Tourism in Yosemite began long before it became a national park. In the 1850s, daring visitors endured long days of rugged travel on foot and horseback. Indian trails led them to never-to-be-forgotten views of Yosemite. Entrepreneurs soon competed to establish hotels and stage roads for Yosemite-bound travelers. Reports and engravings of fabulous waterfalls helped draw tourists to make the long and arduous trek. A rail line up the Merced Canyon to El Portal served passengers from 1907 to 1945, and early twentieth century visitors could travel from San Francisco or Los Angeles to El Portal by train before transferring to horse-drawn or motor carriages for the last few miles to Yosemite Valley.