Hetch Hetchy Valley in the Yosemite National Park area
There’s room to spread out at a campsite at Hetch Hetchy in the Yosemite National Park area. But whereas Yosemite gets 3 million visitors a year, Hetch Hetchy gets about 50,000. It actually feels like a national park should,” says a ranger at Hetch Hetchy. “Its for people who are looking for something different. It is a place to hike and backpack. We actually get more backpackers than we do cars.” (Dan Blackburn / For The Times)
Rafters negotiate rapids on the Tuolumne River, one of the best streams in America for such a pursuit. The rivers rapids range up to Class 5, Few roads offer access to the river, so rafting it is a true wilderness experience. (Dan Blackburn / For The Times)
Spring flowers forge on well into summer at Hetch Hetchy. Writing in The TImes about his visit, Dan Blackburn described hiking on a trail lined with wildflowers in shades of white, purple, lavender and pink. He savored a fine mist that spread over the trail at the base of Wapama Falls and provided a refreshing spray. (Dan Blackburn / For The Times)
