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Yosemite National Park
Plan A Field Trip

Yosemite is the ideal outdoor classroom for exploring the natural and cultural history of the park. Yosemite is a great place to realize the wisdom of the National Park concept of protection and preservation, which is basic to our enjoyment of Yosemite now, and for the pleasure of generations to come.

If you're planning to bring your class to Yosemite, you have several options:

  • Parks as Classrooms
    Experience Yosemite as the ultimate classroom. Have an Education Ranger provide a program focused on one of many dynamic topics to choose from. Programs are generally one to two hours in length.

  • Environmental Living Program
    Students stay at the Pioneer History Center and assume the roles of historical people from the 19th and 20th centuries.

  • Yosemite Institute environmental education programs
    Award-winning residential programs for K-12 schools. Programs are experiential, inquiry-based, and aligned with state learning requirements.

  • Yosemite Association Outdoor Adventures
    Botany, geology, astronomy, ecology, and ethnic studies are only a few of the topics covered in field seminars offered throughout the year and described in a catalog issued annually.

Even if you don't attend a scheduled program, your educational group may still qualify for a waiver of park entrance fees.

Resources

  • Self-Guiding Trails:
  • Indian Village and Museum: A self-guiding trail winds through the Indian Village of Ahwahnee, where you can see demonstrations of various facets of Indian life. The Indian Museum displays baskets, clothing, tools, and jewelry along with demonstrations of beading and other crafts.
View of Yosemite Valley from the Wawona Tunnel Vista.  

Did You Know?
Rockfall events have helped shape many of the outstanding features along Yosemite Valley's walls, including Royal Arches, North Dome, and Half Dome. Giant talus slopes that slant away from the Valley walls accumulate debris with each rockfall event.

Last Updated: September 03, 2009 at 14:18 EST