Field Trips

Helpful Tips

• Field Trip Planning and Logistics
• Educational Fee Waiver

Yosemite National Park features an amazing array of learning opportunities in park. You will find several options and planning resources to help you coordinate a ranger-led program during your field trip to Yosemite. If we do not have availability to accommodate your class you may consider a self-guided trip. If you want to learn about the park with your students from the comfort of your classroom, check out our virtual program offerings. If you have any questions, email us (preferred) or call 209/375-9503.

 

Visit Yosemite: Parks as Classrooms Ranger-Led Programs (One-Day Visits)

Our guided ranger programs are catered to K-12 classes and our meet and greet sessions with a ranger are geared for college age students who are looking to learn more about professional development. We also offer specialized bilingual Spanish programming and can adjust the programs to higher grade levels by request.

May 2024 Update

Due to limited staffing, we are unable to accommodate additional field trip requests for May through August 2024. Field trip requests for September through December 2024 will be accepted starting in August 2024. In the meantime, you can learn more about planning your own self-guided trip.

Programs

 

Geology Rocks: Cook's Meadow in Yosemite Valley

Grade Levels: 3–6

Times: 9 am – 10:30 am or 12:30 pm – 2 pm

Join a ranger on an easy, flat 2-mile guided walk around Cook's Meadow. Students will learn about the rock cycle, the unique types of granite in Yosemite, and the many forces that shaped Yosemite Valley and continue to today.

Available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

 

Hydrology: Lower Yosemite Falls Trail in Yosemite Valley

Grade Levels: 3–6

Times: 9 am – 10:30 am or 12:30 pm – 2 pm

Join a ranger on an easy, flat 2-mile guided walk on the Lower Yosemite Falls trail. Students will learn about the water cycle, the park's watersheds, and witness firsthand the incredible power of our tallest waterfall.

Available Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

 

Sequoias and Fire: Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias

Grade Levels: 4–6

Times: 9 am –10:30 am or 12:30 pm –2 pm

Join a ranger on an moderate, slightly uphill 2-mile guided walk to the Grizzly Giant in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Students will learn about the importance of fire in our park's many different ecosystems, Giant Sequoias' adaptations to fire, and our efforts to address climate change.

Available on Wednesdays.

 

Class Size

There is a maximum class size of 30 students, with one chaperone required per every six students (36 people maximum/group). A field trip for multiple classes that requires more than two rangers will require a date in which the school group will be the only visiting group on that day. Please have multiple dates in mind to give the best chance of us being able to schedule your group.

Fees

The Parks-as-Classrooms Ranger-Led Field Trip programs are free of cost. The only National Park Service fee to take care of is the entrance fee. For entrance fees, we have an Educational Fee Waiver for schools planning on doing field trips to the park. School groups only submit one waiver per trip. We require at least 2 weeks to process the form so plan accordingly. During the Peak Hours Plus Reservation system in 2024, this Educational Fee Waiver acts as a reservation for school groups that qualify for it.

How to Book a Program

Information will become available here when requests are actively being accepted for program dates.

If you have additional questions for the Education Office, email us.