McGurk Cabin

McGurk Cabin is a small log structure built from peeled pine logs, sitting at the edge of a mountain meadow. The building measures about 14 feet on each side, with hand-fitted logs and a single entrance, showing how settlers built shelter with basic materials and simple techniques.

The cabin was built in 1895 and operated as a seasonal shelter for cattle herding in its early years. It stopped being used around the time Yosemite became a protected park, making it one of the few structures from that era that still stands.

The cabin reflects how settlers used these high meadows for seasonal livestock operations before the park took over the land. Walking around it, you can see how people adapted to life in remote areas far from towns and roads.

The cabin is reached by a walking trail of about 1.75 miles from Glacier Point Road, gaining elevation gradually as you walk. The trail is straightforward and the cabin sits in an open meadow, making it visible and easy to locate once you arrive.

The cabin was stabilized and preserved by Sierra Club volunteers in the 1950s, a project that saved one of the last remaining buildings from before the park's official protection began. Without this work, the structure would likely have disappeared entirely.

Location: Mariposa County

Inception: 1895

Architects: Hugh Davanay

GPS coordinates: 37.67778,-119.62417

Latest update: December 14, 2025 14:40