Paradise Pools, Yosemite's Hidden Treasure

It's a Local's Secret

Yosemite California has long been known for its magnificent water falls, mountain ranges, climbing, hiking and fishing. Each year an average of 34 million tourists flock to Yosemite National Park to take in the natural splendor of Yosemite Falls, El Capitan and Half Dome in search of the perfect family outing. These are destinations that can be found in any brochure or on any map but there are places to see in Yosemite that have been kept secret by the locals since the Indians left the area. One of the greatest secrets Yosemite keeps is the location of miniature waterfalls and swimming holes like Paradise Pools.

Paradise Pools is an unmarked location to the west of Yosemite Village. Californian locals have continued to keep Paradise Pools a secret because typical tourists have been known to leave trash strewn around the wilderness and most of us that partake in this natural wonder have no desire to see it ruined. It's our spot and we intend to keep it that way. The pools gather at the bottom of a series of waterfalls caused by the run off of melted snow. Because the run off has been rushing down the mountain side for hundreds of years, it has cut through the rocks that have over time become as polished as glass thus creating a perfect natural made waterslide and swimming hole.

At one time Paradise Pools was a bathing ground for Yosemite Indians including the Tenaya and Ahwahnee tribes. Up until 1851 very few non-Indians knew that Yosemite Valley existed. When gold was discovered in the Sierra foothills in 1848 thousands of gold diggers flooded the area. By the time 1851 had rolled around, the theft of Indian lands and murders of their people resulted in the Mariposa Indian War. The state sanctioned Mariposa Battalion became the first group of people that were not Indians to record their entry into Yosemite Valley.