YOSEMITE Rules and Regulations 1920

RULES AND REGULATIONS.

GENERAL REGULATIONS.
(In effect March 1, 1920.)

The following rules and regulations for the government of the Yosemite National Park are hereby established and made public, pursuant to authority conferred by the acts of Congress approved October 1, 1890 (26 Stat., 650), February 5, 1905 (33 Stat., 702), June 11, 1906 (34 Stat., 831), and August 25, 1916 (39 Stat., 535):

1. Preservation of natural features and curiosities.—The destruction, injury, defacement, or disturbance in any way of the public buildings, signs, equipment or other property, or the trees, flowers, vegetation, rocks, minerals, animal or bird or other life, or other natural conditions and curiosities in the park is prohibited.

2. Camping.—No camp shall be made along roads except at designated localities. Blankets, clothing, hammocks, or any other article likely to frighten teams shall not be hung near the road.

Many successive parties camp on the same sites during the season; therefore camp grounds shall be thoroughly cleaned before they are abandoned. Tin cans, bottles, cast-off clothing, and all other débris shall be placed in garbage cans or pits provided for the purpose. When camps are made in unfrequented localities where pits or cans may not be provided, all refuse shall be burned or hidden where it will not be offensive to the eye.

Campers may use dead or fallen timber only, for fuel.

3. Camping in Yosemite Valley.—All campers in Yosemite Valley shall first report at the office of the superintendent for assignment to camping sites, and shall not change camps without permission; nor shall fires be lighted in Yosemite Valley, except at camp sites, without the express permission of the superintendent.

4. Fires.—Fires constitute one of the greatest perils to the park; they shall not be kindled near trees, dead wood, moss, dry leaves, forest mold, or other vegetable refuse, but in some open space on rocks or earth. Should camp be made in a locality where no such open space exists or is provided, the dead wood, moss, dry leaves, etc., shall be scraped away to the rock or earth over an area considerably larger than that required for the fire.

Fires shall be lighted only when necessary and when no longer needed shall be completely extinguished, and all embers and bed smothered with earth or water, so that there remains no possibility of reignition.

Especial care must be taken that no lighted match, cigar, or cigarette is dropped in any grass, twigs, leaves, or tree mold.

5. Hunting.—The park is a sanctuary for wild life of every sort, and hunting, killing, wounding, capturing, or frightening any bird or wild animal in the park, except dangerous animals when it is necessary to prevent them from destroying life or inflicting injury, is prohibited.

The outfits, including guns, traps, teams, horses, or means of transportation used by persons engaged in hunting, killing, trapping ensnaring, or capturing birds or wild animals or in possession of game killed on the park lands under circumstances other than prescribed above shall be taken up by the superintendent and held subject to the order of the Director of the National Park Service, except in cases where it is shown by satisfactory evidence that the outfit is not the property of the person or persons violating this regulation, and the actual owner was not a party to such violation. Firearms are prohibited in the park except on written permission of the superintendent. Visitors entering or traveling through the park to places beyond shall at entrance, report and surrender all firearms, traps, nets, seines, or explosives in their possession to the first park officer, and in proper cases may obtain his written leave to carry them through the park sealed. The Government assumes no responsibilities for loss or damage to any firearms, traps, nets, seines, or other property so surrendered to any park officer, nor are park officers authorized to accept the responsibility of custody of any property for the convenience of visitors.

6. Fishing.—Fishing with nets, seines, traps, or by the use of drugs or explosives, or in any other way than with hook and line, or for merchandise or profit is prohibited. Fishing in particular water may be suspended, or the number of fish that may be taken by one person in any one day from the various streams or lakes may be regulated by the superintendent. All fish hooked less than 6 inches long shall be carefully handled with moist hands and returned at once to the water, if not seriously injured. Fish retained should be killed. Twenty fish shall constitute the limit for a day's catch.

7. Private operations.—No person, firm, or corporation shall reside permanently, engage in any business, operate a moving-picture camera, or erect buildings upon the Government lands in the park without permission in writing from the Director of the National Park Service, Washington, D. C. Applications for such permission may be addressed to the director or to the superintendent of the park.

8. Gambling.—Gambling in any form, or the operation of gambling devices, whether for merchandise or otherwise, is prohibited.

9. Advertisements.—Private notices or advertisements shall not be posted or displayed within the park, excepting such as the park superintendent deems necessary for the convenience and guidance of the public.

10. Mining claims.—The location of mining claims is prohibited on Government lands in the park.

11. Patented lands.—Owners of patented lands within the park limits are entitled to the full use and enjoyment thereof; the boundaries of such lands, however, shall be determined, and marked and defined, so that they may be readily distinguished from the park lands. While no limitations or conditions are imposed upon the use of private lands so long as such use does not interfere with or injure the park, private owners shall provide against trespass by their live stock upon the park lands, and all trespasses committed will be punished to the full extent of the law. Stock may be taken over the park lands to patented private lands with the written permission and under the supervision of the superintendent, but such permission and supervision are not required when access to such private lands is had wholly over roads or lands not owned or controlled by the United States.

12. Grazing.—The running at large, herding, or grazing of live stock of any kind on the Government lands in the park, as well as the driving of live stock over same, is prohibited, except where authority therefor has been granted by the superintendent. Live stock found improperly on the park lands may be impounded and held until claimed by the owner and the trespass adjusted.

13. Authorized operators.—All persons, firms, or corporations holding franchises in the park shall keep the grounds used by them properly policed and shall maintain the premises in a sanitary condition to the satisfaction of the superintendent. No operator shall retain in his employment a person whose presence in the park may be deemed by the superintendent subversive of good order and management of the park.

All operators shall require each of their employees to wear a metal badge, with a number thereon, or other mark of identification, the name and the number corresponding therewith, or the identification mark, being registered in the superintendent's office. These badges must be worn in plain sight on the hat or cap.

14. Dogs and cats.—Dogs are not permitted on Government lands in the park, except that they may be transported through the park over the Tioga road provided they are kept under leash while within the confines of the park.

Cats are prohibited, except that permits may be issued by the superintendent, in his discretion, to local residents and operators for protection against rodents.

15. Dead animals.—All domestic or grazed animals that may die on Government lands in the park, at any tourist camp, or along any of the public thoroughfares shall be buried immediately by the owner or person having charge of such animals at least 2 feet beneath the ground and in no case less than one-fourth mile from any camp or thoroughfare.

16. Travel on trails.—Pedestrians on trails, when saddle or pack animals are passing them, shall remain quiet until the animals have passed.

Persons traveling on the trails of the park, either on foot or on saddle animals, shall not make short cuts, but shall confine themselves to the main trails.

17. Travel—General.—(a) Saddle horses, pack trains, and horse-drawn vehicles have right of way over motor-propelled vehicles at all times.

(b) On sidehill grades throughout the park motor-driven vehicles shall take the outer side of the road when meeting or passing vehicles of any kind drawn by animals; likewise, freight, baggage, and heavy camping outfits shall take the outer side of the road on sidehill grades when meeting or passing passenger vehicles drawn by animals.

(c) Wagons used in hauling heavy freight over the park roads shall have tires not less than 4 inches in width.

(d) All vehicles shall be equipped with lights for night travel. At least one light must be carried on the left front side of horse-drawn vehicles in a position such as to be visible from both front and rear.

18. Miscellaneous.—(a) Campers and others are prohibited from washing clothing or cooking utensils in the river or creeks above the Stoneman Bridge or in any way polluting the waters of the park.

(b) Stock shall not be watered directly from the river or creeks above Stoneman Bridge. A bucket or other vessel should be used.

(c) Stock shall not be tied within 100 yards of any tent or tent ground, or so near the river or creeks above the Stoneman Bridge that the stock may enter these streams.

(d) Campers and all others, save those holding licenses from the Director of the National Park Service, are prohibited from hiring their horses, trappings, or vehicles to tourists or visitors in the park.

(e) All complaints by tourists and others as to service, etc., rendered in the park should be made to the superintendent, in writing, before the complainant leaves the park. Oral complaints will be heard daily during office hours.

19. Fines and penalties.—Persons who render themselves obnoxious by disorderly conduct or bad behavior shall be subjected to the punishment hereinafter prescribed for violation of the foregoing regulations, or they may be summarily removed from the park by the superintendent and not allowed to return without permission in writing from the Director of the National Park Service or the super intendent of the park.

Any person who violates any of the foregoing regulations shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall be fined not more than $500 or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

AUTOMOBILE AND MOTORCYCLE REGULATIONS.

Pursuant to authority conferred by the acts of Congress approved October 1, 1890 (26 Stat., 650) and August 25, 1916 (39 Stat., 535), the following regulations governing the admission of automobiles and motorcycles into the Yosemite National Park are hereby established and made public:

1. Entrances.—Automobiles and motorcycles may enter and leave the park by any of the entrances, viz, Tioga Pass, Aspen Valley, Crane Flat, Merced Grove, El Portal, Wawona, and Mariposa Grove.

2. Automobiles.—The park is open to automobiles operated for pleasure, but not to those carrying passengers who are paying, either directly or indirectly, for the use of machines (excepting, however, automobiles used by transportation lines operating under Government franchise).

Careful driving is demanded of all persons using the roads.

The Government is in no way responsible for any kind of accident.

3. Automobile trucks.—Automobile trucks are admitted to the park under the same conditions as automobiles, and are subject to the same regulations except as hereinafter noted:

Trucks of more than 3 tons' capacity are prohibited on any of the park roads other than the El Portal Road and the roads on the floor of Yosemite Valley.

4. Motorcycles.—Motorcycles are admitted to the park under the same conditions as automobiles and are subject to the same regulations, as far as they are applicable. Automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles shall have the right of way over motorcycles.

5. Intoxication.—No person who is under the influence of intoxicating liquor and no person who is addicted to the use of narcotic drugs shall be permitted to operate or drive a motor vehicle of any kind on the park roads.

6. Roads—Hours.—The Tioga Road is open from July 15 to September 30, the Big Oak Flat Road from May 15 to November 1, and the Wawona Road from May to November 1. Opening dates are approximate only, as they are dependent upon snow conditions in the high mountain country.

The El Portal and Valley Roads are open all of the year, except occasionally during the winter, when the Valley Roads may be blocked with snow for short periods. These cases are rare, however, as the roads are cleared promptly after snow storms.

AUTOMOBILE GUIDE MAP SHOWING ROADS IN THE YOSEMITE VALLEY, YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK. (click on image for a PDF version)

On the Big Oak Flat Road between Gentry (station No. 2) and Floor of Valley (station No. 1), 4 miles, and on the Wawona Road between Inspiration Point (station No. 8) and Floor of Valley (station No. 4), 2-1/2 miles, automobiles may go east, down grade, only on odd hours, and may go west, up grade, only on even hours, speed in no case to exceed 12 miles per hour. They shall travel between stations No. 1 and No. 2 on the Big Oak Flat Road within the hour, but in not less than 25 minutes, and between stations No. 3 and No. 4 on the Wawona Road within the hour, but in not less than 15 minutes.

7. Permits.—The permit shall be secured at the ranger station where the automobile enters, and will entitle the permittee to go over any all of the roads in the park. It is good for the entire season, expiring on December 31 of the year of issue. The permit shall be conveniently kept so that it can be exhibited to park rangers on demand. Each permit shall be exhibited to the checking ranger for verification on exit from the park.

8. Fees.—Fees for automobile and motorcycle permits are $5 and $2, respectively, and are payable in cash only.

9. Distance apart; gears and brakes.—Automobiles while in motion shall be not less than 50 yards apart, except for purpose of passing, which is permissible only on comparatively level stretches of road or on slight grades. All automobiles, except while shifting gears, shall retain their gears constantly enmeshed. The driver of each automobile will be required to satisfy the ranger issuing the permit that all parts of his machine, particularly the brakes and tires, are in first-class working order and capable of making the trip; and that there is sufficient gasoline in the tank to reach the next place where it may be obtained. The automobile shall carry at least one extra tire. Motorcycles not equipped with brakes in good working order are not permitted to enter the park.

10. Speeds.—On the roads on the Floor of Yosemite Valley speed not to exceed 30 miles per hour is permitted on straight stretches of open road, but speed shall not exceed 15 miles per hour when passing through villages or camps, crossing bridges, passing teams or other automobiles or pedestrians, or rounding curves where visibility is obscured.

On all other roads in the park speed is limited to 12 miles per hour on grades and when rounding sharp curves. On straight, open stretches when no team is nearer than 200 yards speed may be increased to 20 miles per hour.

Automobile trucks of more than 1-1/2 tons' capacity are limited to a speed of not to exceed 10 miles per hour on all park roads.

11. Hores.—The horn shall be sounded on approaching curves or stretches of road concealed for any considerable distance by slopes, overhanging trees, or other obstacles, and before meeting or passing other automobiles, motorcycles, riding or driving animals, or pedestrians.

12. Lights.—All automobiles shall be equipped with head and tail lights, the headlights to be of sufficient brilliancy to insure safety in driving at night, and all lights shall be kept lighted after sunset when automobile is on the roads. Headlights shall be dimmed when meeting other automobiles, motorcycles, riding or driving animals, or pedestrians.

13. Muffler cut-out.—Muffler cut-outs shall be kept closed on Valley Roads or while approaching or passing riding horses, horse-drawn vehicles, hotels, camps, or checking stations.

14. Teams.—When teams, saddle horses, or pack trains approach, automobiles shall take the outer edge of the roadway regardless of the direction in which they may be going, taking care that sufficient room is left on the inside for the passage of vehicles and animals. Teams have the right of way, and automobiles shall be backed or otherwise handled as may be necessary so as to enable teams to pass with safety. In no case shall automobiles pass animals on the road at a speed greater than 8 miles per hour.

15. Overtaking vehicles.—Any vehicle traveling slowly upon any of the park roads shall, when overtaken by a faster moving motor vehicle and upon suitable signal from such overtaking vehicle, give way to the right, in case of motor-driven vehicles, and to the inside, or bank side of the road, in case of horse-drawn vehicles, allowing the overtaking vehicle reasonably free passage, provided the overtaking vehicle does not exceed the speed limits specified for the road in question.

When automobiles, going in opposite directions, meet on a grade, the ascending machine has right of way, and the descending machine shall be backed or otherwise handled as may be necessary to enable the ascending machine to pass with safety.

16. Accidents; stopovers.—If, because of accident or stop for any reason, automobiles are unable to keep going they shall be immediately parked off the road, or where this is impossible, on the outer edge of the road. If on a one-way road, the automobile must wait where parked for the next hour schedule going in its direction of travel. If for any reason the automobile is stopped on the floor of Yosemite Valley it shall be parked off on the right-hand edge of the road.

17. Parking.—Parking of motor vehicles in Yosemite Village, Camp Curry, and Camp Yosemite is limited to space provided for that specific purpose. Parking is not permitted within the confines of any hotel-camp or within any of the hotel grounds.

18. Fines and penalties.—Violation of any of the foregoing regulations shall be punishable by revocation of automobile permit or by immediate ejectment from the park, or by a fine not to exceed $500; or by any combination of the three, and be cause for refusal to issue new automobile permit to the owner without prior sanction in writing from the Director of the National Park Service, or the superintendent of the park.

19. Time.—Automobile drivers shall compare their watches with the clocks at checking stations.

20. Reduced engine power, gasoline, etc.—Due to the high altitude of the park roads, ranging between 2,000 and 10,000 feet, the power of all automobiles is much reduced, so that a leaner mixture and about 50 per cent more gasoline is required than at lower altitudes. Likewise, one gear lower will generally have to be used on grades than would have to be used in other places. A further effect that must be watched is the heating of the engine on long grades, which may become serious unless care is used. Gasoline can be purchased at regular supply stations as per posted notices.

Motorcycles equipped with single speed engines will encounter serious difficulties in negotiating the heavy mountain grades, and drivers are warned against making the attempt with this class of machine.

21. Garage.—In Yosemite Valley automobiles may be housed at Camp Curry, Yosemite Camp, and other camps of this character. The garage operated by the Yosemite National Park Co. is equipped for the housing of automobiles, as well as general repair work, parts, supplies, etc., at prices regulated by the National Park service.