Yosemite National Park in Mariposa County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Olmsted Point

A Family Legacy

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 18, 2013

1. Olmsted Point Marker

Inscription. This turnout was named in honor of famed landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903), and his son, Frederick, Jr. when Tioga road opened to automobile traffic in 1961. Olmsted senior was considered the father of American landscape architecture and best known for his design of New York’s Central Park. He was chairman of the first commission to manage Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove and wrote a report recommending policy for the care and protection of Yosemite’s scenery and wildlife. It is considered a classic national park treatise.

Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. (1870-1957) also worked in the field of landscape architecture. He collaborated with the National Park Service and was a member of the Yosemite Advisory Board, a group of experts who helped park managers solve problems. He maintained a lifelong commitment to conservation, contributing the guiding language in legislation establishing the National Park Service in 1916.

Erected by Yosemite Fund.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Environment • Parks & Recreational Areas • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical year for this entry is 1961.

Location. 37° 48.645′ N, 119° 29.113′ W. Marker is in Yosemite National

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Park, California, in Mariposa County. Marker is on Tioga Pass Road (California Route 120), on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Yosemite National Park CA 95389, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Avalanche! (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Selling the Sublime (approx. 5.6 miles away); A Seasonal Lake (approx. 5.6 miles away); Visitors at Mirror Lake (approx. 5.6 miles away); Bracken Fern and Baskets (approx. 5.6 miles away); Mirror Lake Resources (approx. 5.7 miles away); Natural Dam (approx. 5.7 miles away); The Ahwahnee Porte Cochere (approx. 6.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Yosemite National Park.

Also see . . . Frederick Law Olmsted. He moved to New York in 1848 and in 1857, without having ever had any college education, Olmsted became the superintendent of New York's Central Park. As the superintendent of the park he served as the administrator and then architect-in-chief of Central Park's construction. (Submitted on May 27, 2013, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California.)

Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, May 18, 2013

2. Olmsted Point Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on November 6, 2019. It was originally submitted on May 27, 2013, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 484 times since then and 12 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 27, 2013, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.