Yosemite West, California
Unincorporated community in California, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Yosemite West is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) consisting of privately owned resort homes on Henness Ridge, adjacent to the southern boundary of Yosemite National Park along Wawona Road (California State Route 41). It had a population of 47 as of the 2020 census.[3]
Yosemite West | |
|---|---|
Local map | |
  Yosemite West Location within California  Yosemite West Location within the United States | |
| Coordinates: 37°38′54″N 119°43′06″W | |
| Country | United States |
| State |  California |
| County | Mariposa County |
| Established | 1967 |
| Area | |
• Total | 0.274 sq mi (0.710 km2) |
| • Land | 0.274 sq mi (0.710 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Elevation | 5,889 ft (1,795 m) |
| Population (2020)[3] | |
• Total | 47 |
| • Density | 170/sq mi (66/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code | 95389 (Yosemite National Park) |
| Area code | 209 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2813254[2] |
History
Timber industry
As early as 1912 the cutting of timber in the Chinquapin area was started and logs were hauled to Merced Falls.[4][5] The Yosemite Valley Railroad was built to carry out the lumber harvested from the vast supply of sugar pines found along the Merced River canyon.[4] The Yosemite Lumber Company logged in this area. The incline rose to a height of 3,100 feet (940 m) above the Merced River.[4] The Camp One incline was used to lower logs to the Merced River at El Portal from the logging area. One of the stops on the Yosemite Valley Railroad line was the lumber mill built by the Yosemite Lumber Company where the wood was planed, finished, dried and stored. The lumber company ceased operations decades ago and the forest has recovered, with trees throughout the area now reaching more than 80 feet (24 m). The former Shay logging train grades have since been paved over.
Residential development
Yosemite West was established in 1967 as a residential subdivision on Henness Ridge, on land previously cleared by logging operations.[6] The original development plan by Yosemite West Associates called for approximately 900 acres to be converted to a mixed-use resort including home sites, condominiums, and commercial facilities; the first phase subdivided 135 acres into a 293-lot residential area known as Yosemite West Subdivision, Unit Number One.[7]
Community
The community is governed by Yosemite West Property & Homeowners, Inc. (YWPHI), a nonprofit homeowners association.[8] As of 2024, Yosemite West consists of approximately 189 homes and condominiums and functions largely as a vacation rental area, with a permanent resident population of 47 recorded at the 2020 United States census.[9] Addresses within Yosemite West use the ZIP code 95389, shared with Yosemite National Park.
The community holds FireWise certification and conducts annual programs to reduce wildfire risk, reflecting the fire hazard posed by the surrounding Sierra National Forest and ponderosa pine forest.[10]
Geography
Yosemite West lies on Henness Ridge in western Mariposa County, at an elevation ranging from approximately 5,100 to 6,300 feet (1,600 to 1,900 m). It is situated one mile (1.6 km) south of the Chinquapin intersection of Wawona Road with Glacier Point Road, and nearly 3,000 feet (910 m) above the southern banks of the Merced River and California State Route 140. According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP covers 0.274 square miles (0.71 km2), all land.[1]
Hiking trails
Several trails begin at the border of Yosemite West, a private community. Some of them follow the old railroad beds left by the Yosemite Lumber Company. One such trail is across Highway 41 near the Henness Ridge Road turnoff to Yosemite West. Here there is a parking area and the trailhead for Deer Camp Trail. The trailhead is just south of Chinquapin and Glacier Point Road. The trail passes over Rail Creek and Strawberry Creek on its way to Deer Camp on Empire Meadow.
Alder Creek Trail branches off from Deer Camp Trail. The trail leads to Alder Creek Fall and the remnants of the old Yosemite Lumber Company railroad, including old railroad ties and pieces of track. Some of the areas along the trail were at one time almost completely clear-cut by the lumber company, but now the area has dense stands of conifers and a few oaks. The trail is moderate in difficulty, but the terrain is smooth.
The Henness Ridge Fire Lookout Trail begins at the end of Azalea Lane in Yosemite West and leads approximately 0.7 miles along an asphalt access road to the Henness Ridge fire lookout tower. Built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1939 and used by the National Park Service for fire detection[11] and is now listed as historic structure number 5300.[12]
A second branch from Azalea Road leads northeast before turning south onto the Eleven-Mile Trail, also known as the Old Wawona Road, which parallels the current Wawona Road south to Eleven-Mile Creek and continues to Eleven-Mile Meadow.
Eleven-mile Meadow has had many different uses through the years. The meadow had been used for cattle grazing operations until the early 1930s, as a logging camp and as a CCC camp which was established in 1933.[13] Earlier on, Stage coaches brought travelers to the area with a stop at the Eleven Mile Change Station which was near Chinquapin.[14] In the late 1800s the roadbed was converted to a rail bed. The Yosemite Lumber Company used it transport logs to the incline at Henness Ridge. The incline lowered logs to the Merced River far below.
Demographics
Yosemite West first appeared as a census-designated place in the 2020 United States census.[32]
2020 Census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2020[31] | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 24 | 51.06% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 0 | 0.00% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 8 | 17.02% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 15 | 31.92% |
| Total | 47 | 100.00% |
