The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) helped develop the Badger Pass Ski Area at Yosemite National Park in the mid-to-late 1930s. Limited skiing had started in 1933 with the opening of the Glacier Point road, making Badger Pass one of the… read more
The present Big Oak Flat Road was constructed by the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR), with Public Works Administration (PWA) funding, between 1935 and 1940. It is one of three main roads into Yosemite Valley, along with El Portal road… read more
Cascades Camp in Yosemite Valley was one of the two hubs of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) activity in Yosemite National Park from 1933 to 1941; the other was Camp Wawona. There were around a dozen smaller CCC camps (seasonal and… read more
Camp Wawona, at the south end of Yosemite National Park, was one of two hubs for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the park during the New Deal era, 1933-42 (the other hub was at Camp Cascades in Yosemite Valley)…. read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) landscaped Fern Spring, creating an attractive, naturalistic rock garden and planting a variety of ferns, wildflowers, and ground covers. A log guardrail was installed to define the parking area and log seats were placed in the… read more
The New Deal vastly improved Yosemite National Park in California, which has long been the showpiece of the national park system. Several federal agencies operated in the park from 1933 to 1942, under the general supervision of the National Park… read more
The federal Bureau of Public Roads (BPR), funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA), built the 15.7 mile Glacier Point Road from Chinquapin Flat on the Wawona Road to Glacier Point, 1933-35. This project was part of a complete overhaul of… read more
The Half Dome cables, originally installed in 1920 by the Sierra Club, were replaced and strengthened by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees in 1934. These cables allow thousands of people each year to hike to the top of this famous… read more
The Henness Ridge Fire Tower was constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in 1934. It was actively used until 1966, but is now empty. The Henness Ridge Fire Tower was one of several fire protection buildings constructed in the… read more
A comfort station at the end of Evergreen Road above O’Shaughnessy Dam and Hetch Hetchy reservoir was almost surely built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s, judging by the construction. The building is done in classic National… read more
The Public Works Administration (PWA) funded a major increase in the height of the O’Shaughnessy Dam, which creates Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. The dam had been completed by the city of San Francisco in 1923, after years of controversy over flooding… read more
The Group Utility Building (original name) in Yosemite Valley opened 1935. It was funded by the Public Works Administration (PWA). The utility building consolidated a hodgepodge of old shops, forges, storage and maintenance into one facility. It also provided three bays… read more
New Deal agencies played a major role in the transformation of the narrow and dangerous Wawona wagon trail into a safe and comfortable route from the South Entrance of Yosemite National Park to Yosemite Valley. As part of this project,… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the Ostrander Ski Hut in 1941. The ski hut is a two-story stone structure, in the classic National Park rustic style. It was built for cross-country skiers, meant to be part of a larger… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a major presence in Yosemite National Park from 1933 to 1942, helping to improve the park for public use. CCC enrollees carried out a wide range of projects throughout the park, from forestry to… read more
In 1934, the Public Works Administration (PWA) funded the creation of the South Gate Entrance Station to Yosemite National Park. This followed enlargement of the park by the addition of the area from Wawona south and was done as part… read more
New Deal agencies realigned and reconstructed 47 miles of the Tioga road from Crane Flat to Tioga Pass over the years 1933 to 1943. They were not able, however, to complete the road down from Tioga Pass to Lee Vining… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) made many improvements around Yosemite National Park during its time there, 1933-42. Enrollees worked out of two major hub camps and a dozen or so seasonal and ‘spike’ (temporary) camps. One of the typical activities… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed the Tuolumne Meadows campground in 1933-34, according to a plan laid out by the National Park Service (NPS) and with financing from the Public Works Administration (PWA). It is the largest campground in Yosemite… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed the Tuolumne Meadows campground in 1933-34. It is the largest campground in Yosemite National Park. The CCC enrollees also built three comfort stations for the campground, done in classic National Park rustic style of… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) constructed the Tuolumne Meadows campground in 1933-34 and added a “contact station” or entrance station in 1936. The building is done is classic National Park rustic style, with massive boulder walls. An entrance kiosk has… read more
In the late 1930s, the Public Works Administration (PWA) funded a new sewage collection and treatment system for Tuolumne Meadows. It replaced the original septic tanks for the campground comfort stations and was extended to take in a broader area… read more
The Tuolumne Meadows Visitors Center was originally built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as a road crew camp mess hall in 1934. Around 1980, the National Park Service converted the building to a Visitors Center, replacing an older one… read more
New Deal agencies realigned and reconstructed the Old Tioga road from 1933 to 1943, from Crane Flat to Tuolumne Meadows. An important element of the road project was the bridge over the Tuolumne River, just east of the Tuolumne Meadows… read more
The Wawona Covered Bridge is one of only 12 covered bridges in California and the only one in Yosemite. It was originally built by Galen Clark as a modified queen post truss without a cover in 1868, making it the oldest… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built a school house at Wawona in 1937. The enrollee work teams came from the nearby Wawona CCC Camp YNP #7. The building is a shingled, rustic wood structure set on a stone foundation, with… read more
The New Deal made possible the construction of a ranger station in the Wawona area, which was added to Yosemite National Park in 1932. The present complex includes a ranger station and an interpretation office, as well as two ranger residences,… read more
The New Deal made possible the construction of a ranger station in the Wawona area, which was added to Yosemite National Park in 1932. The ranger station complex includes two ranger residences and accompanying garages. These buildings still exist, but are… read more
New Deal agencies played a major role in the transformation of the narrow and dangerous Wawona wagon trail into a safe and comfortable route into Yosemite Valley. The route from the South Entrance to the Valley floor is 27 miles…. read more
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) enrollees made many improvements at Yosemite Village and Curry Village at the east end of Yosemite Valley, in the heart of Yosemite National Park. At the time, these were known as the Old Village, New Village… read more
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) completely reconstructed the public campgrounds at the head of Yosemite Valley, which are today known as the North, Upper and Lower Pines campgrounds. There had long been camping all over Yosemite Valley, but it had… read more