An overnight college trip to Yosemite National Park

¶ … Overnight Trip from San Jose Community College to Yosemite National Park

A visit to Yosemite National Park has much to offer first-time visitors, as well as returning visitors who have already experienced the abundant natural resources, including spectacular waterfalls, scenic valleys, flower-filled meadows, ancient giant sequoia trees, an enormous 1,200-square mile wilderness area and a great deal more (Yosemite National Park 2). This paper provides a review of online resources to describe a possible round-trip mode of transportation from San Jose Community College (SJCC) to Yosemite National Park, where the visitors will stay, what they will do during their trip and what they can reasonably expect to learn from the experience.

Mode of Transportation

Local charter buses are available from San Jose Charters, Inc. For overnight trips to Yosemite National Park (About Us 2). The bus will pick up travelers at a designation location near SJCC and based on a 25-person manifest, the estimated per-person cost for the charter bus will be $100 (About Us 3).

Trip Activities

Bicycles and horses are available for rent within the park for a modest hourly rate; there are also low-cost bus tours of the park available from the National Park Service (Russell 108). In addition, there are a number of activities that are free for visitors to Yosemite National Park, including the following:

Yosemite Valley

Mariposa Grove

Glacier Point

Waterfalls

Rock Formations

Giant Sequoias

Viewpoints

Museums, Historic Buildings, and Cemeteries

Lakes and Rivers

Meadows and Wetlands

Further, there are a number of sightseeing opportunities and tourist attractions available along the route to and from SJCC, depending on the preferences of the majority of the participants.

Learning Expectations

Besides learning about the park's flora and fauna, participants in this trip can expect to learn that Yosemite National Park is the nation's oldest federally mandated park (first protected in 1864) and the model for the national park system (Russell 108). As Russell points out, "Yosemite is more than just another pretty place -- it's a vital part of our heritage" (108).