Article

Historic Orchards in Yosemite National Park

A field of grass with several apple trees with pine trees and a towering rock face in the background.
Yosemite Valley contains three historic orchards dating back to the post-gold-rush era in California.

NPS Archives

Each Orchard Tells a Story

Yosemite National Park has several historic orchards that shed light on the transitional period of homesteading and public land conservation that occurred in the mid-to-late 1800s in California. Composed primarily of apple trees, these orchards are substantial living remnants of European-American settlement in the area that would become the national park.

Yosemite National Park has long been the homeland of indigenous people who actively manage and cultivate black oak woodlands to collect acorns as an important and culturally significant food source. The attempted forced removal of the indigenous inhabitants by the Mariposa Battalion in 1851, followed by a US Army expedition in 1852, preceded a wave of homesteading in Yosemite Valley over the next decade. Land settlement laws (Pre-emption Act of 1841 and Homestead Act of 1862) enabled former miners with limited savings to develop farms and ranches on small acreages. As a condition of the laws, settlers needed to demonstrate land improvements. Settlers planted orchards both for the fruit and to demonstrate cultivation of the land.
A branch with a cluster of apples growing on it.
An apple tree bearing fruit.

NPS

Apple trees were the preferred fruit tree for the Yosemite orchards. Apple trees were a common feature of Western settlement in the 1800s due to an unprecedented horticultural interest in the fruit and its ability to grow in various climates and stay fresh in storage. During this era known as, “The Golden Age of Pomology” there were around 6,700 unique varieties of apple grown in the U.S. according to one count of publications between 1804-1904 (“Fruitful Legacy”, pg. 72). The trees for the earliest orchards in Yosemite were purchased in the western foothills from nurseries in Mariposa and Nipinnawasee. Not only were apple trees available, but they were also well suited to the environment of Yosemite Valley which provided the right mix of sun and chill hours needed to produce good fruit, as well as access to subterranean water and good drainage for tree establishment and longevity.

The original orchards remain to this day and provide a rich collection of human and horticultural history:
  • The history of Curry Orchard intersects with the introduction of automobiles to the park and the expansion of concessionaire operations.
  • Galen Clark and Washburn Orchards mark the earliest days of development in the Wawona area.
  • Hutchings Orchard ties back to the initial promotion of Yosemite Valley as a tourist destination.
  • Lamon Orchard is the largest post-goldrush orchard remaining in California.
  • Meyer Orchard is a living link to a time when homesteads and ranches were anchored by orchards.
A historic map of yosemite valley highlighting Hutchings, Curry, and Lamon Orchards.
This historic map from 1865 shows the location of Hutchings, Curry, and Lamon orchards.

Boston Public Library Archives

Learn About Each Orchard

Last updated: December 19, 2024