Hetch Hetchy, Glacial valley in Yosemite National Park, US
The valley contains steep granite cliffs rising 1,800 feet above the Tuolumne River, forming a three-mile-long natural corridor through Yosemite National Park.
The O'Shaughnessy Dam construction in 1923 transformed this natural valley into a reservoir, despite strong opposition from conservationists and naturalist John Muir.
Native American Ahwahneechee people lived in this valley for thousands of years, using controlled burns to maintain meadows for hunting and gathering.
The Hetch Hetchy reservoir currently supplies drinking water to 2.5 million residents in the San Francisco Bay Area through a 167-mile aqueduct system.
Environmental groups continue proposing plans to drain the reservoir and restore the valley to its natural state, making it a central point in conservation debates.
Location: Tuolumne County
GPS coordinates: 37.94750,-119.78694
Latest update: May 28, 2025 17:58
O'Shaughnessy Dam
122 m
Emigrant Wilderness
21.8 km
Hetch Hetchy Reservoir
3.3 km
Ribbon Fall
26.5 km
Cherry Lake
11.9 km
Wapama Falls
2.8 km
Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne
16.5 km
Lake Eleanor
8.8 km
Crane Flat Campground
22.2 km
Mount Hoffmann
26.7 km
Eagle Peak
27.1 km
Tueeulala Falls
2.2 km
Yosemite Creek Campground
21.5 km
Crane Flat Fire Lookout
21.1 km
Tamarack Flat Campground
22.2 km
Hetch Hetchy to Lake Vernon Trail
8.6 km
Quaking Aspen Falls
22 km
Merced Grove Ranger Station
22.6 km
Frog Creek Cabin
6.4 km
Yosemite Wilderness
16.3 km
Dead Giant Tunnel Tree
20 km
Crane Flat
21.1 km
Tamarack Flat
22.2 km
South Fork Tuolumne River Bridge
18.2 km
Rim of the World Vista
26.2 km
South Fork Tuolumne River Bridge
24.2 km
Wildcat Creek Bridge
25.5 km
Cascade Creek Bridge
25.3 kmReviews
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