The Yosemite Valley Lodge area has layer upon layer of history, from its original home for Native Americans to the Mission 66-era (mid-century) motor lodge to today’s top tourist destination.

The new cultural landscape report for the Lodge will inform future planning and site design development for one of the busiest and most complex areas of visitor use in Yosemite Valley. The Lodge is also the site of a significant Native American settlement, with archeological resources in multiple locations within the developed footprint of the Lodge. 

Developing the report required in-depth research, field documentation, and site analysis of the cultural landscape characteristics and features, which reflect the multiple layers of history. A series of period plan maps illustrate development of the landscape over time. Treatment plans and design guidelines provide guidance for rehabilitation projects compatible with the cultural landscape. And the report clarifies the extent and significance of the landscape’s cultural resources and how to apply preservation treatment guidelines to the planning and design process.

NPS now has a compendium of the full complement of resources, their context with the history of related resources in Yosemite Valley, and their relationship to two existing National Register of Historic Places nominations that cover this site. In addition, MIG helped develop a determination of eligibility for a series of resources that were not previously addressed in existing National Register of Historic Places nomination efforts.