Oakhurst, CA — Oakhurst has achieved a milestone that honors more than a century of creativity, craftsmanship, and community pride. The town has been designated the “Carved Bear Capital of the World.”
Thanks to continued efforts by Visit Yosemite | Madera County and a proclamation by the Madera County Board of Supervisors the tradition of carved bear-lined streets has an official approval stamp. Wooden bears are a tradition in Oakhurst that dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries according to the Visit Yosemite | Madera County. The practice grew from the region’s booming lumber industry that left an abundance of wood, skilled labor, and chainsaws that led to the creative art. Local carvers transformed logs into iconic wooden bears, symbols of strength, nature, and mountain life. Over time, these carved bears along Highway 41 became a defining feature of the town’s identity.
“Growing up in Oakhurst, carved bears were everywhere; they were a quirky, cheerful part of everyday life,” expressed Brooke Smith, Director of Sales and Marketing for Visit Yosemite. “When I learned about the effort that started more than 20 years ago to trademark this distinction, I knew it was a project I wanted to help carry across the finish line for my hometown. I’m proud to say I’m from the Carved Bear Capital of the World, and I know our places to eat, shop, and play in Oakhurst are going to have a lot of fun with it.”
Today, carved bears are a part of daily life for Oakhurst residents. Visitors can spot them welcoming guests outside restaurants, hotels, shops, along roadways, and at the Southern Yosemite Visitor Center.
The 17th Annual Oakhurst Woodcarvers Rendezvous was April 19 – 25, at the Oakhurst Community Center. The event was open to public observers for free. Carving classes, demonstrations, and seminars for all level carvers ended with a Woodcarving Show and Sell Craft Fair. You can still catch a group of woodcarvers, who share knowledge and techniques in the different styles of wood carving, meeting Thursdays at the Senior Center in Oakhurst.
In October, all are invited to Oakhurst for the annual ARTober which includes a Carved Bear Scavenger Hunt. Every day in October, a hand-carved wooden bear is hidden somewhere in Oakhurst, with a clue posted on the ARToberOakhurst Instagram page. The first person to solve the clue and find the bear can take it home, provided they share their discovery on Instagram using the #ARToberOakhurst.
Visit Yosemite | Madera County also has a grant program to assist local tourism partners in purchasing carved bears, helping ensure Oakhurst’s official title is well known. With the official recognition in place, Oakhurst proudly embraces its title as the Carved Bear Capital of the World, inviting visitors to explore, photograph, and experience a uniquely Sierra art adventure tradition.
For more information on carved bears, where to purchase your own, and ARTober in Oakhurst, please visit https://www.yosemitethisyear.com/the-carved-bear-capital-of-the-world.
Since 1985, Visit Yosemite | Madera County offers unique experiences, from the Fossil Discovery Center through the Madera Wine Trail to the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, the majestic Giant Sequoia trees and the High Sierra, to with dining, artisan shops, and year-round watersports at Bass Lake.
