Wawona Hotel To Remain Closed Until Spring 2021
Yosemite, CA — The Wawona Hotel in Yosemite National Park is typically open each March through November.
It is currently closed though due to Covid-19 stay at home orders, and park officials have decided that it will now remain closed until Spring of 2021, so that needed electrical upgrades can be made.
The National Park Service recently conducted an extensive electrical survey that found much of the current system, dating back to 1917, is in need of an upgrade for the preservation and safety of the historical buildings. Yosemite Hospitality, the concessionaire for the Wawona Hotel, will also make renovations to the lobby and guest rooms during the closure. All guests with existing reservations will be notified and offered alternative options.
According to the National Park Service, The Wawona Hotel was designated a National Historic Landmark on June 2, 1987. Galen Clark began operation of Wawona Hotel, named “Clark’s Station,” in 1856. In 1875, Clark sold “Clark’s Station” to Henry Washburn, who renamed the site Wawona, a Native American word meaning “Big Trees.” Clark Cottage (1876) is the oldest remaining structure in the complex, built prior to the main hotel building, which was constructed in 1879. The most recent additions are the Annex building opened in 1918, and the golf course and swimming tank, which opened in 1918.
