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1900 Map of Yosemite

Name: 1900 Topographic Map of Yosemite
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1900
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1900

About this map

The Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne and the iconic Hetch Hetchy Valley anchor this late nineteenth-century study of the central Sierra Nevada. Long before the damming of the river, this landscape was a network of high-country meadows and pioneer outposts. Early ranching history is visible through settlements like Harden Ranch, Hog Ranch, and Hodgdon Ranch, while the emerging tourist infrastructure of the era is marked at Yosemite and the Stage Station.

The survey captures the Sierra before major development, detailing the vertical world of Half Dome and El Capitan alongside numerous falls such as Bridal Veil Falls and Nevada Falls. Beyond the granite walls, the map traces the deep canyons of the Tuolumne River and the South Fork Tuolumne River, providing a look at the region when the Sierra Forest Reserve and the Big Tree Grant represented early efforts at preservation. Researchers can find old trails connecting locations like Hazel Green and Hite Cove.