The Restore Hetch Hetchy board and staff will be visiting Hetch Hetchy April 26-27. Early spring, just after Earth Day and John Muir’s birthday, is a beautiful time of year and we’d love to have you join us.
We are planning three events. Come to one, two, or (best yet) all three. But let me know so we can plan and send you details – email spreck@hetchhetchy.org. (If you have already RSVPed, no need to do so again.)
Ackerson Meadow – NPS photo
Here is our schedule:
- On Saturday, April 26, at 2:30 we will meet at Ackerson Meadow, on Evergreen Road about 4 miles from Highway 120. Ackerson Meadow was recently acquired by the National Park Service and was restored a few years ago. We will take a short walk and hear a bit about the process of restoring the meadow.
- On Saturday, April 26, at 5:30, we will convene at the Evergreen Lodge for an informal reception and buffet dinner. This will be outside (the only area that can accommodate a large group), so we will want to dress warmly.
- On Sunday, April 27, we will meet at 9:30 at the picnic tables near the “Chalet” at Hetch Hetchy. We will chat briefly then walk out to Wapama Falls – about 5 miles round trip. Wapama is a unique and spectacular waterfall indeed. The end of April should be a very good time for viewing the falls as well as wildflowers.
In December 2024, the National Park Service (finally) replaced the westernmost bridge at Wapama Falls, making it safer to cross during peak snowmelt.
If you have not seen it, check out Dennis Wyatt’s recent column: Time to Make America’s Parks Accessible again. Wyatt suggests California take over the national parks within the state. It seems unlikely the idea will catch on but its always nice to see outside the box thinking – especially from journalists sympathetic to our campaign.
And we were especially pleased that Wyatt has included many of the same points about lack of access to Hetch Hetchy that we have been making:
- Despite public access being a main tenet of the Raker Act, the City of San Francisco has successfully limited access to the Hetch Hetchy area.
- Its access gate is not open 24 hours as are the other four gated access points to the national park.
- At the same time, fishing for-all-practical purposes is prohibited or even using the water for boating, whether it is a non-polluting electric boat or kayaks.
- San Francisco has also blocked camping at Hetch Hetchy, prevented the expansion of trail systems on the north side including to the top of Hetch Hetchy Dome, and rejected any consideration of whether weighing lodging at Hetch Hetchy is in the public’s interest.
Thanks, Dennis!