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Historic Yosemite National Park: The Stories Behind One of America's Great Treasures
The history of Yosemite National Park is as compelling as the waterfalls, monoliths, and peaks that have mesmerized visitors for more than a century. But what hikers see today in the iconic Yosemite Valley, as well as on the peaks in the high country and within the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees, is a world away from the place Native Americans once called Ahwahnee, and from what gold-seekers and mountain men looked upon in the park’s earliest days.
Historic Yosemite National Park is a vibrant collection of stories about different aspects of Yosemite National Park’s fascinating history, from the conservation works of pivotal characters such as writer John Muir and photographer Ansel Adams to the daring exploits of rock climbers and the natural forces that have shaped Yosemite’s stunning vistas. These stories reveal why Yosemite National Park has inspired humankind for centuries.
Historic Yosemite National Park is a vibrant collection of stories about different aspects of Yosemite National Park’s fascinating history, from the conservation works of pivotal characters such as writer John Muir and photographer Ansel Adams to the daring exploits of rock climbers and the natural forces that have shaped Yosemite’s stunning vistas. These stories reveal why Yosemite National Park has inspired humankind for centuries.
232 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 25, 2026
I picked this book up in a gift shop at Yosemite National Park earlier this month ( September 2026). I began reading it there at the Park, then read most of it on the plane back home. I had one last chapter to read and I finished it on September 24.
Yosemite, as everyone should know, is a stunningly beautiful place that, most fortunately, was preserved from the depredations of the human race. It has a most interesting history, which I had known little about. Indigenous people had lived there for thoudands of years. They were the Ahwahneechee, named after the valley they lived in: "Ahwahnee," "place like a gaping mouth" ( referring to the great valley). Other tribes and then the settlers called these people the Yosemites, which has been translated as "those who kill." As the author states, it's a ferocious translation for a tribe that was essentially peaceful!
After California became a state (1850), a military expedition was mounted against the Yosemites by the so-called "Mariposa Battalion." They were supported by the state of California and their job was to move the "Indians" to a reservation near Fresno, giving the entire Yosemite Valley to the whites. As the battalion moved into the Valley, the Yosemites scattered, going deeper into the wilderness. The whites destroyed the Yosemite villages and food caches, but they failed in their mission of removing the tribe to a reservation. Later, the Yosemites would return to the Valley, many of them getting jobs working in what became a national park.
Before it became a national park, Yosemite Valley was established as the Yosemite Grant in 1864, to be under the protection of the state of California. The author goes on to describe the evolution of Yosemite as it became a national park. In 1890, Congress established the Yosemite National Park protecting the wilderness around the Grant. It was President Theodore Roosevelt who signed the act folding the Yosemite Grant into the Yosemite National Park in 1906.
The author goes on to describe the building of the roads, trails, and lodgings that help to make the park iconic. She also goes into detail about two personalities who were key in the development of the national park: Galen Clark and later John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club. One chapter is about the tragedy of the loss of the Hetch Hetchy Valley, as a dam was built to create a reservoir to provide a water supply for San Francisco. That such pristine land was lost was a great defeat for Muir (and for all of us). Hetch Hetchy would be a rallying cry for conservationists to work to protect the remaining land of the park and prevent such a thing from happening again.
We have chapters on the art and photography focusing on Yosemite ( Ansel Adams comes to mind). There's a chapter on the sculpting of Yosemite by glaciers and waterfalls. And there's a chapter on the wildlife, especially the bears! And the author also describes the fury of Nature with the history of wildfires, rockfalls, and floods in the park.
Finally, there is a chapter on the mountain climbers of Yosemite-- which I skimmed through. I'm sorry to say I'm really not interested in climbing mountains. I was all too happy to simply view the awe-inspiring granite walls and mountains around the glorious Yosemite Valley.
I am glad that I finally had the chance to visit one of America's greatest natural treasures.
Yosemite, as everyone should know, is a stunningly beautiful place that, most fortunately, was preserved from the depredations of the human race. It has a most interesting history, which I had known little about. Indigenous people had lived there for thoudands of years. They were the Ahwahneechee, named after the valley they lived in: "Ahwahnee," "place like a gaping mouth" ( referring to the great valley). Other tribes and then the settlers called these people the Yosemites, which has been translated as "those who kill." As the author states, it's a ferocious translation for a tribe that was essentially peaceful!
After California became a state (1850), a military expedition was mounted against the Yosemites by the so-called "Mariposa Battalion." They were supported by the state of California and their job was to move the "Indians" to a reservation near Fresno, giving the entire Yosemite Valley to the whites. As the battalion moved into the Valley, the Yosemites scattered, going deeper into the wilderness. The whites destroyed the Yosemite villages and food caches, but they failed in their mission of removing the tribe to a reservation. Later, the Yosemites would return to the Valley, many of them getting jobs working in what became a national park.
Before it became a national park, Yosemite Valley was established as the Yosemite Grant in 1864, to be under the protection of the state of California. The author goes on to describe the evolution of Yosemite as it became a national park. In 1890, Congress established the Yosemite National Park protecting the wilderness around the Grant. It was President Theodore Roosevelt who signed the act folding the Yosemite Grant into the Yosemite National Park in 1906.
The author goes on to describe the building of the roads, trails, and lodgings that help to make the park iconic. She also goes into detail about two personalities who were key in the development of the national park: Galen Clark and later John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club. One chapter is about the tragedy of the loss of the Hetch Hetchy Valley, as a dam was built to create a reservoir to provide a water supply for San Francisco. That such pristine land was lost was a great defeat for Muir (and for all of us). Hetch Hetchy would be a rallying cry for conservationists to work to protect the remaining land of the park and prevent such a thing from happening again.
We have chapters on the art and photography focusing on Yosemite ( Ansel Adams comes to mind). There's a chapter on the sculpting of Yosemite by glaciers and waterfalls. And there's a chapter on the wildlife, especially the bears! And the author also describes the fury of Nature with the history of wildfires, rockfalls, and floods in the park.
Finally, there is a chapter on the mountain climbers of Yosemite-- which I skimmed through. I'm sorry to say I'm really not interested in climbing mountains. I was all too happy to simply view the awe-inspiring granite walls and mountains around the glorious Yosemite Valley.
I am glad that I finally had the chance to visit one of America's greatest natural treasures.
March 14, 2024
I picked this up at the library because we're planning a trip to Yosemite and I wanted to understand the place better. What I liked about it the most is that it's broken into chapters that each focus on a different aspect of the park (geology, the golden age of rock climbing, the key figures who shaped it in its early days, etc.) so I could learn a little bit about a lot of different things.
December 18, 2023
Well researched and organized. Interesting catalogue of one of my favorite places.
February 19, 2017
Excellent overview of the history of Yosemite. Condensed, to be sure, but very good information for anyone who is new to the wonder that is Yosemite. I love that the author paid due attention to John Muir and many other conservationists who paved the way for real conservation modernly in the National Parks today.
September 5, 2019
This is an interesting, informative and enjoyable read. I especially liked the chapters on John Muir and on those who climb the rock faces of the many monolithic natural structures in the park. My chief criticism is the lack of a map. This is an intensely geographic book with countless references to many different locations in the park yet there is no map to enable the reader to understand where these places are. I found some of the frequently mentioned places in a park map on the Internet but a reader who pays good money for a book should not have to shift back and forth between the Internet and the book to keep track of locations. Whoever edited this book should have noticed that omission and corrected it before publication.
November 18, 2020
Great starter book for those interested in diving into Yosemite history a little deeper than what you find in the parks. For me, the first 75% of the book was exactly what I was looking for. I’m tired of reading about John Muir and his writings. I’ve wanted something that opens the door to the actual history of the Yosemite settlement including the missteps. This is a perfect intro to that. The last 25% is nice but it feels bolted-on to cover various high-level topics like wildlife and natural disasters. Definitely recommend for anybody looking for this type of stuff.
January 6, 2022
I started reading this for a Yosemite trip that got cancelled because of a blizzard. Excited for when I go back next, a lot of things I didn't know about the park and its history. Also a great microcosm of American and California history. A good book for glaciers, John Muir, western settlers, colonial genocide, park ranger traditions, wildlife extinctions, and hippies. Ultimately nothing mind blowing, just informative.
October 2, 2022
Picked it up at the Yosemite Valley Bookstore after chatting with some rangers and mountaineers about park history and loved it. Covers everything from pre-colonial natives, to the Grant and NPS incorporation, to modern preservation and conservation efforts. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the climbers, especially after visiting Camp 4.
July 10, 2026
Yosemite is a beautiful place with a wonderful story.
April 12, 2017
A quick history on Yosemite. Unfortunately does not have footnotes and diverges to a natural history in the second half of the book.
I would recommend as a primer on the history of the park, a good place to find items of interest that could be approached with other works and archival materials.
I would recommend as a primer on the history of the park, a good place to find items of interest that could be approached with other works and archival materials.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews