FREE EDUCATIONAL SERVICE
Constant improvement of the roads makes Yosemite more and more readily accessible. Every class of accommodation is provided for the comfort of the tourist. But the National Park Service has carried the idea of service to a still higher point in providing a free nature-guide service. In other words, the visitor is encouraged to avail himself of the offices of an interpreter in the form of a trained ranger-naturalist who can answer his questions and reveal the many fascinations of nature which abound on every side. To enjoy fully a national-park trip, one must learn to read the trails.
During the summer season a splendid program of lectures and nature-guide service is offered to visitors. One should plan to take advantage of the lectures and trips listed below which are available only during the long summer season. During winter months the modified program consists mainly of lectures at the hotels and the museum. The more the visitor knows about the park and its wildlife the more he will enjoy his stay. This service is maintained by the Government and is free to the public.
Nature walks from Camp Curry each morning (except Sunday).
Special bird walks at 8 o’clock each Wednesday morning.
Auto caravans each day at 9:30 a. m. and 2 p. m. (except Sunday) to points of special interest on the floor of the Valley. These start from museum, visitors using their own cars.
Each day (except Sunday) there is an all-day hike to Glacier Point, Vernal and Nevada Falls, Eagle Peak, Tenaya Canyon, or Half Dome.
At the evening camp-fire program at Government Camp No. 14, Camp Curry, Yosemite Lodge, and the Ahwahnee Hotel there are short talks on wildlife.
Short talks on the geology of Yosemite Valley are given several times each morning and afternoon in the museum.
Each week a naturalist leads a party on a 7-day hike into the spectacular high mountain region of the park, starting from Happy Isles at 7:30 o’clock each Monday morning. Make reservations in advance at the museum.
A junior nature school for children is conducted during the summer.
The bears are fed every evening at 9:30 o’clock at the bear pits, and a short talk is given on animal life of the Yosemite.
Groups or organizations may procure the services of a naturalist by applying to the park naturalist at the museum.