Wawona, California
Wawona, California
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2185608

Wawona, California

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2185608

Wawona, California

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Wawona, California

Wawona (formerly Big Tree Station, Clark's Station, Clarks Station, Wah-wo-nah, and Clark's Ranch) is a census-designated place in Mariposa County, California, United States. The population was 111 at the 2020 census.

The community is located entirely within Yosemite National Park, as it preceded the founding of the park as a national recreation area. The number of inhabitants increases dramatically during peak tourist seasons, due to the large number of rental cabins in the town. It is located at 37°32′13″N 119°39′23″W / 37.53694°N 119.65639°W / 37.53694; -119.65639, 20 miles (32 km) north of Oakhurst and 26 miles (42 km) south of the center of Yosemite Valley, at an elevation of 3,999 feet (1,219 m).

The ZIP Code is 95389. The community is within area code 209.

It was known to the local Native American Miwok in their language as Pallachun ("a good place to stay"). The origin of the word Wawona is not known. A popular story claims Wawō'na was the Miwok word for "big tree", or for "hoot of the owl", a bird considered the sequoia trees' spiritual guardian.

Galen Clark, who helped gain preservation legislation for Mariposa Grove and what became Yosemite National Park, occupied this area in 1855. He established a tourist rest and modest ranch in 1856. Clark sold the property to the Washburn brothers in 1874, who built a larger hotel in 1876, adding to it later. Hotel keeper Jean Bruce Washburn named the resort property Wawona in 1883.

Wawona is the location of the historic Wawona Hotel, built by Washburn in 1876, with additional structures added into the early 20th century. A classic Victorian resort, it was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

The Clark's Station US Post Office opened in 1878. In 1883 its name was changed to Wawona.

The town is located in a large mid-elevation basin with Wawona Meadow as its centerpiece. Situated in the southwest part of Yosemite National Park, it lies along the South Fork of the Merced River at an elevation of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m). The town is accessible via State Route 41, the main highway from Fresno to Yosemite Valley. Wawona is the closest town to Chilnualna Falls and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoia. It also serves as the main gateway to the southern Yosemite wilderness, with several principal trailheads located here.

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