Nature Studies

The Yosemite Fund | John Muir | Sierra Club

There is an unlimited opportunity to study geology, plants and animals in Yosemite.   The Yosemite Institute, (Highway 120) specializes in accommodating groups or individuals on nature study field trips and lectures.  Also, there are several ranger presentations in the village and at Tuolumne Meadows for visitors to attend during the summer.

The 1996 Happy Isle rock slide killed three people and caused widespread panic amongst campers in the Pines campsites, destroyed a great deal of the forest around the Happy Isle Nature Center and spread a fine dust powder over a wide area of the valley floor.

The 1997 flood washed out the roads in the valley, destroyed two camp areas, Upper and Lower River Campgrounds (which have now been permanently closed) and resulted in an acceleration of the 1980 Management Plan