Wild Creative Yosemite Meetup
Experience the granite, fall color, wildlife, and crisp autumn air of Yosemite this October at our Wild Creative Meetup—a multi-day gathering built around creativity, nature, curiosity, and community.
We'll spend several days exploring Yosemite together, slowing down to observe the natural world, learning about the landscapes and species around us, and finding creative inspiration in one of America's most extraordinary wild places.
Whether you create with a camera, journal, sketchbook, paintbrush, film, words, sound—or you're simply someone who loves being outside and learning about nature—you're welcome here.
Applications are limited to keep the group intimate, inclusive, and connected.
Event Snapshot
Dates: Friday, Oct 23 – Tuesday, Oct 27
Location: Yosemite National Park, California
Group Capacity: 20 participants maximum, not including leaders
Expect sunrise and sunset explorations, group hikes, naturalist challenges, journaling, creative time, group discussions, learning opportunities, and plenty of time to simply experience Yosemite together.
Who Is This For?
Wild Creative Meetups welcome anyone inspired by nature and creativity.
Photographers, writers, painters, filmmakers, musicians, designers, naturalists, journalers, doodlers, and the simply curious are all welcome.
You don't need to be a professional creator. You don't need expensive gear. And you don't need to arrive knowing everything about the natural world.
Bring your curiosity.
We're intentional about inclusion over cliques. From the first hello, you'll be part of the group, with space to connect, learn, create, and explore alongside people who share a love for wild places.
Explore & Learn
Yosemite becomes our classroom.
We'll explore the Valley and surrounding landscapes while learning about the wildlife, plants, forests, geology, ecology, history, and natural processes that make Yosemite what it is.
Instead of simply moving from viewpoint to viewpoint, we'll challenge ourselves to slow down and notice more.
What species are living around us?
Why does this landscape look the way it does?
What signs of wildlife can we find?
How is the ecosystem changing with the season?
What stories are hidden in the rocks, trees, meadows, and rivers we pass every day?
Our explorations may take us to places including:
Tunnel View
Valley View
El Capitan Meadow
Three Brothers
Housekeeping Beach
Glacier Point, if accessible
Ansel Adams Gallery
Forests, meadows, trails, and quieter corners throughout Yosemite Valley
Locations and activities will remain flexible depending on weather, wildlife activity, seasonal closures, and what we discover along the way.
Naturalist Challenges
Throughout the meetup, we'll take part in Wild Creative Naturalist Challenges designed to help us become better observers of the natural world.
You might be challenged to identify a species, investigate a geological feature, observe animal behavior, document signs of seasonal change, recognize tracks or other wildlife signs, sit quietly and record the sounds of a habitat, sketch something you discover, or research the story behind something that catches your attention.
These aren't tests.
They're invitations to look closer.
The goal isn't to already know the answers. It's to become more curious about the places we're exploring and leave with a deeper understanding of the natural world.
Create in the Wild
Creativity is at the heart of the meetup.
We'll intentionally make time to create throughout our days in Yosemite—whether that means photography, filmmaking, writing, sketching, painting, journaling, recording sound, or experimenting with something completely new.
We'll use creative prompts and journaling exercises to help translate what we're seeing and learning into our own work.
There is no pressure to produce something perfect.
Sometimes we'll create.
Sometimes we'll explore.
Sometimes we'll sit quietly beneath a giant oak or granite wall and simply pay attention.
Community
Wild Creative is just as much about the people beside you as the landscape in front of you.
We'll share meals, gather for group conversations, exchange ideas, journal together, work on creative projects, play games, and spend evenings hanging out around Curry Village.
Our meetups bring together people with different creative backgrounds, experiences, and ways of seeing the world.
The goal is simple: explore together, learn together, create together.
Autumn's Magic in Yosemite
Fall Color: Big-leaf maples, black oaks, cottonwoods, and dogwoods can bring brilliant golds, ambers, yellows, and soft reds throughout Yosemite Valley.
Wildlife: Mule deer, coyotes, birds, and other wildlife remain active throughout the Valley, giving us opportunities to observe their behavior and better understand the ecosystem they call home.
Light & Weather: October can bring cool air, dramatic clouds, low-angle light across the granite, cold mornings, and mild afternoons. Conditions can change quickly, so participants should come prepared for cold evenings and potentially winter-like weather.
Seasonal Access: Tioga Road, Glacier Point Road, and other areas may be affected by weather and seasonal closures. We'll adapt our explorations to the conditions Yosemite gives us.
Why October?
Yosemite feels different when autumn settles into the Valley.
The crowds begin to thin. The forests change color. Cold mornings bring crisp air beneath towering granite walls, and the landscape begins transitioning toward winter.
It's a season that encourages us to slow down.
For a few days, we'll wake up early, wander through forests and meadows, learn the names and stories of the things around us, challenge ourselves to notice what we might normally walk past, create something inspired by what we discover, and share the experience with a community of curious people.
Come ready to explore, learn, create, and reconnect with the wild.
Accommodations
Camp Curry Group Tents
Four-bed tents will be booked and organized by the meetup host. Cost is approximately $248.35 per person for the full meetup.
Participants may also arrange their own lodging at Curry Village or elsewhere near Yosemite.
Campgrounds: Availability changes seasonally, with campground options dependent on current park operations.
Car Camping: Sleeping overnight in vehicles is only permitted where specifically allowed. Stealth camping inside Yosemite National Park is prohibited. Participants staying outside the park are responsible for following all posted regulations and land-use rules.
Additional lodging details, packing recommendations, schedules, and meetup logistics will be provided to accepted participants.
Stay Wild. Stay Creative.