Virtual Yosemite

02/19/2026

Over the past several years, Virtual Yosemite has been working to add aerial 360-degree panorama coverage to our already extensive online VR tour of Yosemite National Park — https://www.virtualyosemite.org/

Finally, new technology and design developments have enabled us to photograph these panoramas within the challenging regulations of both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Park Service (NPS).

Viewers can now browse the Virtual Yosemite site with roughly 120 new photographic 360-degree aerial views, which are distinguished in the tour by their yellow and red airplane icons.

From these unique viewpoints, viewers are also presented with ID labels for notable landmarks and ground reference points. Standard red "target" links also connect our aerial views to our extensive ground-based panoramic coverage.

Aerial perspectives allow for even better exploration of both the topography and geology of Yosemite. These new panoramas give viewers the time and resolution to more closely examine the park’s features from multiple viewpoints.

Virtual Yosemite is thrilled to finally be able to present these as a part our celebrated VR tour.

We have also added helpful user interface features to the Virtual Yosemite tour, including distance indicators between aerial panoramas. Within the Map display, we also now have filters for showing aerial/non-aerial views, along with filters to isolate panoramic views from each season.

As always, we recommend viewing Virtual Yosemite on the largest screen possible. Use the zoom tool not only to see more detail, but to better separate landmark labels.

We also encourage you to tilt your view straight down as you’re exploring these aerials. Some of these vertical views can be quite striking, and often highlight the value of aerial viewpoints. Definitely try this over Yosemite Valley locations.

For those who prefer our celebrated imagery without its descriptive links, captions, and label overlays, clicking the Show/Hide Links button at the bottom right side of the viewer window can turn these displays off and on as desired.

A convenient addition to our user interface is the Go Fly? button near the upper left corner of the tour window. Clicking this takes you from the ground-based panorama you're viewing up in the air to the closest aerial panorama available.

Once in the air, the button changes to Descend? status. Clicking it similarly puts you into the closest ground-based panorama to your aerial location.

Of course, you can jump between aerial and ground-based locations any time by clicking their respective link icons in any panorama.

Full navigation instructions can be found at: https://www.virtualyosemite.org/navigating-virtual-yosemite/

Thank you for your continuing support, and we hope you enjoy these unique new additions to the project.

Scott Highton
Author / Photographer
Virtual Yosemite

08/05/2025

Julia Parker is an exceptionally skilled Native American basket maker (Coast Miwok–Kashaya Pomo), who lived and worked in Yosemite Valley for 55 years.

When she was 17, she married Ralph Parker, the son of Lucy Telles, a highly respected basket maker, whom she began her basketry training with. Later, she also trained with Tina Charlie, Carrie Bethel, Minnie Mike, and Elsie Allen.

Beginning in 1960, she worked as a cultural specialist at the Yosemite Museum, and took over for Lucy Telles as a cultural demonstrator, specializing in basket weaving and acorn processing. She retired in 2015.

Julia has traveled extensively teaching and sharing her art, leading workshops and classes. Her work is in the collections of the Smithsonian and other museums, as well as private collections of Queen Elizabeth II and others.

She's also been awarded two honorary doctorate degrees, one in 2006 from the California College of the Arts, and the other in 2021 from California State University, Fresno.

Her daughter Lucy (named after Julia's mentor Lucy Telles) is herself a highly regarded basket maker, as is Lucy's daughter Ursula Jones. Ursula's daughter Naomi is also following the tradition, and Naomi's recently born daughter Esha is expected to, as well.

On the last day of June, 2025, these five generations of of Parker family basket weavers gathered for a day of cultural presentation at the Ahwahnee Village behind the Yosemite Museum, supported by the Yosemite Conservancy. It was a wonderful celebration of their art and and traditions.

Click on the Virtual Yosemite link below to the panoramic VR image of their presentation, and then click on the yellow Gallery button to see a collection of photos of Julia and the five generations of basket weavers in her family.

https://virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Julia and Lucy also conduct three-day basket weaving workshops in Yosemite Valley, also supported by the Yosemite Conservancy.

At age 97, Julia has slowed a bit physically, but still retains a twinkle in her eye, enjoys telling stories, and is easily cajoled into leading traditional tribal songs with her rattle stick.

©2025 Photography by Scott Highton

03/30/2025

This weekend has brought yet another welcome storm to the Sierra – perhaps one of the last of the season to add significantly to the Sierra snowpack.

When temperatures are cold enough and storms are big enough, parts of Yosemite reasonably accessed by the public take on a beautiful, albeit temporary, blanket of snow. Those who can get into the park when this happens are treated to landscapes that are generally missed by prime season visitors to the park.

One of these locations is the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, where more than 500 immense Sequoias can be found. See:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

The Grove is extremely popular through most of the year, as it's relatively easy to access. There's a large parking lot just inside the south entrance (Highway 41) to the park, and free shuttle buses transport visitors up a moderately steep two mile road to the edge of the Grove. From there, a number of trail options allow visitors to explore as little or as much of the Grove as they want.

In winter, however, the free shuttles don't operate, so simply getting to the Grove and back requires a four mile round trip hike, plus whatever additional explorations one wants to make inside the Grove. Elevation at the parking area is about 5,150', while the Grove trailhead is 5,600', and trails within the Grove climb up to about 6,800'.

When there's a fresh coat of snow, however, the experience is one of tranquility, beauty, peace, and (usually) solitude. It is also cold, though – and often wet, so hikers should be prepared for a long day outside. Slippery trails demand good footwear, and hikers should expect sub-freezing temperatures.

Many of the Grove's iconic trees are within a mile of its entrance (not including the two mile walk to get there). These include the Fallen Monarch, the Bachelor and Three Graces, the Grizzly Giant, and the California Tunnel Tree.
See:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Excellent hiking info, courtesy of yosemitehikes.com , can be found at:
https://www.yosemitehikes.com/southern-yosemite/mariposa-grove/mariposa-grove.htm

©2025 Photography by Scott Highton

03/20/2025

New to Virtual Yosemite is a small VR tour of the California State Mining and Mineral Museum, located about an hour outside of Yosemite in the historic gold mining town of Mariposa. You can start this tour at: https://virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

The Museum is a part of the California State Park system, and is the only unit in that system without any associated land.

Inside, visitors can find extensive displays of gems, minerals, and artifacts from California's mining history, including a 175-foot long re-created mine tunnel. https://virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Highlights include the Fricot Nugget – the largest (13.8 lb) crystalline mass of gold remaining from the California gold rush, a broad selection of minerals including a large display of glow-in-the-dark specimens, as well as gold, silver, platinum, and benitoite, California's state gemstone.

Changing weather, a recent rock fall closure (temporary) of Highway 140 into the park, and current insecurity about park access and reservations pending for this summer, means that many visitors to the area will find attractions outside the park as welcome alternatives.

The town of Mariposa is also the home of two other notable museums, the Yosemite Climbing Association Museum featuring the deep history of climbing in Yosemite, and the Mariposa Museum & History Center.

These and over 500 more locations in and around Yosemite can all be visited free in high resolution interactive VR, courtesy of Virtual Yosemite – https://www.virtualyosemite.org

©2025 Photography by Scott Highton

02/07/2025

As we enter 2025, Virtual Yosemite is proud to celebrate our inclusion of more than 500 locations within and around Yosemite National Park, each presented in high resolution interactive VR, and available free to the public online at https://www.virtualyosemite.org

Virtual Yosemite's 500th location was photographed this past October along the summit ridge of Tenaya Peak, just off Tioga Road in Yosemite's high country. The adjacent Tenaya Lake is one of the most popular stopping points for park visitors traveling between Tuolumne Meadows and Yosemite Valley. It's also a starting point for many high country hikes, with trailheads leading to Sunrise Lakes, Clouds Rest, and Half Dome.

Tenaya Peak is the peak that towers over the lake on its southeast side. It's summit elevation is 10,306' – almost 2,000 feet above the lake's surface.

Unfortunately, there are no formal trails leading up Tenaya Peak. Those who wish to climb it need to do so either via technical rock climbing routes or by backtracking one of two cross-country climbers' descent routes. Both offer their own challenges, and are not for the inexperienced.

The summit ridge, however, does offer a perspective of Yosemite's high country that most visitors to the park probably won't see in person. View it in 360° at:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

©2025 Photography by Scott Highton

10/27/2024

This past week, Yosemite National Park opened a public comment period on its Mist Trail Corridor Project.

The Mist Trail Corridor includes three of the busiest trails in the park – the John Muir Trail, the Mist Trail, and the Half Dome Trail – plus landmarks like Happy Isles, Vernal Fall, Nevada Fall, and Half Dome itself.

The purpose of the project is to enhance the visitor experience in the Mist Trail Corridor by addressing safety, wayfinding, stewardship, education, and improving amenities to accommodate sustainable levels of visitor use.

Detailed info can be found at:
https://home.nps.gov/yose/getinvolved/misttrailcorridor.htm

In support of this effort, Virtual Yosemite offers (free) over two dozen high resolution interactive 360° VR views from significant locations along the Mist Trail Corridor – each linked to hundreds of others as part of the extensive Virtual Yosemite tour of the park.

Examples include the following:
Happy Isles:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Mist Trail below Vernal Fall:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Vernal Fall crest:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Emerald Pool & Silver Apron:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

John Muir Trail connector:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Mist Trail below Nevada Fall:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Nevada Fall overlook:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

John Muir Trail – Nevada Fall:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Little Yosemite Valley:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Liberty Cap:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Approaching the Half Dome cables:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Half Dome summit:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

Half Dome - Diving Board:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

©2012–2024 Photography by Scott Highton

10/12/2024

Great news for Yosemite visitors! Early discontinuation of the peak hours reservation system for the rest of this year (after Oct. 13.)

We are ending the 2024 reservation season after this weekend (October 13); a reservation will not be required to drive into Yosemite for the remainder of 2024. The reservation requirement was planned to extend through October 27, but based on our monitoring of visitor use patterns and impacts, we are ending a few weeks early. We will automatically issue refunds to anyone who has a peak-hours reservation that was valid after October 13.

10/03/2024

A stunning carpet of fall color found in the Snow Flat area along the May Lake Road in Yosemite's high country.

The low brush plants in this meadow are Dwarf huckleberry (Vaccinium cespitosum), also known as Dwarf bilberry or Dwarf blueberry.

To experience the conditions and location in 360° interactive VR, courtesy of Virtual Yosemite, go to:
https://www.virtualyosemite.org/virtual-tour/

©2024 Photography by Scott Highton