Constructed in 1915, the Sierra Club commissioned the Parsons Memorial Lodge to serve as an early meeting place and starting point for the club's wilderness excursions in the surrounding Sierra Nevada high country. The pink feldspar and grey granite stones that form the walls of the lodge were gathered on-site during construction. The peeled log rafters that make up the low-pitched roof were brought in by mule. An elegant example of environmental harmonization in the First Bay Tradition architectural style, the design of this building is credited to acclaimed architect Bernard Maybeck. The lodge is named for Edward Taylor Parsons, a conservationist and early director of the Sierra Club. The National Park Service acquired the lodge and surrounding acreage from the Sierra Club in 1973. Parsons Memorial Lodge was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1987. Operating Hours & Seasons The building is open to the public with limited hours in summer only. When open, visitors can browse the reading room and interpretive exhibits. Ranger programs may be offered at the lodge in summer. See the current issue of the Yosemite Guide for hours and program schedule. Accessibility This building is not wheelchair accessible. To reach this building, visitors must walk approximately 1.4 mi (2.3 km) round-trip from either of two nearby parking areas. The walk has minimal elevation change except for a short hill along the final approach to the lodge. Surfaces to reach the lodge are unpaved and irregular. The entrance to the lodge includes several stone steps.