects to the outer loop trail of the Mariposa Grove after 4.4 miles (7.1 km) one-way.

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias is only a few minutes from The Redwoods In Yosemite cabins. Photo: Nancy Robbins

Wawona History

Yosemite History Center – Stroll across the historic covered bridge and between a collection of historic Yosemite buildings to get a glimpse of earlier days at the Yosemite History Center. During the summer, chat with blacksmiths at work at the forge, and other living history actors who bring stories to life.

The Yosemite History Center in Yosemite National Park

The Yosemite History Center in Wawona brings history alive.

Thomas Hill Studio – Swing by the Thomas Hill Studio for a glimpse into the life of a 19th-century artist, famous in part for his rich landscape paintings of Yosemite. This small building close to Wawona Hotel is now part visitor center and part free museum.

Wawona Hotel – Explore the elegant Victorian hotel that greets visitors to Wawona. Built in 1876, Wawona Hotel is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. After wandering the grounds, the wide verandas are the perfect place for lunch and an afternoon lemonade. Note: The Wawona Hotel is currently closed for renovation.

Other Things to Do in Wawona

Bounce across the Wawona Swinging Bridge. Unlike the bridge in Yosemite Valley, this one actually swings. Photo: Theresa Ho

You don’t have to go far for a fun-filled day. Take a break from the car and explore some of the exciting things Wawona has to offer. (Note that some of these activities are available seasonally; please call ahead to check for availability before making your plans.)

Golf and Disc Golf – Wawona’s own nine-hole par-35 golf course is just across the street from town. You can rent clubs and carts at Wawona Hotel. Or change it up and enjoy a round of disc golf on select afternoons.

Horseback Riding – Trot on over to the Wawona Stables for a convenient Western riding experience along the edge of Wawona Meadow/Golf Course. (Or saddle up over at Yosemite Trails to ride with real cowboys (and girls) through mountain streams and pine-scented national forest land.)

Swimming – Exploring Wawona’s swimming holes is a summertime highlight. Grab a towel and stroll out to some of the best swimming holes in the area.

Boy on Merced River at the Wawona Swimming Hole

Stay cool at one of the refreshing swimming holes in Wawona.

Tennis – Get in a few sets at the beautiful outdoor tennis court at Wawona Hotel. There is a small court fee for non-hotel guests.

Fishing – The rivers and creeks surrounding Wawona have plentiful brookies, browns, and rainbows. For the inside line, spend the day with one of the fishing guides at Yosemite Sierra Fly Fisher.

Geocaching Scavenger Hunt – A fun way to explore the local area. Check with the front desk at The Redwoods In Yosemite for more information.

Free Ranger Programs – Enrich your Yosemite experience by spending a few hours with a knowledgeable NPS ranger. Programs vary throughout the year. Check with the front desk for a current schedule.

Other Things to Do Nearby

Yosemite Tour – Relax and let the tour guide do the driving while you kick back and soak in the great Yosemite stories your guide will share with you at Discover Yosemite Tours. Check out special group rates. Discover Yosemite Tours picks up at nearby Fish Camp (~20 min. drive).

Ride a Steam Train – Take a ride in an open-air car through the Sierra Nevada aboard a vintage narrow-gauge steam engine at the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad. Pick up your 10% off coupon at the front desk at The Redwoods In Yosemite. (~20 min. away)

The steam train at Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad

Step back into history with a ride on a narrow gauge steam train at Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad.

Axe Throwing – Time to flex your lumberjack credentials with Yosemite Axe Throwing. This activity is sure to hit the bullseye for fun and unique experiences! No experience necessary. (~35 min. away)

Rent a Bike – Pedal Forward in Oakhurst rents bikes and bike racks so that you can get around Yosemite Valley more easily, ride up to the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, or explore the many National Forest trails nearby. A good way to commute – and lots of fun. (~35 min. away)

Rent a bike at Pedal Forward to explore Yosemite or take on the trails in the Sierra National Forest.

Off-Road Adventures – Get ready for some off-road action with Yosemite Adventure Co. This is a powerful way to get off the beaten path and explore National Forest lands around Yosemite. Take a tour – drive your own RZR or have an exciting Jeep 4X4 experience with a knowledgeable guide at the wheel. (~30 min. away)

Millers Landing Watersport Rentals – Want to combine your time in the mountains with some fun on the water? Stop by Millers Landing Watersport Rentals to rent anything from ski boats to kayaks to enjoy time on the water at Bass Lake. Mention you’re a guest of The Redwoods for a 15% discount. (~50 min. away)

Yosemite Trails – It’s a little further away than the Wawona Stables, but if you want an authentic riding experience with a family-run operation that raises their own quarter horses and actively runs cattle it’s worth the short drive. (~25 min. away)