- Camp 4 (Yosemite)
Camp 4 is a
campground inYosemite National Park . It became notable afterWorld War II as the hangout forrock climber s with many spending months there (not necessarily legally). It is located nearYosemite Falls , on the north side of the valley. There is a single parking lot at the campground, and no driveways connecting to individual campsites, so visitors must carry their gear in. Nearbyboulder s have long been used forbouldering . Among the boulders located here, the Columbia Boulder is probably the most famous. On it is the world-renowned boulder problem called the Midnight Lightning. First done byRon Kauk in 1978. It is easily recognizable by a painting of a white thunderbolt next to it.History
Physically unimpressive, Camp 4 was nevertheless a center of rock climbing development during the middle of the 20th century. Dozens of the most famous climbers in the world would congregate at Camp 4, learning from each other and trying out new ideas on Yosemite's walls. Some, such as
Yvon Chouinard , made and soldclimbing equipment in the camp's parking lot, laying the foundation for successful businesses later.On
February 21 ,2003 , Camp 4 was listed on theNational Register of Historic Places for "its significant association with the growth and development of rock climbing in the Yosemite Valley during the 'golden years' of pioneer mountaineering". [cite press release | publisher=National Park Service | date=2006-02-27 | title=Camp 4 Listed With National Register of Historic Place | url=http://www.nps.gov/yose/news/2003/camp0227.htm | accessdate=2006-07-10]From the late 1970s to early 2000s, Camp 4 was officially known as "Sunnyside Walk-in Campground", but has been since renamed Camp 4 in recognition of its historic status.
Books
* An earlier edition was titled simply "Camp 4" (1994, ISBN 1-898573-10-7)
*External links
* [http://www.bigwalls.net/climb/camp4yosemite/ Website about Camp 4]
* [http://www.yosemite.ca.us/maps/camp_4_walkin_campground.pngCamp 4 map]References
* Kirk, Andrew and Charles Palmer, "When Nature Becomes Culture: The National Register and Yosemite's Camp 4," "Western Historical Quarterly" (Fall 2006)
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