Yosemite West
Location
Yosemite West is approximately 19 miles from Yosemite National Park's South Entrance on Hwy 41. The drive takes you past the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and the historic Wawona Hotel and golf course. It is also only 22 miles from Yosemite's El Portal Entrance on Hwy 140 out of Merced. Yosemite West has a central location convenient to everything Yosemite has to offer:
| Distance from Yosemite West | |
|---|---|
| landmark | miles |
| Badger Pass Ski Area | 6.5 |
| Tunnel View | 8.3 |
| Bridalveil Falls | 9.8 |
| Wawona Hotel | 12.4 |
| Wawona golf course | 12.4 |
| Ahwahnee Hotel | 15.9 |
| Glacier Point | 16.2 |
| El Portal | 21.7 |
History
The North slope of Henness Ridge has likely served as a hunting camp for indigenous peoples for thousands of years. Obsidian shards can still be found in the area today.
In the early 1900's, the Yosemite Lumber Company, and later, the Yosemite Sugar Pine Lumber Company logged the forest in the areas now known as Yosemite West and Chinquapin. The largest incline rail system ever built ran down the slope of Henness Ridge to El Portal below where lumber was milled, dried, and transported down to the Central Valley.
When the trees and the lumber interests were gone, the land was used for cattle grazing until Yosemite Highlands, Inc purchased it for development in March, 1967. Today, the Yosemite West community has more than 150 homes.
Most rental homes here are owned by a single corporate entity. Clouds Rest Retreat is a second home to three families. When you rent with us, you are our only guests.
CLOUDS REST RETREAT HAS AN UNBEATABLE LOCATION IN
Yosemite West
The small community of Yosemite West is accessible only by entering Yosemite National Park. Though technically part of Mariposa County it is, in all practicality, a community within Yosemite.
Homes here belong to permanent residents, including some well known rock climbers, and provide rental lodging to Yosemite visitors.
Yosemite West is also home to the newest NatureBridge campus. Begun in 1971 as the Yosemite Institute, NatureBridge provide residential field science and environmental education programs for elementary, middle, and high school students.
The community is spread across Henness Ridge which sits 3,000 ft above the Merced River. At the top of the community and closest to Hwy 41 and everything in Yosemite is a flat loop known as Henness Circle. The rest of the community is on the western downslope of Henness Ridge.
Wildlife often roam the area of Henness Circle. Deer routinely graze amongst the homes and rest beneath decks. At night, foxes are seen on occasion. Even the Pacific fisher, of which there are only an estimated 150 to 300, has been seen hunting at night in the neighborhood.
There are definite advantages to choosing a vacation rental on Henness Circle. Staying in “the Circle” makes morning and evening strolls an option and allows easy access to the fire road trail to the historic Henness Ridge Fire Lookout.