Yosemite Reservations: The History Of The Log Cabins

When you make your Yosemite reservations and stay in a rental cabin in Yosemite National Park, you’re following a pattern set by countless others before you, from homesteaders to park rangers. Many of the park’s early visitors and residents bedded down in log cabins, simple but sturdy wooden structures built from local timber. Some are still standing—though not in their original settings—and their rustic form evokes the bygone age of the American West, a sense of time travel reinforced by the ageless beauty of the Yosemite landscape.

The History of Yosemite Reservations and Log Cabins

When you make your Yosemite reservations, you'll compare the number of vintage log cabins native to the area which are on display at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center—across the Wawona Covered Bridge from the Wawona Hotel—along with other historic structures like stables, shops, and the covered bridge itself. Many were transported to Wawona in the mid-20th century for preservation and interpretive purposes; their original locations were scattered throughout the area. As you’ll learn at the history center, these cabins don’t simply recall the stories of their builders and residents: They signify larger stories of how the Yosemite country was first perceived and used by Euro-Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and how the region came to be protected in one of the country’s earliest national parks. Among the oldest is the Homestead Cabin, the park's only two-story log cabin, which was erected by Jeremiah Hodgdon and his family in 1879 in the Aspen Valley of Yosemite’s high country. This site along the Tioga Road, claimed by the Hodgdons courtesy of the 1862 Homestead Act, was meant as summer grazing grounds for the family’s cattle. Many such homesteaders were not supportive of Yosemite reservations, guests or even of establishing a national park in Yosemite. However, their activities, such as the overgrazing of mountain meadows by livestock, were a major prompt for calls to preserve the region from the Scottish-American naturalist John Muir and others. Consider this complicated history as you marvel at the Homestead Cabin today at Wawona. Taste another side of Yosemite’s Euro-American heritage by visiting the Artist Cabin, once the lodging of Christian Jorgensen, one of many painters who set up shop in this patch of the Sierra Nevada in the late 1800s to celebrate its stunning beauty. The artwork and photographs of artists such as Jorgensen, who built this cabin originally along the Merced River in the vicinity of Sentinel Bridge, helped inspire early tourism to Yosemite—and directly contributed to the region’s preservation for posterity. The Homestead and Artist cabins aren’t the only ones on display at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. You’ll also see the winter home of George Anderson, credited with the first documented ascent of Half Dome, and a patrol cabin used by early park rangers. Make your Yosemite reservations and you'll know that everywhere you end up traveling in Yosemite, you’ll be walking in the footsteps of others before you: from American Indian foragers and storytellers to early Euro-American pioneers, soldiers, and tourists. The old log cabins on display in the park are testaments to some of that history, and a reminder that, when you settle in at a Yosemite vacation rental, you’re joining a long line of folks inspired to visit, even to live, in this mountain paradise. Don't forget: Make your Yosemite reservations early and while you’re exploring the park with your own cabin rental serving as home base, make sure to include the Pioneer Yosemite History Center on your list of destinations. Wawona is accessible throughout the year not far from the park’s South Entrance.

Make Your Yosemite Reservations Today

If you’re planning on making Yosemite reservations this winter, consider making your reservations with Yosemite’s Scenic Wonders. We offer Yosemite reservations within the gates of the park. With one of our cozy cabins, condominiums, or homes, your Yosemite accommodations will be just minutes from your favorite Yosemite activities. Give us a call at 1-888-YOSEMITE ( 1-888-967-3648) to learn about our rentals and to make your Yosemite reservations today. Yosemite National Park Blog Scenic Wonders’ Yosemite blog provides the latest news related to Yosemite National Park. By reading our blog, you’ll stay up to date on activities, accommodations, and more.