Yosemite National Park, Northern California, United States
The clearest way into the universe is through a forested wilderness.
—John Muir (1838–1914), Scottish-born American naturalist
After the National Sunday School Assembly raised enough funds in donations, mostly from schoolchildren, construction began on a small New England–style church with a single spire in 1879. Although it has been moved from its original location near the Four Mile Trail, Yosemite Chapel, the oldest constructed structure in Yosemite National Park, sits in a picturesque area of Yosemite Valley with awe-inspiring views of gorgeous wilderness. Spectacular waterfalls, verdant forests, astonishing cliffs, giant sequoias, and breathtakingly beautiful mountain peaks stir the spirit beyond comprehension.
If you long for renewal by communing with the Divine in the beauty of nature or in an exquisite natural setting, visit the chapel in Yosemite. By car or coach, take Highway 120 or California State Highways 41 or 140 to Yosemite National Park. Learn more at www.yosemitevalleychapel.org.
Highway 120 is subject to closure in the winter when Tioga Pass is impassable (usually November though late May).
In this chapel, vow to make your worship regular, joyous, and intimate, and then commune with the Divine often throughout the day(s) as you roam, hike, camp, and relax in this stunning natural setting.
Yosemite became a United States national park in 1890 and receives four million visitors each year (mainly during the summer). Half Dome, one of the peaks, rises 4,000 feet above the valley floor, making it a world-renowned landmark that visitors love to photograph.