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California

The Best of Yosemite National Park: An American Icon

Program No. 19237RJ
Discover the wonders of Yosemite National Park alongside naturalists as you learn about and explore Yosemite Valley, Tuolumne Meadows, Mariposa Grove and many other iconic treasures.

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Prefer to enroll or inquire by phone? 800-454-5768
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Price will update based on selection
Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 12 - May 17, 2024
Starting at
3,549
Filling Fast!
May 19 - May 24, 2024
Starting at
3,049
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Jun 9 - Jun 14, 2024
Starting at
3,049
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Jun 16 - Jun 21, 2024
Starting at
3,549
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Jun 23 - Jun 28, 2024
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3,049
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Jul 7 - Jul 12, 2024
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3,049
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Jul 21 - Jul 26, 2024
Starting at
3,049
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Aug 4 - Aug 9, 2024
Starting at
3,549
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Sep 8 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
3,549
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Sep 22 - Sep 27, 2024
Starting at
3,049
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Sep 29 - Oct 4, 2024
Starting at
3,049
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Oct 6 - Oct 11, 2024
Starting at
3,549
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Jun 8 - Jun 13, 2025
Starting at
3,649
Jun 15 - Jun 20, 2025
Starting at
3,649
Jun 22 - Jun 27, 2025
Starting at
3,149
Jul 13 - Jul 18, 2025
Starting at
3,649
Jul 27 - Aug 1, 2025
Starting at
3,149
Aug 10 - Aug 15, 2025
Starting at
3,649
Sep 7 - Sep 12, 2025
Starting at
3,649
Sep 14 - Sep 19, 2025
Starting at
3,649
Sep 21 - Sep 26, 2025
Starting at
3,149
Oct 5 - Oct 10, 2025
Starting at
3,149
Oct 12 - Oct 17, 2025
Starting at
3,649
DATES & starting prices
PRICES
May 12 - May 17, 2024
Starting at
4,469
May 19 - May 24, 2024
Starting at
3,959
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Jun 9 - Jun 14, 2024
Starting at
3,959
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Jun 16 - Jun 21, 2024
Starting at
4,469
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Filling Fast!
Jun 23 - Jun 28, 2024
Starting at
3,959
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Jul 7 - Jul 12, 2024
Starting at
3,959
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Filling Fast!
Jul 21 - Jul 26, 2024
Starting at
3,959
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Aug 4 - Aug 9, 2024
Starting at
4,469
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Sep 8 - Sep 13, 2024
Starting at
4,469
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Filling Fast!
Sep 22 - Sep 27, 2024
Starting at
3,959
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Filling Fast!
Sep 29 - Oct 4, 2024
Starting at
3,959
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Oct 6 - Oct 11, 2024
Starting at
4,469
Special Offer

Enroll by Jan. 31, 2024 to take $200 off the price shown!

Jun 8 - Jun 13, 2025
Starting at
4,519
Jun 15 - Jun 20, 2025
Starting at
4,519
Jun 22 - Jun 27, 2025
Starting at
4,019
Jul 13 - Jul 18, 2025
Starting at
4,519
Filling Fast!
Jul 27 - Aug 1, 2025
Starting at
4,019
Aug 10 - Aug 15, 2025
Starting at
4,519
Sep 7 - Sep 12, 2025
Starting at
4,519
Sep 14 - Sep 19, 2025
Starting at
4,519
Sep 21 - Sep 26, 2025
Starting at
4,019
Oct 5 - Oct 10, 2025
Starting at
4,019
Oct 12 - Oct 17, 2025
Starting at
4,519

At a Glance

On an unforgettable adventure in Yosemite National Park, learn on-site about monumental natural wonders like Yosemite Falls, Tuolumne Meadows and Yosemite Valley. Expert naturalists address the geologic saga of the park as well as its interwoven natural and human histories. As Half Dome and El Capitan loom overhead, explore the Native American history of the Ahwahneechee, and learn the intricacies of rock climbing, a popular park activity. Stay at lodgings inside the park on this fantastic adventure!
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to 1.5 miles over varied terrain including paved and dirt paths. Standing up to 45 minutes at a time. Elevations range from 4,000-8,000 feet.

Best of all, you’ll…

  • Experience the impressive granite formations of Half Dome and El Capitan, a favorite for rock climbers.
  • Discover Yosemite’s cultural and natural history with a local naturalist on trails in Yosemite Valley and Wawona.
  • Explore Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to stand in awe of hundreds of these impressive trees, and explore The Ahwahnee Hotel with a local expert.

General Notes

Select dates are designated for small groups and are limited to 24 participants or less.
Visit the Road Scholar Bookshop
You can find many of the books we recommend at the Road Scholar store on bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookstores.
Ansel Adams' Yosemite: The Special Edition Prints
by Ansel Adams (Author), Pete Souza (Foreword)
The photographs of Ansel Adams are among America's finest artistic treasures, and form the basis of his tremendous legacy of environmental activism. In the late 1950s, Adams selected eight photographs of Yosemite National Park to offer exclusively to park visitors as affordable souvenirs. He hoped that these images might inspire tourists to become activists by transmitting to them the same awe and respect for nature that Yosemite had instilled in him. Over the following decades, Adams added to this collection to create a stunning view of Yosemite in all its majesty. These photographs, the Yosemite Special Edition Prints, form the core of this essential volume. Adams' luminous images of Yosemite's unique rock formations, waterfalls, meadows, trees, and nature details are among the most distinctive of his career. Today, with America's public lands increasingly under threat, his creative vision remains as relevant and convincing as ever. Introduced by bestselling photographer Pete Souza, with an essay by Adams' darkroom assistant Alan Ross, Ansel Adams' Yosemite is a powerful continuation of Adams' artistic and environmental legacies, and a compelling statement during a precarious time for the American earth.
My First Summer in the Sierra
by John Muir
In the summer of 1869, John Muir made his first long trip to Yosemite. When a friend offered him the chance to accompany his flock of sheep and a shepherd to the high pastures of the Sierra, it was an opportunity Muir could not resist. This book reprints the journal he kept of those summer days, of the wildlife and plant life, and of his explorations into the magical places of the mountains.
Yosemite: The Complete Guide
by James Kaiser
Filled with vivid color photography and informed writing, Yosemite: The Complete Guide puts the best of Yosemite National Park at your fingertips. Fully updated to include current travel info (including the new rules for hiking Half Dome), the second edition offers expanded chapters on geology, ecology, wildlife, and history. James Kaiser takes readers on a joyous romp through Yosemite, revealing the fascinating story behind the scenery. From the thundering waterfalls of Yosemite Valley to the sparkling granite of the High Sierra, Yosemite: The Complete Guide equips travelers with everything they need to know. Lodging, camping, and dining are covered in-depth, as well as outdoor adventures (hiking, biking, rock climbing, rafting, skiing), transportation issues, and seasonal weather patterns. Over 20 hikes are listed, with trail descriptions, topographical maps, and photos.
History of the Sierra Nevada
by Francis Peloubet Farquhar
The History of the Sierra Nevada covers all aspects of the human history of the area from the prehistoric native Americans, Spanish exploration, mountain men, pioneers, 49'ers, railroad, John Muir and the national parks to recent trends of utilization and recreation.
Geology of the Sierra Nevada (California Natural History Guides)
by Mary Hill
Geology of the Sierra Nevada (California Natural History Guides) is a comprehensive guide to the geologic history of the Sierra Nevada.
Sierra Nevada Natural History
by David Lukas, Tracy I. Storer, Robert L. Usinger
First published forty years ago, this handbook has become an enduring natural history classic, used by thousands to learn more about virtually every aspect of this spectacular mountain range--from its superb flora and fauna to its rugged topography. Comprehensive yet concise and portable, the book describes hundreds of species: trees and shrubs, flowering plants and ferns, fungi and lichens, insects and fish, amphibians and reptiles, and birds and mammals.





Important registration tip:
If you want to attend the live lecture, please do not wait until the last minute to enroll.
If you enroll after a lecture is complete, we’ll send you a recording of the event.