Video
Mist Trail Corridor Project - Virtual Public Meeting: June 24, 2026
Transcript
Mist Trail Corridor Project Environmental Assessment Virtual Public Meeting-20260624_230017UTC-Meeting Recording
June 24, 2026, 11:00PM
1h 4m 51s
Lynass, Nicole 0:11
Hello, welcome everyone. We're just giving folks a couple minutes to join. We'll start at 2 after.
Welcome everyone. For folks just joining, we're going to start in about a minute. We're waiting to allow more people to join.
Good afternoon, everyone, and welcome to the virtual public meeting for the Mist Trail Corridor Project Environmental Assessment. Before we turn it over to the National Park Service, I wanted to go over a few virtual meeting basics. You will be in listen-only mode for the duration of the meeting. We will be holding a moderated question and answer session at the end of the presentation, but you may type in your questions at any time during this webinar by clicking into the Ask a Question box as shown on this screen. Questions will be answered at the end of the presentation. You can follow along with this presentation, newsletter, or interactive story map to which a link can be found on the parks planning page at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/MistTrailEA. Thank you for joining today's meeting. I will now turn it over to the National Park Service.
Puchkoff, Anna L 2:54
Thank you, Nicole, and welcome, everyone. My name is Anna Puchkoff, and I'm an Environmental Protection Specialist here at Yosemite National Park, and I'm the Compliance Specialist for this project. We have a really great presentation for you all today, as we will be sharing information about the Mist Trail Corridor project.
The objective of this meeting is to highlight the important elements of the environmental assessment and to provide an opportunity for the public to ask questions. To welcome you all and to introduce the project, please welcome the park superintendent, Ray McPadden.
McPadden, Raymond P 3:23
Howdy, thanks for joining us. This is exciting for our team. And let me begin by saying we appreciate the people who have taken time to give us comments on the project. 140 people so far have weighed in through our online system. We appreciate you joining us for this meeting. It's no secret that the Mist Trail is awesome and the Happy Isles area is wonderful. The natural resources and the cultural resources in this area are world-class. 5,000 people per day are on this trail and are in this area.
And we want the experience to remain amazing. We want it to be safer for everyone, and we want it to be built for the future.
I'd like to recognize Yosemite Conservancy for their partnership and support throughout this effort. The Conservancy has been a fantastic ally to the park, helping fund and advance programs and projects. We're deeply grateful for their ongoing commitment.
I'm also proud of the team that has worked on this project and the care and thoughtfulness they've brought to it. Kirstie Dunbar-Kari, Anna Puchkoff, and Ansley Singer have been the engine behind this for the National Park Service.
I've been up the Mist Trail myself dozens of times. We take friends and family there, official visits with VIPs. You know, we always tend to end up on the Mist Trail. Everybody wants to go. And it's a stiff hike. I actually, on a personal level, use it to gauge my own fitness. The Mist Trail tells me when I've been eating too many Oreos.
It's wonderful for me every time I'm out there to see so many people on the trail and in this space. And it can be entertaining in that you see every kind of shoe out there. You'll see, you know, Crocs and high heels, flip flops, hiking boots, cowboy boots, stilettos, moccasins, you name it. And I think the shoes you see are a gauge of how people from all over the world and all over the country, and really every spectrum of our society, love this place.
I want to acknowledge on a more serious note that we did have a fatality in this area over the weekend. A 22-year-old man died after going over Nevada fall on June 20th. The Yosemite search and rescue team recovered the man the following day and the incident remains under investigation. We're not going to speak to it in this meeting as we do not comment on ongoing investigations. But what I can add is that any loss of life is terrible and tragic.
And let me finish in saying the Yosemite Search and Rescue team, I'm constantly impressed by their professionalism and their effectiveness. They are the best in the business. So thank you again for joining us. We appreciate your interest in the future of the Mist Trail Corridor. And with that, I'm going to hand it over to Ansley with the project team.
Singer, Ansley R 6:40
Thanks, Ray. Hi, everyone. My name's Ansley Singer. I work with the protection division here at the park, and I'm going to cover the background of the project. So when many of you think of Yosemite, you're probably thinking of granite cliffs or waterfalls, giant sequoias. You might think of Half Dome or El Capitan. The area we're talking about today is one of the most iconic trails in the most incredible valley in one of the most loved parks in the world.
You can enjoy the mostly flat terrain that's often unexplored right there at Happy Isle's Trailhead itself on the Happy Isles’ themselves. You can climb up the Mist Trail steps and get completely soaking wet. You might want to stand a few feet from the brink of 318-foot vernal fall. You might want to begin your journey on the John Muir Trail, which terminates 211 miles to the south in Sequoia Kings National Park on the top of Mount Whitney. You might want to knock Half Dome off of your bucket list or travel even deeper into Yosemite's high country. It's no wonder that 85,000 visitors hike these trails each summer month. That's around 3,000 hikers a day, and that jumps up to, like Ray said, around 4,000 to 5,000 on Saturdays.
It's also the busiest area of the park for search and rescue incidents. Around 30 to 35% of all of the rescues that happen in the park happen in the corridor. And so the park has been working actively for several years on safety improvements in the corridor. Over the past decade, Yosemite Trail Crew has implemented several major trail improvements. Some of the things that they've done so far are they've widened the trail in certain sections, and that allows people to pass by each other more easily. They've also decreased the step height in the steep section below Vernal Fall. And that helps reduce extremity injuries like ankles and knees and things like that. They've also added railings along the most consequential drops along the Mist Trail to prevent visitors from falling to the river below. And they've also reduced standing water in the mist zone by paving the trail with rocks that help drain the water better and also provide better grip in those wet conditions.
These improvements have made a big difference in those targeted areas, but they don't address how visitors access, orient to, and move through the corridor as a whole. Scoping with park staff, partners, and you, the public, have identified a consistent need to improve circulation, wayfinding, and orientation at Happy Isles. This project represents a more comprehensive approach to improving the visitor experience along the entire Mist Trail Corridor.
The historic Happy Isles footbridge, which formerly spanned the Merced River and provided direct access to the Mist Trail Corridor, that was removed back in 2001 - that was following damage that happened due to a rock fall that occurred in 1996 from the Glacier Point Apron. And then the next year, 1997, was the big 100 year flood and it sustained additional damage then. Since that time, visitors have been routed across the nearby Happy Isles vehicle bridge to reach the trailhead on the east side of the river. This rerouted access was not designed to function as the primary entry point to one of our most heavily used trails in the park. And so as a result, visitors arrive via kind of an indirect path with very limited wayfinding, minimal orientation space, and very few opportunities to access trip planning information prior to beginning their journey.
The high visitation combined with complex trail network and physically demanding terrain requires visitors to make informed decisions about their route selection, the timing, and preparedness. Having clear access, intuitive circulation, and effective trip planning information right there at the main entry point is essential to supporting a safe, high-quality visitor experience.
And with that, I'm going to turn it over to my partner, Kirstie.
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 10:38
Hi, everyone. My name is Kirstie Dunbar-Kari and I lead Yosemite's Environmental Planning and Compliance Office. Before we get into alternatives and impacts, I want to orient everyone to where this project's actually happening. When people hear Mist Trail Corridor, they often think only about the famous stone steps beside Vernal Fall, but the project area is much, much larger than that. It begins where many visitors start their day near the wilderness parking lot in Happy Isles. It includes the arrival area around the shuttle stop and the trailhead. And then it extends up through the network of trails that people use to reach Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, Half Dome, and Yosemite's High Country. So while the Mist Trail is a name most people recognize, we're really talking about the entire visitor journey into the corridor.
So let's zoom in a little bit closer. You can check this map out above us. This first area of focus is Happy Isles. It's what most visitors experience before they ever set foot on the Mist Trail. People arrive by shuttle, by bicycle, on foot, or from the wilderness parking lot area. They gather here, look for restrooms, check maps, meet friends, and try to figure out where they're headed. This area was not designed to serve as the front door to the busiest trailhead system in the National Park Service.
After we lost the pedestrian bridge, which was destroyed in 1997, the park detoured visitors across the vehicle bridge and then worked to harden and formalize that route. Many of you are probably frequent visitors and you may remember that detoured route as it evolved over time. The park responded to the loss of that original footbridge by hardening the trail with Stalok. It used to be very sandy. And we've added a few signs over the years, but we've never fully developed this route. That's one of the reasons we're looking at circulation, orientation, and visitor information in this project. The goal isn't to change the character of Happy Isles.
It's to help people start their trip feeling prepared and confident about where they're going.
Okay, when we talk about the Mist Trail Corridor, we're really talking about a family of trails rather than a single trail. The Mist Trail is obviously the star of the show. It's one of Yosemite's most beloved experiences. But people move through this landscape in lots of different ways. Some visitors hike to Vernal Fall and turn around.
Others continue to Nevada Fall, some take the John Muir Trail down, some head all the way to Half Dome or deeper into the wilderness. All of these routes are connected. What we're evaluating in this project is how visitors move through this larger system and how we can help them make informed decisions before they start. Depending on their destination, their experience level, how prepared they are, visitors face very different choices about where to go, how far they're going to hike, and whether they're ready for the adventure ahead. Anyone who's hiked here knows that distances can feel long. In the summer, temperatures can feel hotter and the elevation gains can be steeper than you ever expected. So better information at the start of the trip can make a real difference. And with that overview of the area, I'll turn it over to Anna to walk you through the alternatives.
Puchkoff, Anna L 13:52
Thank you, Kirstie. I'm going to go over the project alternatives, so please bear with me as I will be speaking for quite a bit.
The Environmental Assessment looks at 3 alternatives. Alternative A is the no action alternative, and under this option, the conditions in the corridor would remain as they are today. Alternatives B and C are action alternatives, and they aim to improve the circulation, orientation, and visitor experience in the Mist Trail Corridor. Alternative B would improve and formalize the existing circulation and continue to use the Happy Isles vehicle bridge, while alternative C includes rebuilding a pedestrian footbridge at the historic location of the Happy Isles footbridge, as discussed earlier, to provide more direct access to the trailhead.
Alternative C is the park's proposed action. And it was identified through early planning, interdisciplinary review, civic engagement, and it best meets the project's goals of improving the visitor experience while protecting park resources. And I'll go into more detail on Alternatives B and C on the next slides.
In Alternative B, the approach to the Mist Trail Corridor would maintain and formalize the existing trailhead access across the Happy Isles Vehicle Bridge. This approach would continue to route visitors to the Mist Trail Corridor over the existing vehicle bridge and implement design features such as physical barriers,
to clearly separate pedestrian and vehicle circulation as seen on that top graphic. The existing vehicle bridge approach would transform into a pedestrian promenade to include seating, signage, and gathering areas between the Happy Isles shuttle stop and the existing trailhead to improve visitor flow, comfort, and orientation.
Additionally, if you look at the lower graphic rendering, the existing trailhead would be enhanced to support visitor orientation and preparedness to include wayfinding signage, trip planning and interpretive elements, shaded seating, and potential water filling stations to support an informed decision-making process prior to entering the trail corridor.
Under Alternative B, the Park Service would launch a pilot program to formalize the use of the Stock Trail and create a loop below the Vernal Fall Footbridge. However, this isn't a new trail. The Stock Trail already exists, and Park Service staff use the Stock Trail administratively for utility runs, search and rescue, and backcountry camp supply. And some visitors use portions of it today. But the loop would start at the existing trailhead and follow the John Muir Trail to the footbridge, and then it would return to the Stock Trail on the south side and the south and west side of the Merced River, crossing Illilouette Creek. During the pilot, short operational closures, about 10 to 15 minutes, would occur when stock trains move through the narrowest sections of the trail. This is to help keep visitors and stock and our staff safe as possible.
But before implementing the pilot, the Park Service would set evaluation criteria focused on visitor safety, visitor use, stock human conflicts, and operational issues. The pilot's results would help guide whether the stock trail would remain as is,
or formalize the loop with ongoing operational controls.
But even to begin the pilot, a social trail near the Vernal Fall footbridge restroom would need to be formalized to help connect the stock trail to the footbridge. If the pilot is successful, additional improvements such as widening the trail, adding passing areas, improving drainage or installing signage and railings would follow.
Also, a utility line in the area would need to be buried or relocated, and that is already a separate project. The final decision would be based on how well the pilot supports visitor safety, visitor experience, and park operations.
In contrast to Alternative B, Alternative C proposes rebuilding a new pedestrian bridge at the historic location of the Happy Isles footbridge. This would re-establish the original access alignment to the Mist Trail Corridor. And you can see a rendering of this in the lower graphic on the screen. With this new bridge, the trailhead would move back to the west side of the Merced River. And that trailhead would include wayfinding signage, trip planning interpretive information, shaded seating, and potentially water-filling infrastructure to help visitors prepare before entering the trail. But between the new trailhead and the Happy Isles shuttle stop, a pedestrian promenade would be developed. And this would include a seating, signage, and small gathering areas to improve visitor flow, comfort, orientation, as shown in the upper graphic. Under this Alternative, much of the existing trailhead area on the east side of the river that you walk through, that Kirstie was talking about, is actually located in the floodplain; that area would be decommissioned and ecologically restored, returned to the floodplain. But the existing Valley Loop Trail and the horse trail that leads to the vehicle bridge would remain in place.
Both Alternatives B and C include several shared actions designed to meet the Project's purpose and need. First, the park would update the visitor messaging and the signage throughout the project area. This would be guided by a new signage and messaging plan with a comprehensive communication strategy that uses clear signs,
and supplemented by technology to help support trip planning and visitor preparedness. We would also improve how we highlight the existing trail loops above Vernal Fall footbridge and advertise them more clearly through updated signage. And these loops give visitors additional options to help distribute the use and hiking along the trail corridor. And finally, we would expand the trip planning and wayfinding resources throughout the project area, placing them where they can best support visitor orientation, decision making, and overall safety before entering the trail corridor. And that signage would also highlight the natural and cultural resources of the area, educating visitors on being good stewards.
In both action alternatives, the approach from the Valley Trailhead parking lot, also known as the Wilderness Lot, to the Happy Isles area would be clearly delineated for pedestrian access by changing the two-way Happy Isles Loop Road to a one-way multimodal path that has shared use for pedestrians, cyclists, and authorized mobility devices adjacent to a one-way vehicle lane that cyclists may use as well.
The Happy Isles shuttle stop would also be improved and developed as an arrival space and an embarkation point to adequately orient and prepare visitors for the Mist Trail Corridor. Additionally, the Happy Isles's restroom facilities would be improved by upgrading the interior, increasing the stall capacity, making it more suitable for the number of visitors that frequent this area and potentially modifying the exterior building footprint.
Further up the along the Mist Trail Corridor, trail pullouts and seating areas would be implemented where existing shoulders can accommodate wider areas to rest, including near and around the Vernal Fall footbridge. These actions help provide more opportunities for visitors to take a break, hydrate, fuel up when they're reaching those levels of unsafe and physical exhaustion. Additionally, actions to restore scenic vistas by selective vegetation clearing will optimize satisfying viewing opportunities of waterfalls without the need to continue on the more strenuous parts of the trail, or without getting too close to the river.
Next, I will talk about and give an overview of the environmental and cultural resources that have a potential for impacts. Please note that this information is super high level and we really encourage everyone to review the detailed analysis that is in the environmental assessment.
So an Environmental Assessment, often called an EA, what is it? Well, it's a document that helps us take a deeper look at how a proposed project could affect the natural and cultural and visitor use resources in the area. And it allows us to understand those potential impacts before any decisions are made.
So as we evaluated this project, we identified which resources could be meaningfully affected. Those topics, which I will talk through now, are the ones that we analyzed in greater depth.
As Ansley mentioned earlier, this trail corridor is the busiest in the entire park and is internationally recognized for its incredible experience. Because the visitor use is central to the project, we completed a detailed analysis of how the actions could affect visitor flow, access, safety, and the overall experience.
Within the trail corridor, we have unique vegetation communities along the talus slopes and important wildlife movement pathways. Many wildlife species use this route to travel between the lower and higher elevations, just like humans do moving through the canyon. These characteristics made biological resources an important focus in our analysis.
The Merced River, which flows through the project area, is a designated Wild and Scenic River. That means we must ensure that nothing we do negatively affects its outstandingly remarkable values, water quality, or free-flowing condition. We also considered the Ililouette Creek alluvial fan, which spreads across the Valley floor, and it creates a network of streams and wetlands. The Happy Isles fen, which is also nearby, is an ecologically rich wetland. It's really important, that no actions are proposed in or close to the fen.
There are three cultural landscapes in the project area, which is the Half Dome Trail Corridor Cultural Landscape, the Yosemite Valley National Register Historic District, and the Yosemite Valley Archaeological District. Each holds important historical and cultural significance, so the EA includes a more detailed analysis of how the project
actions could affect those resources.
Yosemite Valley has been home to traditionally associated tribes for thousands of years, and settlers began moving into the valley in the late 1800s and early 1900s. And because of this long history of occupation, there are numerous historic properties that can be found within the project area, all of which have been considered very carefully.
The corridor contains established scenic vista points along with the many iconic views that draw visitors to the trail. We looked closely at how the project actions might affect the visual landscape.
And with that overview of our resource analysis, I'll turn it over to Kirstie, who will walk through the next steps in the planning process. Thanks.
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 24:54
Thanks Anna, for that overview. Before we talk about how to submit comments, I want to spend a minute on where we are in this planning process. Public engagement for this project began in 2024, which is nearly two years ago. Over the last several years, we've heard from visitors, partners, park staff, and others about
challenges in the corridor. We've looked at safety concerns, circulation issues, wayfinding, visitor experiences, and resource protection, of course. Tonight is one part of this conversation. The Environmental Assessment is our opportunity to share with you what we've learned, to present our alternatives, and to invite public feedback before any decisions are made. The comment period remains open through July 13th, and we genuinely encourage people to read the document and tell us what you think.
You can see the timeline on the screen. The EA public comment period began on June 11th, and we're about halfway through. After the comment period closes, we'll review comments, consider any changes needed, and move toward a decision later this year.
So at this point, you've heard about the project background, the alternatives, and some of the potential impacts. Now we'd really like to hear from you. You may have heard the term substantive comments, which is a strange term. Under the National Environmental Policy Act, the comments we need to receive for you – the ones that are the most helpful – are substantive comments. And it doesn't mean you just simply say you support or you oppose an alternative. What's very helpful is if you can explain to us why you feel that way. If you can identify information may have missed, suggest ways we can reduce impacts, share insight or knowledge you have about the trail experiences that you've had, and ways that you can help us improve our analysis and inform that final decision. If you support an alternative, tell us you support us, but tell us why that works well. If you have concerns, tell us specifically what those concerns are, and if possible, how those concerns might be addressed. And if you think we've overlooked information, perspectives, or potential impacts, we'd really like to hear about that. Comments that can be especially helpful are ones that focus on the purpose and need for the project, the alternatives we've considered and the impacts we've analyzed, or maybe even ideas that could improve the project and reduce future resource impacts. We know people care deeply about the Mist Trail. Many of you have hiked these trails for years or even decades, and your experiences and perspectives can help us make a better-informed decision.
This is our how to comment slide. If you'd like to submit a comment, the easiest way is through this park planning website. If you're a first-time visitor or someone who's hiked the Mist Trail hundreds of times, we'd like to hear from you. Just click the comment now and enter your comments before July 13th.
One thing I want to emphasize is that comments made in tonight's question and answer session are not part of the official public record. We welcome your questions tonight, but if you want your thoughts considered as part of this process, please take a few minutes to submit them through the planning site.
Every substantive comment is reviewed by the project team and it helps inform the final decision.
And so again, this is the last slide here. Again, the easiest way to submit comments is through that site, and there's a QR code here as well. But if that's not convenient, we still accept snail mail. So, you can send us a note in the mail if you'd like, but we still need to receive that comment by July 13th.
We appreciate the time you've taken to learn about the projects and to share your thoughts. Yosemite belongs to all of us and hearing from people who use and care about this corridor is a really important part of the process. Thanks very much. And now I'll turn it back to Nicole.
Lynass, Nicole 29:01
Thank you, Kirstie. So we will be starting the question-and-answer session shortly, to answer questions that are within the scope of the project. We wanted to thank you all for your comments and questions so far, and you can continue to use the question-and-answer box to enter any additional questions. Please give us just a few minutes to get organized and we will answer questions related to the project scope. Thanks all.
All right, welcome back, everyone, and thank you for being here. We will now begin the Q&A session.
Our first question is for Anna. Will the handicap parking still be available at Happy Isles near the Nature Center?
Puchkoff, Anna L 33:47
Yes, great question. And the handicap will absolutely still be available and not changed by this project, the capacity at least. We will be working on more detailed designs in the design phase.
Lynass, Nicole 34:05
Thank you. The next question we have, I will hand to Kirstie. What are the improvements proposed to the original Happy Isles area near the historic footbridge, assuming that the footbridge is restored? There used to be an area where one could stop in and get ice cream or snacks. I think an area where the visitors can get food and water and supplies would be beneficial and lucrative.
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 34:34
I remember that fondly too. I used to come down and have ice cream at Happy Isles. We removed the food service there. There were resource concerns – trash and bears; and there is food available at Curry Village, which is not that far away.
At this time, we have not contemplated adding food service or concessions again at this area. We have benefited in the past because Yosemite Conservancy offers emergency snacks at Happy Isles.
But at this time, we're not considering food service within the scope of this project. That doesn't mean it won't be considered in other ways, but at this time, we're not considering it.
Lynass, Nicole 35:20
Thank you, Kirstie.
Next question, we will pass over to Ansley. Will you post rangers at the trailhead and on the trails to answer questions?
Singer, Ansley R 35:36
Thanks, Nicole. So kind of a two-part answer. This project doesn't increase the number of rangers working in the corridor, but I can talk about who is working in the corridor as kind of a caveat. So we have what's called a preventative search and rescue program, P-SAR for short, that consists of some YC dedicated volunteers that are out there seven days a week in the corridor answering questions. They are there for the busy summer months. We also have six seasonal park rangers that rotate staying up in little Yosemite Valley and then they travel up to Half Dome to check permits. Each day, they're in the corridor a lot. We have back entry utilities staff, BCU for short. They hike the corridor daily to service the four different restrooms that are part of their daily responsibilities. And the sign overhaul that we're planning on doing as part of this project is going to help us with the visitor messaging when there isn't a ranger available. So thanks for the question.
Lynass, Nicole 36:41
Thanks, Ansley.
The next question will pass over to Anna.
Is the park planning to pave the parking lot nearest the Happy Isles area, so that is officially a parking lot, and not an opportunity to damage one's car on huge divots and dirt hills?
Puchkoff, Anna L 37:04
Yes, so what they are referencing the what is commonly called the wilderness lot, and that parking area is a project in progress. It’s not actively being paved now, but it will be paved in the near future. So that is part of a separate project that is already on its way. So I look forward to that as well. Thanks.
Lynass, Nicole 37:32
Great. Thank you, Anna.
Alright.
Next question, I'm going to have Kirstie pop up an answer. And this question is, given the high number of accidents and fatalities, why doesn't the EA discuss how project actions to reduce safety risks may be greater in alternative B or alternative C,
with one or the other maximizing the objective to raise awareness about safety threats?
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 38:02
Thanks for that question. That's very thoughtful. The purpose of this project is to improve visit orientation and preparedness and circulation and safety awareness. The EA talks about how both action alternatives support those objectives through improved wayfinding and trip planning and clear circulation in visitor facilities. But the EA does not attempt to quantify or predict differences in accidents or fatalities based on alternative B or C. There isn't a reliable basis for concluding that B or C would reduce incidents more than the other. In both of these alternatives, they were selected because they meet the purpose and need. And we intend to improve visitor preparedness before visitors enter the trail by providing them information virtually. And once they're on the trail, there's going to be messaging. and along either of the promenades, there'll be trip planning information.
And the primary distinction between these two, B&C, is how visitors access and orient to the corridor. There isn't a difference in safety awareness. Alternative C, we identified as the proposed action because it meets the overall purpose and need,
because it provides a direct, intuitive arrival experience, the historic alignment. And so I think that the feeling was that the area was originally designed with this pedestrian bridge, and so we felt that direct access to the trailhead was a better fit, but both B and C addressed the purpose and need fully.
Lynass, Nicole 39:54
Great. Thank you, Kirstie.
Next question, we'll pass over to Ansley.
How many injuries or accidents occur on the Mist Trail each year?
Singer, Ansley R 40:08
I did pull stats in preparation for this meeting, so I do have that information available. So, far in 2026, it's been a busy year for search and rescue. We've had 99 search and rescue incidents parkwide so far and 45 of those were in the corridor area. For comparison, last year, that was 2025, by today's date, we were at 98. So that's pretty consistent. So last year and this year have been the same for the total volume of rescues up to this date. If we looked at the entirety of 2025, there were 239 total search and rescue incidents parkwide last year and 69 of those were within the trail corridor. And then since the year 2000, there's been 61 unintentional deaths that have occurred within the corridor. And all of the stats that I just provided you, when we talk about the corridor for search and rescue statistics, we're talking about Happy Isles all the way up to the top of Half Dome. And so it's a larger area for those statistics that I provided than our project area. Thanks for the question.
Lynass, Nicole 41:20
All right, next question.
We have for Anna.
What are the biggest differences between alternatives B & C?
Puchkoff, Anna L 41:48
Sorry about that. Hey, everyone. Thanks so much. So alternative B focuses on improving and formalizing the existing circulation as you walk across the vehicle footbridge. I mean the Happy Isles vehicle bridge. As you can see, there's a very narrow walking path people overflow into the road. And that's not quite formalized, but that's the existing way that people get to the trail and it avoids any new structures within the Wild and Scenic River Corridor. Whereas alternative C includes construction (reconstruction) of a new pedestrian bridge at the location of the historic location of where that Happy Isles Bridge used to be. And that helps bring people from the shuttle stop as they arrive to the area directly up into the corridor. And then crossing the Merced River up a little further. It also provides people a little bit more opportunity to explore the Happy Isles and the Fen before heading up to the Mist Trail.
Lynass, Nicole 42:53
Great. Thank you, Anna.
All right, next question we have, let's see, we'll pass this to Kirstie. And this question is the, so the great amount of the initial Miss Trail corridor trail, not the Miss Trail itself, is quite steep and paved, leaving many potential injuries possible. What are the proposed approaches to improving this trail? Steps, taking out pavement and restoring it to surface more akin to natural materials?
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 43:28
So this project does not propose changes to the trail surface on the Mist Trail. We talked about the Stalok earlier and the Stalok is only from the detour. So when you go across the vehicle bridge and drop down there's Stalok all the way until you start going up the John Muir Trail. And the John Muir Trail is paved for the heavy use. This existing paved service would remain in place. And instead, we're focusing on improving visit orientation, preparedness, circulation, and the arrival experience. What we are proposing to do is to create more turnouts for folks so that when it's very busy, there's a space to pull to the side and rest. We're looking at a viewing area near the Vernal Fall footbridge, improved visitor information for folks, and wayfinding. And there has been a lot of work to reconstruct the steps in the Mist Trail to reduce trail height. Ansley talked about that, and that's ongoing. So that work will continue outside of this project. The trail crew is amazing and they keep working on improving the Mist Trail experience. But as far as that first section of John Muir Trail, we are not going to change that paving through this project. I understand the concern, but that was not in our scope.
Lynass, Nicole 44:56
Thank you, Kirstie.
Next question we have, which I'll pass to Anna. Will the bathrooms west of the Vernal Fall footbridge be expanded? This person comments that on busy weekends, there is a long line.
Puchkoff, Anna L 45:13
So expanding that bathroom in particular is not in the scope of this project, but we look forward to having formal comments submitted through the PEPC as Kirstie has described, so that we can have public feedback and improve the final product of this project.
Lynass, Nicole 45:34
Thanks, Anna.
Okay, next question. Sorry, and it will keep you up on the screen there.
Will water bottles be available for purchase at the nature center? By the time visitors arrive at the trailhead or the junction of the Mist Trail and JMT are they told how much water is needed?
Puchkoff, Anna L 46:01
So YC actually operates the Happy Isles Art and Nature Center, and they have a small retail component where water bottles are sold. There's no change to this plan.
Lynass, Nicole 46:15
Hey, thanks, Anna.
All right, our next question here.
We are going to pass it to Kirstie.
And this person wants to know: are tribal nations involved in the planning process?
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 46:42
Absolutely. Not only were they involved in the process, but we are still consulting regularly with tribes. A tribal member was embedded on the interdisciplinary team throughout. The park completed an entire cultural landscape inventory working with tribal members. So this has been a collaborative project. It hasn't been a part of just consulting, we've actually worked hand in hand with tribes to create this project.
Lynass, Nicole 47:14
Thank you.
Next question, I'll pass over to Ansley.
Let's see, this commentary wants to know if all of the proposals are going to involve creating a bus route and car access.
Singer, Ansley R 47:34
Thanks, Nicole. So no, the shuttle bus route will remain the same as it is now. What it does is make the Happy Isles Loop Road a one-way loop. The only vehicles that are allowed to travel back into that area by the trailhead itself would be park service administrative vehicles and then handicap placarded vehicles. So the shuttle routes would remain the same. Stop 16, that everybody's familiar with, at the trailhead itself, would remain the same. And then vehicle traffic would just have to go around the one-way loop in that section to accommodate the visitors that will be walking along the right lane of the road. Thanks.
Lynass, Nicole 48:19
Thank you, Ansley.
Next question, I'll pass over to Kirstie. Why isn't the pilot project for use of the Stock Trail a possible action in alternative C, as it is in alternative B?
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 48:35
So the Park Service selected the proposed action because we felt that was something that met the purpose and need of the project. We have heard many comments already that folks are interested in seeing a combination of alternative C with the stock trail. And that's a substantive comment. And so we will be considering that. We have fully analyzed the Environmental Assessment and this alternative is, you know, one of those alternatives we've analyzed. So it is entirely possible at the end of
the day to do alternative C and the stock trail pilot. That's not how we wrote the alternatives, but we have definitely heard folks interested in that. And so, when we're done receiving comments, we'll go back to the drawing board and consider. comments like those. These are the perfect kind of comments to receive.
Lynass, Nicole 49:36
Thanks, Kirstie.
All right. Next question I'm going to pass to Anna. What are the budgets for B and C?
Alternatives B and C.
Puchkoff, Anna L 49:52
So we are presenting to you all this high-level conceptual ideas and designs. And without a schematic design, more details, we don't have accurate budgets. But YC manages the contractors of the design team, and this is a YC-funded project, so we don't have answers for that right now.
Lynass, Nicole 50:23
Thanks, Anna. Okay, so next question we have, Ansley, I'll pass this to you.
This question is, can you replace the sign at the wooden bridge to Happy Isles that says no dogs and no bikes? We have been almost run over by bikes while walking on the paths on the isles.
Singer, Ansley R 50:46
That's actually a perfectly timed comment, and I hope that the person that asked that question submits it. We are going to begin developing our sign plan for the corridor. And so those specific issues that you've had when you're moving through the corridor, we're very interested in hearing about them. Please include those in your comments. We want to make it easier for people to navigate and to get around and make clear signage. So thanks for that one.
Lynass, Nicole 51:15
Thanks, Ansley.
All right, next question we have is for Anna.
Why was wilderness, including the Half Dome cables, removed from the project?
Puchkoff, Anna L 51:31
This is a really great question. So changes to infrastructure in designated wilderness are best addressed through development of a wilderness stewardship plan. That would provide the most appropriate and comprehensive framework for considering such considerations and modifications to infrastructure, especially as wilderness is protected.
Lynass, Nicole 51:52
Great, Anna, we'll keep you up here again for the next one.
This question is: how will the new bridge under alternative C be constructed to withstand potential flooding?
Puchkoff, Anna L 52:05
It's a really good question. A lot of detailed analysis in the EA about this, especially the Section 7 analysis per the Wild Scenic Rivers Act. So the bridge design is actually going to be spanning the 100-year floodplain – where the abutments will be outside of the 100-year floodplain. And that's within design standards to avoid impacts to the Wild and Scenic rivers, free flowing condition, and water quality.
Lynass, Nicole 52:32
Thanks, Anna.
All right, next question is for Kirstie, and that is, are you considering reservations for the Miss Trail?
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 52:44
That's a great question and one we've seen in the comments. This project is not proposing a reservation or any changes to public access to the Mist Trail Corridor. The Environmental Assessment focuses on visitor orientation, circulation, preparedness and improvements to the trailhead and associated facilities.
And decisions about visitor reservations or access management, those are outside of the scope of this project. We are not considering that.
Lynass, Nicole 53:17
All right, and then I will give you the next question as well.
Let's see. Last year there were no water bottles sold at the Nature Center. It's more of a comment. So if you could address that, Kirstie.
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 53:34
That's a great comment to receive. And we can follow up with Yosemite Conservancy. They have provided water and snacks in the past, and it could have been they were out that day. I'm not sure exactly the situation, but that's good information. So thank you.
Lynass, Nicole 53:54
All right, Ansley, this question's for you. Will this project increase the times you clean the bathroom each day?
Singer, Ansley R 54:04
Great question. No, this will not increase the staffing of our facilities staff. However, some of the designs of the facilities we have worked closely with our facilities staff to find out what makes it easier for them to clean the restrooms at the various areas in the park. And so one of the suggestions that they had was to make end cap stalls so that they can shut off whole sides of the restroom at one time and still have restrooms available while they clean it. That'll be much faster and more efficient for them, and they'll be able to proceed on their route quicker. So, a more efficient restroom design can help the facility staff with that process. Thanks.
Lynass, Nicole 54:54
All right, next question.
Anna, does this go against the Merced River plan?
Puchkoff, Anna L 55:06
Yes, so the proposed action will retain the eastern abutment of the former Happy Isles footbridge. That's that footbridge that Ansley and Kirstie had talked about that got washed out and then fully removed. That was in the Merced River plan to be removed. But we conducted a Wild and Scenic River Section 7 analysis, which resulted in a non-impairment determination, and that will be included in the final publication of the EA. That abutment will actually be used to help develop
better designs for the bridge that is proposed to go in and will be reused.
Lynass, Nicole 55:50
All right. Next question. Sorry again for you, Anna.
Why are you putting a bridge over a wild and scenic river?
Puchkoff, Anna L 56:02
Yes. So these are all tied together. So as I mentioned, the proposed footbridge abutments would span the 100-year floodplain. And actually, since that footbridge was there during the designation of the Wild and Scenic River in 1987, rebuilding the bridge technically does not violate the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, but we still did a detailed section 7 analysis because we want to make sure our actions and our potential impacts are as transparent as possible. Our reasoning and determinations are open to the public.
Lynass, Nicole 56:45
Great. Thanks, Anna.
Next question is for Kirstie. While choosing the best project alternative should not be limited by the cost, in future meetings or posts, will there be estimated cost for implementing alternative B versus implementing alternative C to be provided?
For the public's understanding.
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 57:06
That's a great question. We're at the concept phase right now, and there are very rough guesses at costs for bridges and different parts of the project. But we won't really know what costs will be until the final design.
Yosemite Conservancy is supporting this project so far. They've helped us with the compliance and the conceptual design, and we'll work closely with them and the park, we can also apply for federal funding.
I just want to say that the Park Service is so careful about spending money. We have
these oversight meetings we go to called the IRB, and that's where in the local level, at the Yosemite level, the regional level, and the national level, we have to present this project and show costs related to what we're doing, what the plan is, and we get lots of questions and oversight. And so I know there's a concern about spending federal dollars carefully, and the park works really hard to do that. So I'm not sure there will be a cost published – we don't have a formal way for sharing that. But just know that there is a partnership of dollars, our friends organization is behind us, and we are going to work really carefully to spend this money carefully with whatever alternative we move forward, B or C.
Lynass, Nicole 58:40
Thank you, Kirstie.
All right, next question for Anna. Will there be signage at multiple points along the trail to inform of the danger of the river? And advising visitors that the river on the valley floor is a better option, but care must still be taken.
And then there's, sorry, there's also a related question. Will signage include warning signs for dehydration and altitude sickness and what to do if symptoms occur?
Puchkoff, Anna L 59:03
Yes, and yes, all in which ways will be elaborated and developed through that signage and messaging plan. So as Ansley said, a big portion of this project is that education piece so that people know to be prepared, know what to expect. And so that they can avoid those types of injuries, sicknesses, and things like that. In terms of the specifics of what will go on each sign, we have a wonderful signage education and team who will be working on those, and who are currently working on those with an interdisciplinary team. But yes, a lot of signage will be targeting how people can be safe and what they can expect and how they can prevent that through staying hydrated, taking rests, and altitude sickness, that's a great one as well. So thank you so much. It's really important.
Lynass, Nicole 1:00:18
Great. Thanks, Anna.
Okay, Ansley, I'm going to send this over to you next.
We have a follow-up statement from a question earlier about water bottles not being available at the Nature Center. I think Ansley has more information on that. Ansley.
Singer, Ansley R 1:00:44
Sure, that's a big one. So we have talked internally about having a vending machine possibly at the trailhead area that could dispense, reusable water bottles that visitors could use and then fill up right there at the trailhead. It is a difficult problem to solve. There's people when they get to Happy Isles are already far away from their vehicles. And so if we're messaging to them that they need more water, it's really difficult for them to achieve that without us providing something for them. So we have discussed maybe having a vending machine available that would have unscented items, that wouldn't be bear problems, that are like first aid things and water bottles that people could use. So if you're passionate about that topic, I encourage you to make those comments so that we can include it in our design. Thank you.
Lynass, Nicole 1:01:38
Thanks, Ansley.
Next, we have one for Anna.
Looking on the website, it shows that you could create bus routes and car up to the top. Is that correct?
Puchkoff, Anna L 1:01:55
I would love some clarification on your question if you could enter that into the chat. I really want to answer it, but I'm not sure I'm super clear on what you're referencing or what kind. So if you can clarify, I'll be happy to answer.
Thank you.
Lynass, Nicole 1:02:16
All right. And then, Anna, next one for you as well. What is the projected completion timeline if approved?
Puchkoff, Anna L 1:02:25
So design would start after the EA is signed, or we have a FONSI, which is a finding of no significant impacts. So once that's done, we would move forward with the approved plan, going into more detailed designs. And then when designs are completed, construction could start as early as 2027. But as and you can see that there are many aspects of the project, so they won't all start at the same time. It's not clear which aspects would be worked on each time, but there is still some ongoing maintenance work of the trail. The trail work has the trail crews working there now.
Thank you.
Lynass, Nicole 1:03:08
Thanks, Anna.
All right, I think we are getting one or two more questions here.
All right.
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 1:03:37
I think that that's the end of the questions. Is that right, Nicole?
Lynass, Nicole 1:03:41
okay. You're right. I'm not seeing any additional ones to answer today. Yep.
Dunbar-Kari, Kirstie M 1:03:42
Yes.
I think we answered all of questions.
So thanks everyone for coming to our meeting. We really appreciate it. Thanks for all your great questions. Reminder that July 13th is the last day to comment and please do so. You're obviously a very informed group. So thanks very much for coming.
Lynass, Nicole 1:04:07
Thank you, everyone.
stopped transcription
Description
On June 24, 2026, Yosemite hosted a virtual public meeting for the Mist Trail Corridor Project during the comment period for the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA). This is a recording of the meeting in which the public was able to learn about the draft EA, the alternatives, how to comment on the plan, and to ask related questions.
Duration
1 hour, 4 minutes, 51 seconds
Date Created
06/24/2026
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