• View of Half Dome and Washington Column in Yosemite Valley

    Yosemite

    National Park California

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  • Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Response Continues at Yosemite National Park

    The recent diagnosis of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in several park visitors has prompted Yosemite National Park to scale up public health response and outreach. More »

Be A Junior Ranger

Become a Junior Ranger or Little Cub! Find an online schedule of interpretive programs, including special Junior Ranger programs, in the Yosemite Guide newspaper.
 
Junior Rangers and NPS Ranger with bear pelt

National Junior Ranger Day 2012

Join in the fun and become a Junior Ranger on Saturday, April 21, 2012. Meet at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. Various activities between 10:30am - 8:00pm. Junior Ranger Activities [133 kb PDF]

 
Junior Ranger handbook

Be a Junior Ranger (ages 7-13)!
You can become a Yosemite Junior Ranger by purchasing a self-guided booklet published by the Yosemite Conservancy. This booklet is sold for $3.50 plus tax at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, Nature Center at Happy Isles (May through September), and Wawona and Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Centers (June through September), and Big Oak Flat Information Station (May through September). In order to earn a Junior Ranger patch, the booklet must be completed, a bag of trash collected, and a guided program attended.

 
Little Cub handbook
Be a Little Cub (ages 3-6)!
Yosemite has a program for YOU! Little Cubs is a self-guided booklet that encourages our young visitors and their families to discover Yosemite ’s wonders and to earn a Little Cubs button.This booklet (published by the Yosemite Conservancy) is sold for $3 plus tax in the Nature Center at Happy Isles,Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Centers, and the Big Oak Flat Information Station.
 
Cover of guidebooks with Spanish titles

Sea un Joven Guardaparque
Presentando una guía en español que se llama “Manual para Jóvenes Guardaparques.” Por favor visiten un centro de visitantes del parque para recoger su ejemplar. Esta guía tiene actividades para niños de 7 a 13 años. Una otra guía, “Manual para Niños Exploradores,” es para niños pequeños de 3 a 6 años. Todos los niños que completan los manuales recibirán como obsequio un escudo de “Joven Guardaparque de Yosemite.”

 
Gold ranger badge that says Yosemite

More Yosemite-related Links

  • Did you know Yosemite is a World Heritage Site? Learn more with the online World Heritage Junior Ranger program with its mascot Wally, the Wild Heritage Wolf.
  • Discover Yosemite is an "interactive classroom" website with lots of information--Yosemite at a Glance, Yosemite in Depth, teacher resources and the Discovery Center.
  • The Wildlink program brings culturally diverse students from your school to the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada on WildLink expeditions.
  • NatureBridge offers multi-day educational programs for youth and all ages. Categories include: adventure programs, creative arts, family field seminars, field seminars, K-12 school program, teacher training, university/college field semesters, wilderness medicine, youth camps, and custom programs.
 

Junior Ranger Activities to Do from Home
To learn more about national parks, check out these offerings from the National Park Service:

 
ranger hat logo
  • KidsZone - Join in the fun at KidsZone where you can find many activities about your national parks. KidsZone includes WebRangers, Junior Rangers (including a looong list of parks offering Junior Ranger programs) and Park Fun & Activities. The last section includes activities at wild places across the country, including "Meet Your Wild Neighbors in Alaska."
  • WebRangers - Become a WebRanger online. Enjoy this national web-based program where you can learn about national parks all over the country! Play more than 50 games! Sign up to get your own "Ranger Station." And, challenge yourself 52 times a year to answer the "Question of the Week."
  • Junior Ranger Gazette - This journal includes fun facts, activities, and stories about the national parks.

Did You Know?

Artwork by student

Youth from local communities show off their artistic talent through poetry and art in Yosemite National Park’s Gateway Expressions Art and Poetry Contest.  Families and park staff celebrate the creative talents of these local students through a special exhibit at The Ansel Adams Gallery in the fall.