Trip Highlights:
Hetch Hetchy is a place full of history. Prior to the dam construction in 1914, the Hetch Hetchy Valley was often compared in natural beauty to that of Yosemite Valley. Come see 19th and 20th century construction, the effects of water on an ecosystem, and this beautiful and lesser known Valley that John Muir called his favorite.
Over the course of the day, your guide will lead you on a hike from modern human construction to the natural beauty of the Earth. The tour begins at the O'Shaughnessy Dam, a dam that was an engineering marvel when it was built and has been raised since. From there you will pass through a large tunnel, accessing the trail as it wraps around the northern edge of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. This location was John Muir's favorite, even more than Yosemite Valley, but once construction began in 1919, water covered the valley floor, destroying the natural beauty in exchange for water and power for millions of residents in the bay area of California. The destination of the hike is Wapama Falls, a beautiful waterfall that spills out over a series of 3 bridges along the trail. This is an easy to moderate hiking tour that is great for families and hikers of all skill levels.
Hetch Hetchy offers an entirely new color palette to that of Yosemite Valley. In the spring you will experience rushing waterfalls and unique wildflowers. The water is deep and blue, the trees are a dull and calming green, and the rock is a dark and inspiring grey.
Offered: Year Round (Weather Permitting)
Note: This portion of the park is NOT accessed through the main gates that lead to Yosemite Valley. In order to access this beautiful day hike you will need to access the west side of Highway 120 outside of the park gates in order to complete the drive.
All Tours Are Private
Meeting Location: Hetch Hetchy Reservoir (O’Shaughnessy Dam Parking)
Over the course of the day, your guide will lead you on a hike from modern human construction to the natural beauty of the Earth. The tour begins at the O’Shaughnessy Dam, a dam that was an engineering marvel when it was built and has been raised since. From there you will pass through a large tunnel, accessing the trail as it wraps around the northern edge of the Hetch Hetchy Valley. This location was John Muir’s favorite, even more than Yosemite Valley, but once construction began in 1919, water covered the valley floor, destroying the natural beauty in exchange for water and power for millions of residents in the bay area of California. The destination of the hike is Wapama Falls, a beautiful waterfall that spills out over a series of 3 bridges along the trail. This is an easy to moderate hiking tour that is great for families and hikers of all skill levels.
Notes:
In addition to full payment; final acceptance of any participant is subject to receipt and review of all the Required Forms. These forms are also attached to your confirmation email once you register online.
We will require an additional medical release for any guest who is currently under the care of a physician for any ongoing disease, illness, or any other condition/factor that may be a concern on the trip.
All trips are subject to itinerary changes for a wide variety of reasons including, but not limited to permitting, weather, forest fires, park or public land closures, and/or road closures. In most all situations we will offer an alternative itinerary of equal value and quality or a credit through the end of the following season. Payments are non-refundable for itinerary changes. If a trip is canceled due to circumstances beyond our control prior to its start date a trip credit equal to the full amount paid will be issued.
Lasting Adventures understands that firearm laws and policies vary in every area we operate in. Regardless of local laws and policies, Lasting Adventures does not allow firearms on any of our trips. Participants who bring firearms will not be allowed to participate while in possession of their firearm.
For your protection and ours, we strongly recommend the purchase of Travel Insurance, which can provide you with coverage for trip cancellation/interruption (including COVID-19), travel delay, medical expenses, emergency assistance, airfare, and baggage loss/delay to protect your financial investment. We do recommend those with “cancel for any reason” clauses included and see here for a review of some of the Best Cancel For Any Reason Travel Insurance Options presented by Forbes or Squaremouth.
Travel Insurance is the easiest and best way to protect both yourself and our smaller non-profit organization against last-minute cancellations. We will happily provide timely and accurate documentation for any insurance claim related to our trips upon request. Please note that when canceling a trip, your first course of action should be to contact the company responsible for insuring your trip.
Full payment is required upon registration for all Day Trips. Feel free to contact us directly to set up any other payment plan. When registering online, expect to pay a booking fee of 3.0% (which is capped at $30) and a processing fee of 2.7% (no cap). These fees can be avoided when paying by check. For detailed information, see Payment Options.
Lasting Adventures reserves the right to cancel trips. If a trip is canceled due to circumstances beyond our control a trip credit equal to the full amount paid will be issued. Lasting Adventures is not responsible for additional expenses incurred while preparing for the trip.
The following cancellation policy is only for trips booked directly through our official website, lastingadventures.com. If you have booked via a third-party website, such as TripAdvisor/Viator, the below policy does not apply, and you are held to the third-party’s cancellation policy.
Cancellations of any trip can be made without penalty within 48 hours of the initial booking. After 48 hours, our standard terms and conditions apply. To cancel, please email us at staff@lastingadventures.org or leave a voicemail at 800-513-8651. This policy does not apply if the booked trip occurs within 96 hours of the initial booking.
Fire/smoke cancellations are considered circumstances beyond our control. If your chosen travel insurance does not cover fire/smoke cancellations, a credit equal to the full amount paid will be issued. In this case, you will be required to submit proof of the purchase of said travel insurance. If we cancel during your adventure with us, we will refund a credit equal to the number of days not used. In both cases, these credits will be lifetime/transferable.
Departing From a Trip: Once a participant has joined a trip and the trip has begun, no opportunities for refunds or credits will be possible, regardless of the reason for departure. Costs associated with assisting a participant with evacuating from the wilderness will be passed on to the participant. Travel Insurance (below) is strongly recommended.
Infectious Disease Policy (including COVID): Any participant, on any program/trip, with any sign/symptom of a potential illness will not be able to participate, and no refund/credits will be given. Many forms of Travel Insurance cover these circumstances. We ask that you screen yourself and/or your child prior to participation and contact us to cancel should any sign of illness be present. Health screenings can be expected on all youth programs.
Half Dome & Other Summits: Reaching the top of a summit, such as Half Dome, is a risky activity which can be made far worse by inclement weather. While we aim to get everyone to the top, summiting is not guaranteed. Lightning and rain can be deadly on exposed summits, and our experienced guides may have to call off a summit bid if weather conditions are unfavorable.
Once you book a trip with Lasting Adventures, the value you paid is valid towards switching to another trip in the current or the coming year, pending available spaces on the new trip. Changes to your booking and conversion to a credit must occur more than 30 days prior to your original start date. Changes within 30 days are subject to fees. Once changed to a lifetime credit, credits are non-refundable and are a dollar-for-dollar value.
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