"Yosemite's Wawona Hotel" Top 5 Page for this destination Yosemite's Wawona Hotel Tip by VeronicaG

IT'S BEGINNING

Galen Clark, an ailing gold miner from California, fell in love with the area as he passed through with a group of tourists on their way to Yosemite.

He returned to build a rustic cabin in the woods and established Clark's Station (later renaming it Big Tree Station), hoping to take advantage of Yosemite's popularity.

Eventually, he relocated and added a partner in 1870. Unfortunately, the business didn't do well, so became the property of Washburn, Coffman and Chapman.

When a kitchen fire (1878) devoured most of Clarks Station, the hotel and most of the outbuildings had to be rebuilt.

SOMETHING NEW

Mr. Washburn took on a new partner and they hired Joseph Shelly to design a new two story building, holding 25 guest rooms. The new hotel may have opened the summer of 1879.

By 1883, the name was changed to Wawona*. It had become a full fledged mountain resort...with a unique attraction!

Someone was paid to gouge an 8 ft. by 26 ft. tunnel into the base of a giant Sequoia which blocked the roadway. After this, visitors flocking to Yosemite also stopped by to see the Wawona Tunnel Tree (fell around 1968-69).

The hotel continued to attract tourists when the Wawona area was added to the National Park system in 1932. It recently (March, 2002) underwent a renovation and now offers 48 Victorian-style guestrooms.

The Wawona Hotel is located in the lush meadowlands of the Wawona Valley. *The name Wawona comes from an Indian word meaning "Big Tree". For a list of the hotel's activities or reservations see website below.

Address: Wawona, California
Directions: Near the South Entrance to Yosemite
Phone: 559-253-5635
Website: http://www.YosemitePark.com