 In 1855 , entrepreneur James Mason Hutchings , artist Thomas Ayres and two others were the first to tour the area . Hutchings and Ayres were responsible for much of the earliest publicity about Yosemite , writing articles and special magazine issues about the Valley . Ayres ' style in art was highly detailed with exaggerated angularity . His works and written accounts were distributed nationally , and an art exhibition of his drawings was held in New York City . Hutchings ' publicity efforts between 1855 and 1860 led to an increase in tourism to Yosemite . 
