California
The Beauty of Yosemite and the Joy of Watercolor
Program No. 2317RJ
Find your inspiration in the idyllic setting of Yosemite, where you’ll learn about watercolor techniques, practice plein air painting and enjoy daily lessons from expert instructors.
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800-454-5768
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Prices displayed below are based on per person,doubleoccupancy.
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
DATES
& starting prices
PRICES
Apr 27 - May 2, 2025
Starting at
2,099May 4 - May 9, 2025
Starting at
2,099Oct 19 - Oct 24, 2025
Starting at
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6 days
5 nights
15 meals
5B 5L 5D
2
First Water Coloring Class
Oakhurst
4
Yosemite National Park, Free Time
Oakhurst
5
More Painting in Yosemite
Oakhurst
6
Program Concludes
Oakhurst
At a Glance
Join us in exploring new ways to be creative. Our delightful instructor teaches you how to render outdoor elements with ease, sharing secrets of color systems, brush-stroke techniques and water use. View nature from an artist's perspective during field trips to Yosemite National Park. Experience painting "in the wild," learning to paint mountains, trees and waterfalls in the field.
Activity Level
Easy Going
Walking up to one mile over varied terrain on field trips. Distances between lodging, dining hall and classrooms can exceed 1,000 feet to and from. Elevations of 3,100-6,000 feet.
Small Group
Love to learn and explore in a small-group setting? These adventures offer small, personal experiences with groups of 13 to 24 participants.
Best of all, you’ll…
- Embark on a bus excursion to some of the Yosemite Valley’s most beautiful sites, including Tunnel View, Bridalveil Fall and Sentinel Bridge.
- Delight in an opportunity to paint “en plein air” in the heart of Yosemite.
- Paint daily and improve your watercolor technique with the help of an art instructor who offers tips on composition, color and more.
General Notes
The Retreat Difference: This unique, often basic and no-frills experience at a Road Scholar Retreat includes opportunities for early morning exercise, interaction with the local community for insight into local life, an authentic farm-to-table or locally sourced meal, and a live performance or event. Basic art supplies are furnished. Participants may bring their own supplies to supplement if they wish.
Suggested Reading List
(69 books)
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.
The Beauty of Yosemite and the Joy of Watercolor
Program Number: 2317
The Invention of Nature; Alexander Von Humboldt's New World.
Touch the Earth: A Self-Portrait of the Indian Existence
. Gloryland: A Novel.
This books is roughly based on the life of his great-grandfather who was a buffalo soldier and one of those who patrolled Yosemite NP around the turn of the century to protect it from poachers, loggers, miners, etc.
Born on Emancipation Day, 1863, to a sharecropping family of African and Indian blood, Elijah Yancy never lived as a slave, but his self-image as a free person is at war with his surroundings: Spartanburg, South Carolina, in the Reconstructed South.
Shelton Johnson is an interpretive ranger for Yosemite National Park. His area of expertise is the Buffalo Soldiers and their influence on the early history of Yosemite and the west.
Mountains Without Handrails: Reflections on the National Parks
Flowering Shrubs of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada.
While the trees of Yosemite thrill visitors and the wildflowers often steal the show, every year the blue elderberry, the snowberry, the American dogwood, and dozens of other shrubs bloom in a glory all their own. This lovely volume, with inspired watercolors showing the fruit, flowers, and foliage of the plants, pays these shrubs full homage. Complete with useful information for plant identification, this book serves as a welcome and needed introduction to some of Yosemite's wildflowers.
Black Elk Speaks
Gloryland: A Novel
On the Loose
The Secret Knowledge of Water
Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds.
Salt: A World History
My First Summer in the Sierra
The first of John Muir's books. This inspirational book allows the reader to understand John Muir's desire to protect and preserve Yosemite.
FLO: A Biography of Frederick Law Olmsted
The San Joaquin – A River Betrayed
Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World
Garden of the Sun: A History of the San Joaquin Valley: 1772-1939.
A Sierra Club Naturalist’s Guide to the Sierra Nevada.
. Stephen Whitney has taken most of the University of California Press guides and books and done an excellent job of condensing a wide range of biotic and abiotic topics. I highly recommend this guide to anyone interested in the Sierra Nevada, whether a teacher, backpacker, student, or amateur naturalist.
William Neill Blog
History of the Sierra Nevada
The Geologic Story of Yosemite National Park
Sisters of the Earth
Shaping the Sierra: Nature, Culture, and Conflict in the Changing West
Sierra Nevada Natural History: An Illustrated Handbook.
The Star Thrower
Up and Down California in 1860-1864: The Journal of William H Brewer
Cadillac Desert: The American West and its Disappearing Water
The Education of Little Tree
Jedediah Smith and the Opening of the West
Nature’s Army: When Soldiers Fought for Yosemite
Assembling California
Sierra Nevada Wildflowers
They Saw the Elephant: Women in the California Gold Rush
Wildflowers of the Sierra Nevada and the Central Valley
Uncertain Path; A Search for the Future of National Parks
Desert Solitaire
The Earth Speaks: An Acclimatization Journal
Oaks of California
A Sand County Almanac
Challenge of the Big Trees
A Journal of Ramblings Through the High Sierra of California by the University Excursion Party
Field Guide to Birds of North America
Secrets of the Oak Woodlands; Plants and Animals Among California's Oaks
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
The Incomparable Valley: a Geologic Interpretation of the Yosemite.
My First Summer in the Sierra
The Geologic Story of Yosemite National Park.
Geologic History of Yosemite
Shattered Air: A True Account of Catastrophe and Courage on Yosemite’s Half Dome
Winter WorldL The Ingenuity of Animal Survival
High Odyssey: The First Solo Winter Assault of Mt. Whitney and the Muir Trail Area.
Anyone who loves mountains, and especially the Sierra Nevada, will find this a great addition to the library. It documents the little known winter solo ski trip over the entire John Muir trail, from Mt. Whitney to Yosemite, by Orland Bartholemew in 1928-29. The author expertly crafts the story from old notes and a diary.
The Wild Muir: Twenty-two of John Muir's Greatest Adventures
Mountaineering in the Sierra Nevada
Yosemite: Volume One
Our expert instructor highly recommends William Neill's blog and ebook. Find the blog at www.williamneill.com/blog/ and Find his ebook at www.williamneill.com/store/ebooks/yosemite-volume1/index.html
The Journey Home
Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Flowering Shrubs of Yosemite and the Sierra Nevada
"Ansel Adams and the American Landscape"
The Land of Little Rain
High Odyssey: The First Solo Winter Assault of Mt. Whitney and the Muir Trail Area
Mountain Sage
Conifers of California
Galen Clark: Yosemite Guardian
Westering ManL The Life of Joseph Walker
The King of California: J.G. Boswell and the Making of a Secret American
The Photographer's Guide to Yosemite
www.michaelfrye.com
A Field Guide to Mammals
A Sierra Club Naturalist's Guide to the Sierra Nevada
The Wild Muir: Twenty-two of John Muir’s Greatest Adventures.
Short stories from John Muir that creates an understanding of John Muir.
The Hour of Land; A Personal Topography of America's National Parks.
An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park
An Illustrated Flora of Yosemite National Park. El Portal, California:
While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
Duration
6 days
5 nights
What's Included
15 meals (
5B, 5L, 5D
)
6 expert-led lectures
3 expert-led field trips
An experienced Group Leader
5 nights of accommodations
Taxes and customary gratuity
Road Scholar Assurance Plan
Day
1
Check-in, Registration, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Location:
Oakhurst
Meals:
D
Stay:
Episcopal Conference Center Oakhurst
Activity Note
Lodge check-in from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Afternoon:
Program Registration: 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. After you have your room assignment, come to the Road Scholar table in Lyles Dining Hall to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please locate your Group Leader and let them know you have arrived. Please call if you expect to arrive after 6:00 p.m. Following registration, we’ll gather for a get-acquainted social hour with appetizers and beverages.
Dinner:
At Lyles Dining Hall.
Evening:
Orientation. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions This is a Road Scholar Retreats program. Programming at Retreat locations includes opportunities for light morning exercise, interaction with members of the local community, a farm-to-table meal, and evening entertainment. Our program is staffed with an expert who will serve as our Study Leader and instructor. Classes at ECCO (Episcopal Conference Center Oakhurst) will be held in Lower Lyles West or the chapel, a short walk from Lyles. Transportation for off-site field trips will be by shuttle bus. Field trips to and from Yosemite are about 45 miles each way on country roads. Periods in the daily schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding. Next, we’ll watch a short, award-winning video from the National Park Service about Yosemite National Park. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.
Day
2
First Water Coloring Class
Location:
Oakhurst
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Episcopal Conference Center Oakhurst
Activity Note
Light exercise available prior to breakfast (walking, yoga, etc.). Minimal walking around campus.
Breakfast:
In Lyles Dining Hall.
Morning:
After breakfast, we will enjoy our first water coloring class with our instructor, getting acquainted with our equipment and subjects.
Lunch:
In Lyles Dining Hall.
Afternoon:
Our class continues, as we paint to our heart's content under the guidance of our expert instructor.
Dinner:
In Lyles Dining Hall.
Evening:
We will be joined by a local expert for a presentation on fascinating aspects of the area such as natural history, human and cultural history, musical or other artistic guests, and the like.
Day
3
Yosemite National Park, Lesson in the Park
Location:
Oakhurst
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Episcopal Conference Center Oakhurst
Activity Note
Light exercise prior to breakfast (walking, yoga, etc.). Getting on/off a shuttle bus; driving about 45 miles each way, approximately 3 hours riding time. Walking up to 1-2 miles over the course of the day; mostly flat ground in Yosemite Valley, paved and unpaved.
Breakfast:
In the dining hall. Each full day after breakfast, we will pack our own lunches from a variety of choices. Bring your own personal, reusable water bottle.
Morning:
After packing lunch, we will board the shuttle for Yosemite Valley (38 miles, 1 hr. 30 min), departing by 8:00 a.m. We will first stop Tunnel View, with that famous first glimpse of Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls, El Capitan, and Cathedral Rocks. As we view the woodlands through the conifer forest, we’ll drop down into the glacially-carved valley of Yosemite to visit Sentinel Bridge and Yosemite Valley Lodge.
Lunch:
In Yosemite Valley, we’ll have the sack lunches we packed this morning.
Afternoon:
We will enjoy a painting lesson in the park with the help of our instructor. The shuttle departs for ECCO by 3:00 p.m (38 miles, 1 hr. 30 min).
Dinner:
Dining hall buffet.
Evening:
We will enjoy our evening presentation from a local expert.
Day
4
Yosemite National Park, Free Time
Location:
Oakhurst
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Episcopal Conference Center Oakhurst
Activity Note
Light exercise prior to breakfast (walking, yoga, etc.). Getting on/off a shuttle bus; driving about 45 miles each way, approximately 3 hours riding time. Walking distance is dependent upon activities chosen for free day.
Breakfast:
Dining hall buffet.
Morning:
After packing lunch, we will board the shuttle for Yosemite Valley (38 miles, 1 hr. 30 min), departing by 8:00 a.m. Free time. Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. For those who wish, bring your painting supplies and enjoy the opportunity to capture Yosemite's beauty in watercolors.
Lunch:
In Yosemite Valley, we’ll have the sack lunches we packed this morning.
Afternoon:
More free time in the park. Feel free to keep painting or visit Yosemite Valley. The shuttle will depart for ECCO (38 miles, 1 hr. 30 min) by 3:00 p.m.
Dinner:
Dining hall buffet.
Evening:
We will enjoy our evening presentation from a local expert.
Day
5
More Painting in Yosemite
Location:
Oakhurst
Meals:
B,L,D
Stay:
Episcopal Conference Center Oakhurst
Activity Note
Light exercise prior to breakfast (walking, yoga, etc.). Getting on/off a shuttle bus; driving about 45 miles each way, approximately 3 hours riding time. Walking up to 1-2 miles over the course of the day; mostly flat ground in Yosemite Valley, paved and unpaved.
Breakfast:
In Lyles Dining Hall.
Morning:
After packing lunch, we will board the shuttle for our third day of exploration in Yosemite(38 miles, 1 hr. 30 min), with departure at 8:00 a.m. We’ll enjoy the varying landscapes and historic structures as subjects for our painting.
Lunch:
In Yosemite Valley, we’ll have the sack lunches we packed this morning
Afternoon:
We will resume our exploration of Yosemite. Our shuttle will depart no later than 3:00 p.m (38 miles, 1 hr. 30 min).
Dinner:
In the dining hall. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.
Evening:
We will gather for a presentation by a local expert. Prepare for check-out and departure tomorrow.
Day
6
Program Concludes
Location:
Oakhurst
Meals:
B,L
Activity Note
Light exercise available prior to breakfast (walking, yoga, etc.). Lodge check-out by 9:00 a.m.
Breakfast:
In the dining hall.
Morning:
We will enjoy our last class of the week.
Lunch:
Dining hall buffet. This concludes our program.
Afternoon:
If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on another rewarding program in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!
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MEALS
15 Meals
5 Breakfasts
5 Lunches
5 Dinners
LODGING
Lodgings may differ by date. Select a date to see the lodgings specific to that date.
Showing Lodging For:
- Oct 19, 2025 - Oct 24, 2025
- Apr 27, 2025 - May 02, 2025
- May 04, 2025 - May 09, 2025
- Oct 19, 2025 - Oct 24, 2025
Participant Reviews
Based on 5 Reviews
Sort By:
If you are interested in learning or expanding watercolor or outdoor painting skills, definitely go. There were very experienced artists on this who said they learned and enjoyed the opportunity to paint outdoors and see Yosemite. For a beginner like me, I learned much and enjoyed all of the lessons. The evening talks were entertaining. I went alone, which was a first for me and made fun and interesting friends. I felt like I had enough alone time and social interaction. Yosemite is awe inspiring. The leader Sadie is as good at this work as anyone I’ve ever met. The instructor Judie is a well respected artist, kind soul and fantastic teacher.
One warning- it can be both searing sun and biting cold so bring clothing, hats, gloves as recommended. Also one review said the food and accommodations were “sublime”. I think i agree more with the reviews that warned they are spartan at best. I don’t know what all shared accommodations were like but you may want to inquire before assuming levels of space and privacy. There was no door between beds and sink area of bathroom. Only a door to a tiny toilet and bathtub/shower.
The accommodations are a 75min winding drive from Yosemite. This can make people car sick if prone to it so bring meds if that is you. Sadie kindly arranged for front seats on the bus for those prone to this too.
Also when I went, the Mariposa sequoia grove, which are the largest living things on earth, was not part of the trip. They are spectacular and almost burned down a few years ago from arson. I think they are a must see. Without your own car it was not feasible to see even on the free day. It is right next to the park entrance (maybe 20 min from the accommodations) so it is very convenient but only if you can arrange something with someone who drives
— Review left November 4, 2024
You'll never be sorry for challenging yourself to go on a Road Scholar program trip! If you pick one that matches your walking activity level you'll be so glad. The levels of activities and experiences described are truly accurate. Road Scholar truly chooses the very best in accommodations, instructors and group leaders
— Review left October 26, 2024
This was my first Road Scholar trip and I was very impressed! I’ve already recommended Risd Scholar to several friends and I’m looking forward to next opportunity to travel with Road Scholar.
— Review left May 13, 2024
The beauty of Yosemite and the joy of watercolor perfectly describes this program, which comprises five days of just that. The lodging and food are sublime, the park fills the senses with stunning beauty, and playing with paint is even more fun with like-minded compatriots.
— Review left May 19, 2019
Would encouraged any beginners who are interested to give it a try. This program had people with a variety of skills, and was very supportive for us newbies. Also the scenery at Yosemite is spectacular!
— Review left May 19, 2019
