Frequently Asked Questions About Yosemite

RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

Where can I walk and hike?
Are there guided trips?
Where can I rent a bike? horse? raft?
Where can I rent a tent? sleeping bag? hiking boots? backpack?
Where are the bike paths? Where can I mountain bike?
Where can I go swimming?
Can I parachute or parasail in Yosemite?
Can I hang glide?

Where can I walk and hike?
Visitors should refer to the hiking section of the Yosemite Guide for descriptions of the most popular trails in Yosemite Valley. There is more complete information at park visitor centers, the Wilderness Center, and information stations on hiking trails throughout the park. For people wanting detailed information, suggest they purchase trail maps or books. Please encourage people to stay on the trails, pack out trash, beware of seasonal hazards, know their limits and carry water, food, map, compass, matches, layered clothing, sun protection, etc.

Are there guided trips?
The Yosemite Mountaineering School will be conducting guided day hikes and fishing trips in 2001. Contact the Mountaineering School.

Where can I rent a bike? horse? raft?
• Bikes and bikes with baby trailers are rented at Yosemite Lodge and Curry Village, weather permitting.
• Stables are located in the Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, and Wawona. Call Valley Stables at (209) 372-8326, Tuolumne Meadows Stables at (209) 372-8427, or Wawona Stables at (209) 375-6502 for reservations. Two-hour, four-hour, and all-day rides are available. Children must be at least 7 years old and 44" tall. Maximum weight is 225 lbs.
• Rafts are rented at Curry Village when the water level is safe, usually mid- to late June. Raft rental ends when water level is low, usually late July to early August.

Where can I rent a tent? sleeping bag? hiking boots? backpack?
Day packs, backpacks, sleeping bags, foam pads, gaiters and snowshoes are rented with limited availability through the Yosemite Mountaineering School. Call 372-8344 to check for availability. If the Mountaineering School is not open, equipment cannot be rented. Tents, boots and baby carrier backpacks are not rented in the park.

Where are the bike paths? Where can I mountain bike?
See the map in the Yosemite Today for bike paths. Give safety and resource protection messages about staying on designated bike paths and roads. All bikes must stay on paved bike paths and established roads in Yosemite (i.e., no mountain biking off-road in the park). There is also a four-mile trail where bikes can be ridden that begins across from the Wawona Hotel. There are numerous dirt roads available in the national forest units just outside the park.

Where can I go swimming?
Public pools: There are pools at Curry Village and the Yosemite Lodge. They are free to guests of those facilities. There is a $2 charge for those who are not guests. Lifeguards are on duty. Pools at The Ahwahnee and Wawona Hotels are for guests only.

Rivers & lakes: There are no designated public swimming areas in the park's rivers, streams or lakes. People swim at their own risk and need to beware of cold, energy-sapping water, deceptively swift currents and dangerous traps associated with fallen trees, large boulders, sharp rocks, steep banks and hazards from human litter (e.g., broken glass, shredded cans). Diving and jumping from bridges is prohibited. It can result in serious injuries and fatalities and disruption to the river habitat.

May Lake and the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir are closed to swimming.

Can I parachute or parasail in Yosemite?
No. "BASE jumping" was permitted from El Capitan on a trial basis in the 1980s. However, due to the excessive number of injuries and abuses of safety restrictions, the activity is now prohibited. Parasailing is not permitted.

Can I hang glide?
Hang gliding is permitted only for those with a Hang IV certification and only through the sponsorship of the Yosemite Hang Gliding Association at (719) 632-8300.