It’s the end of an era! Today marks the first day that Yosemite’s historic hotel, The Ahwahnee, and many other lodging facilities, will be known by different names.
Though the ownership of the trademarked names is still in legal dispute, The Ahwahnee will become The Majestic Yosemite Hotel, Curry Village is now Half Dome Village, Wawona Hotel is called Big Trees Lodge, Badger Pass Ski Area is now Yosemite Ski & Snowboard Area, and Yosemite Lodge at the Falls will become Yosemite Valley Lodge.
However, if you’re traveling to Yosemite, there are only a few ways this might affect you this summer…
Per the San Francisco Chronicle: “Because the new contract was timed with the park’s rollout of conservation plans along its two major rivers, the new concessionaire will be required to scale back some operations in busy Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows. Under the river conservation plans, the gas station and sport shop at Tuolumne Meadows closed in September and won’t reopen. In the valley, a handful of attractions — including the ice skating rink at the old Curry Village, the Yosemite Village Sport Shop and Yosemite Village Art Activity Center — closed on Tuesday for good. Horseback tours in both the valley and Tuolumne Meadows are also being halted.”
It also means a lot of merchandise with old names is being sold at half-price.
But on a practical note, the park’s primary reservation site has now changed as well, so be sure to check there before adjusting your plans.
In the meantime, some posts about some of our favorite visits to the park:
48 Hours in Yosemite
Weekend in Yosemite
Packing list for Yosemite
Sunday Brunch at the Ahwahnee (now the Magestic)
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