If you have been to Yosemite National
Park before but haven't been there in many years you may think
of it like Yogi Berra's description of a popular restaurant:
"No one goes there anymore - it's too crowded." A decade
ago there was talk of the inevitable closing of the Yosemite
Valley to private vehicles and access would be by shuttle bus
only. But after years of 20-25% attendance declines, national
park officials are concerned that there simply aren't enough
people coming to maintain services.
What does this mean for your dog? Well,
dogs are not allowed on trails or in the backcountry of Yosemite.
This prohibiton includes ski trails in winter. Dogs are, however,
allowed to walk anywhere on the Yosemite Valley floor between
the Happy Isles Nature Center or Mirror Lake parking lot and
the Pohono bridge. You can also take your dog on any paved path
not designated as a foot or horse trail. Since these are traditionally
the most crowded parts of Yosemite it can be a hassle maneuvering
a dog around. But maybe not so much these days.
By the way, the park does operate a first-come,
first-served kennel where you can leave your dog to hike some
of Yosemite's legendary trails solo. Yosemite is generous to
dogs in its campgrounds - four whole campgrounds allow dogs in
each of the major sections of the park and another four have
sections of the campground set aside for dog owners.
And if you are entering the park by the
Tioga Road, Highway 120, through California's highest automobile
pass at 9,945 feet, make sure you stop just before you go in.
Just outside Yosemite National Park is a 3/4-mile nature trail
around a glacial lake called the Nunatak Trail, or "Island
of Life." This is a refreshing leg-stretcher for you and
your dog.
<<Back To March 2007 Newsletter
<<Go To Article Index
