Yosemite in Spring

No other photo location in the world can awaken as powerful an image of soaring granite monoliths and spectacular carved valleys than Yosemite National Park. More than any other landscape, Yosemite is the park that defines the Sierra Nevada, indeed the entire American West. Within the park, the names of its prominent features—El Capitan, Half Dome and Bridalveil—not only immediately evoke the legendary presence of John Muir and Ansel Adams, but also embody the quintessential symbols of the American wilderness. In 1864, Abraham Lincoln set aside the Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias by a federal grant—the first time in history lands had been protected for their scenic value.

The Yosemite Valley is at the heart of this world of glacier-carved canyons, thrusting pale gray domes and spires, hanging valleys, groves of giant sequoias and expansive meadows. But springtime in Yosemite is synonymous with waterfalls. And as winter snows melt, waters rush through countless steep canyons toward the high exposed granite cliff edges to plunge into the valley’s wild river heart. Bridalveil and Yosemite Falls are legendary, but now others make their short seasonal appearance: Horsetail, Staircase, Ribbon—the park’s highest single fall—and many more.

Our accommodations for the tour are at famous Yosemite Lodge, located at the base of Yosemite Falls. From this convenient location we can quickly be in the field to catch the best light of day.

Join Jeff Foott—who, as a former ranger in Yosemite for many years, knows the park and its secrets well—in late April, before the summer crowds arrive, when the waterfalls are flowing and the dogwoods are just coming into glorious spring bloom.