Yosemite National Park
Centennial Summer · 1926–2026
A century of wilderness, one day's walk apart.
For over a hundred years, Yosemite's five High Sierra Camps have let ordinary people sleep deep in the backcountry — a bed and a hot meal a day's hike apart. Today the system is shrinking. Here's their story, and how to help keep them open.
1926 · 2026
This summer, the loop turns one hundred.
On July 10, 1926 — a decade after Merced Lake opened as the first camp — hikers could walk a complete circuit of five High Sierra Camps for the first time. One hundred years later the loop is broken: two camps sit closed, with no announced plan to bring them back.
Read the history →
The five camps
Strung along a 51-mile loop through Yosemite's high country, each camp is a day's hike from the next. Three are operating in 2026; two have sat closed for the better part of a decade.
These camps need people in their corner.
Years of closures, deferred maintenance, and budget pressure are quietly shrinking the system. Share your story, add a photo, or learn how to help.