The Yosemite Association

Mission: The Yosemite Association (Association) is a nonprofit membership organization that provides opportunities for people to learn about, enjoy and experience Yosemite National Park and the Sierra Nevada. We celebrate the majesty and grandeur of this region through our visitor services, publications, outdoor classroom, membership activities and community programs. Our many programs and services help people of all ages and backgrounds gain an enduring and inspirational connection to the park. This deeper connection builds a commitment to the long-term preservation and vitality of Yosemite and our National Parks—for generations to come.

The Association invites you to:

• Join and participate with a passionate and active membership that supports and frequently visits Yosemite, as well as receive the quarterly Journal Yosemite, invitations to special gatherings in the park and throughout California, an e-news update, discounts on books and other products and a range of other member benefits offering opportunities to visit and learn about the park. 

• Build personal and public libraries of our Award-winning books, maps, DVDs, posters, Native American handcrafts, and other publications that we hope will educate, celebrate and inspire the public to conserve Yosemite for future generations, as well as encourage talented scholars, writers, artists and storytellers to share their passion for the park.  

• Gain a deeper understanding of Yosemite’s natural, cultural, and historic story through our Outdoor Classroom. Our experiential education programs are led by park experts and accomplished naturalists and include special and unique half-day, full-day, and multi-day outings, custom trips, field seminars, naturalist walks, and various family and Junior Ranger programs. 

• Engage your artistic creativity through free hands-on artistic experiences and activities at the Yosemite Art and Education Center.

• Join our volunteer corps and assist the National Park Service (NPS) in exciting and rewarding restoration work on meadows and trails, providing visitor information, and assistance with events throughout the park. 

• Help the Association inspire and train the next generation of stewards through providing college internships, Junior Ranger and other programs to ethnically, culturally and geographically diverse populations.  

• Experience the Yosemite backcountry in all seasons, including the wilderness reservation and safety program, the bear canister program to “Keep Bears Wild,” and the Ostrander Ski Hut for winter sports.

The first National Park Service (NPS) Director Stephen Mather saw the importance of and need for private, nonprofit, organizations to assist with the educational and interpretive mission of the NPS. As a result, the Association was the nation’s first cooperating association authorized by Congress in 1923 to partner with the NPS. Today, the Association continues to provide these services, as well as both direct and in-kind financial support to the NPS, to promote park stewardship and enrich the visitor experience.