Yosemite

Ahwahneechee people's ancestral homeland predates written history. In the 1850s, settlers and miners encroached and led to their displacement. President Lincoln’s 1864 Yosemite Grant protected the land until Yosemite became a national park in 1890, in part to the activism of naturalist John Muir. 

Traditions live in reverent hikes that build a community, ranger campfire talks, and sunrise / sunset photography rituals. For the Southern Sierra Miwok + Mono Lake Paiute, traditions include basket weaving, acorn harvesting, and seasonal ceremonies connected to the cycles of land and sky. 

The broader Sierra Nevada region cuisine blends rustic Californian flavors with local ingredients. Expect hearty mountain meals including trout, wild berries, venison, and sourdough, alongside updated menus in Yosemite Valley’s lodges and cafés.

Nature is Yosemite’s great symphony—but the human soundtrack includes traditional Miwok chants, folk guitar around campfires, and acoustic concerts echoing off granite cliffs.

Artists flock to Yosemite's granite muse. Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Hill painted it grandly in the 1800s; Ansel Adams defined its image in black and white. Today, plein air painters, photographers, and Indigenous artists continue to capture Yosemite’s soul. 

From the granite crown of Half Dome to the thunder of Yosemite Falls, the park is cathedral-like in scale and intimacy. Giant sequoias, alpine meadows, glacier-carved valleys, and mirror-like rivers form one of Earth’s most iconic wilderness sanctuaries. 

Adventure is a birthright here—whether you are climbing granite walls, backpacking high country, or snowshoeing in winter stillness. Yosemite rewards those who rise early, climb high, and tread lightly. 

The Ahwahneechee considered Yosemite Valley a sacred place. A quiet reverence fills the air, where waterfalls feel like spirit guides and trees are companions. Visitors speak of Yosemite’s healing power, both spiritual and emotional. 

While English is spoken, the spiritual language of Yosemite is unspoken: reverent silence, soft footfalls, and awe-struck gasps. You may also hear indigenous place names used to honor the first stewards of this land.

El Capitan mountain: “Tu-Tok-A-Nu-La” (Ahwahneechee name)