Welcome to the foothill town of Ahwahnee located a few miles out of Oakhurst on Highway 49.  For many visitors, Ahwahnee probably seems like a suburb of Oakhurst or a blip on their way to Yosemite.  If so, there are some things you should know about this little town nestled in the softly rolling hills covered with oak, cedar, and seasonal color including spring wildflowers and glowing fall leaves.

The name of Ahwahnee is taken from the  Ahwahneeches' word for mouth or what Yosemite Valley reminded them of.   However, it was the Miwok Indians that called this area home.  As a living reminder of the Miwok history, a right turn off of Highway 49 onto Road 628 will bring you to a California State Park featuring the last above ground Southern Miwok Roundhouse established in 1903.  The Roundhouse was part of the original site of the Wassama Village (falling leaves in Miwok). The Roundhouse played host to religious ceremonies, dancing and gambling until 1937.  The village itself also included a cemetery, cremation site and mourning area.    The Roundhouse is still in use today by tribal members for religious ceremonies.  Gathering Day, held the second Saturday in July, is open to the public where they  may enjoy demonstrations of dancing, crafts and basket weaving.

The 49er Gold Rush brought the next wave of residents.  The miners gradually found their gold through farming and growing fruits and vegetables for the mining camps in the area.   Ahwahnee also was a stop on the now non-existent Raymond Railroad that ran from 1883 to 1891.  During this time, President Theodore Roosevelt visited Ahwahnee on his way to Yosemite National Park.

 Fire is a danger that the entire area has learned to live with.  In 1961, the area was devasted by the 1961 Harlow Fire.  This fire still holds the title of the fastest burning fire in California, burning close to 50,000 acres.   Ahwahnee, Nipinnawasee and the Oakhurst area suffered an incredible amount of damage although no lives were lost. 

 Ahwahnee recovered and has a current population of 1,680 requiring schools, services and recreation.  The Wasuma Wildcats, mascots of the highly rated Wasuma Elementary School, call Ahwahnee home.  The Madera County Fire Department (Ahwahnee Company No. 16), was established in 1963 and the station named the Herman Neufeld Memorial Station after a local businessman and patriarch of one of the prominent area families. As part of fire control and prevention the town also has a division of the California Department of Forestry. Two public golf courses with first class restaurants and banquet services, cozy and unique bed and breakfast inns, as well as several local businesses are tucked back on roads off the main highway.

 As a result of the town's resiliency and community commitment, they will  soon celebrate the opening of the Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park.    Initially this site was a tuberculosis sanitarium (early 1900's), then a home for troubled boys (closing in the 1980s) and finally an abandoned and deteriorating complex.  Two Bond Issues, the 2000 Parks Bond Act (Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park Bond Act of Madera County) and funds from the Resources Agency to Improve California River Parkways under the 2002 Resources Bond  plus community support and effort brought funds and new life to this site.   

 Home to a beautiful 18-hole golf course and several B&B's, this is a delightful little town that lets you feel like you've turned back the clock. Yosemite is what so many visitors focus on.  Yet, by taking a little time and the road less traveled, visitors can enjoy many treasures along the 49er Highway, like Ahwahnee, that glitter like the 49er gold of yesteryear.