Yosemite National Park -
California
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park spans eastern portions of Tuolumne,
Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California. The
park covers an area of 761,268 acres and reaches across the
western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Over 3.7
million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend their time
in the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley. Designated a World
Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized
for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams,
Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of
the park is designated wilderness. Although not the first
designated national park, Yosemite was central to the
development of the national park idea, largely owing to the work
of people like Galen Clark and John Muir.
Popular Areas
Yosemite Valley represents only one percent of the park area,
but this is where most visitors arrive and stay. The Tunnel View
is the first view of the Valley for many visitors and is
extensively photographed. El Capitan, a prominent granite cliff
that looms over Yosemite Valley, is one of the most popular rock
climbing destinations in the world because of its diverse range
of climbing routes in addition to its year-round accessibility.
Granite domes such as Sentinel Dome and Half Dome rise 3,000 and
4,800 feet, respectively, above the valley floor.
The high country of Yosemite contains beautiful areas such as
Tuolumne Meadows, Dana Meadows, the Clark Range, the Cathedral
Range, and the Kuna Crest. The Sierra crest and the Pacific
Crest Trail run through Yosemite, with peaks of red metamorphic
rock, such as Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs, and granite peaks,
such as Mount Conness. Mount Lyell is the highest point in the
park.
The park has three groves of ancient Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron
giganteum) trees; the Mariposa Grove, the Tuolumne Grove, and
the Merced Grove. This species grows larger in volume than any
other and is one of the tallest and longest-lived.
History
For tens of thousands of years, humans have changed, and have
been changed by, this place we now call Yosemite. The
Ahwahneechee lived here for generations, followed by the arrival
of Europeans in the mid-1800s. The rugged terrain challenged
many early travelers, with just a few—only 650 from the
mid-1850s to mid-1860s—making the journey to Yosemite Valley by
horseback or stagecoach. By 1907, construction of the Yosemite
Valley Railroad from Merced to El Portal eased the journey,
thereby, increasing visitation. Today, 3.5 million people enter
the park’s gates to explore. We learn from the stories of those
who walked Yosemite’s trails before us, allowing appreciation of
their lasting footprints that led to conscious preservation.
Campground Reservations
Yosemite National Park has 13 popular campgrounds, of which up
to seven are on a reservation system. From April through
September, reservations are essential and even the first-come,
first-served campgrounds often fill by noon from May through
September.
Reservations are required March 15 through November for Yosemite
Valley’s car campgrounds and summer through fall for Hodgdon
Meadow, Wawona, and half of Crane Flat and Tuolumne Meadows.
Campground reservations are available in blocks of one month at
a time, up to five months in advance, on the 15th of each month
at 7 am Pacific time. Be aware that nearly all reservations for
the months of May through September and for some other weekends
are filled the first day they become available (often within
minutes after 7 am)!
Make a campground reservation
Visit www.recreation.gov (recommended)
Phone: 877/444-6777
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park - NPS Website
PO Box 577
Yosemite, CA 95389-0577
Phone: 209-372-0200
|
