Yosemite National Park to Participate in Mountain Heritage Days in Oakhurst

Date: September 16, 2013

Event Kicks off a Myriad of Yosemite National Park Anniversary Activities

Yosemite National Park will participate in the Mountain Heritage Days in Oakhurst, California, on Friday September 20 and Saturday, September 21, 2013. The Yosemite National Park Mounted Patrol will participate in the parade occurring on Saturday, September 21. The procession will start at the Fresno Flats Historical Park at 10:00 a.m. and will continue down to Road 426 to Golden Oak Loop. This year's annual celebration will be focused around the upcoming anniversaries in Yosemite National Park.

On June 30, 1864, amid the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act to protect Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove. From the beginning, this act was a legacy for our nation and the start of the National Park movement. On June 30, 2014, the park will be commemorating the 150th anniversary, the Sesquicentennial of this historic event.

Beginning with the Mountain Heritage Days event in Oakhurst, and continuing through 2014, the park will be hosting and participating in a myriad of events commemorating the Sesquicentennial. Most of the events will be occurring outside of the park and in collaboration with gateway communities, such as Oakhurst.

"We are excited to embark on the commemoration of the park's Sesquicentennial," stated Yosemite Superintendent Don Neubacher. "The Mountain Heritage Days in Oakhurst are a perfect venue to kick off the anniversary events."

For more information about Mountain Heritage Days in Oakhurst, please visit www.yosemitethisyear.com/events.

For more information on Yosemite National Park's anniversary events, please visit www.nps.gov/yose/anniversary