Getting dirty in Yosemite

The thrill: If traveling around the world sounds like too much of a commitment, spend a week getting back to the land on U.S. soil at Yosemite National Park. The American Hiking Society does weeklong trips that are BYOT (bring your own tent) and consist of daily walks among the park's iconic waterfalls, granite domes, giant sequoias, and diverse ecosystems under expansive blue skies. At night those skies light up with too many shooting stars to count.

The goodwill: Maintaining almost 705,000 acres of park is hard work. Hikers here pitch in to clean up or widen trails by removing or pruning overgrown bush. Expect an early start at dawn each day, made a little easier thanks to the on-site chef's tasty breakfasts. Work sites can be an invigorating 10-mile (or longer) hike from base camp, and address the park's most urgent needs. Recent volunteers focused on the renowned Hetch Hetchy Valley, described by Sierra Club founder John Muir as "one of nature's rarest and most precious mountain temples."

American Hiking Society
Tel: 301 565 6704, ext. 206
info@americanhiking.org
Trips cost $275 per person for a week

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