Yosemite West is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) of resort homes located just outside the southern area of Yosemite National Park, just off Wawona Road, a continuation of State Route 41 from Fresno.

[2] The community is part of Henness Ridge, nearly 3,000 feet (910 m) above the southern banks of the Merced River and State Route 140 from Mariposa.

As early as 1912 the cutting of timber in the Chinquapin area was started and logs were hauled to Merced Falls.

The Yosemite Valley Railroad was built to carry out the lumber harvested from the vast supply of sugar pines found along the Merced River canyon.

Built in 1939 by CCC, it was used by the National Park Service for fire detection[5] and is now listed as historic structure number 5300.

Take the path to the left and proceed a quarter mile northeast distance, where the trail turns south.

[7] Earlier on, Stage coaches brought travelers to the area with a stop at the Eleven Mile Change Station which was near Chinquapin.

The Yosemite Lumber Company used it transport logs to the incline at Henness Ridge.