 ©2006 Publications International, Ltd. Yosemite National Park contains North America's highest waterfall,Yosemite Falls. See more National Park pictures. |
Yosemite National Park
PO Box 577
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389
209-372-0200
www.nps.gov/yose
With thousands of lakes and ponds, 1,600 miles of streams, and 800 miles of hiking trails, Yosemite National Park in California is truly the adventurous traveler's dream. Nevertheless, those who prefer the comfort of their automobile can still take in the amazing scenery along the park's 350 miles of roads.
Most of the Yosemite's 3.5 million visitors each year focus on the seven-square-mile area of Yosemite Valley, which features high cliffs and waterfalls. By car, the park is located about 21/2 hours from Fresno, five hours from San Francisco, and six hours from Los Angeles.
Entrance fees: $20/vehicle for 7 days or $10/individual for 7 days
Visitor centers: Yosemite Valley Visitor Center is open year-round. Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center is open only during the summer months.
Other services: Two information centers, two museums, five lodges, cabins, and 13 campgrounds
Accommodations:
- Wawona Campground. Open year-round. Some reservations are available. 800-436-7275.
- Hodgdon Meadow Campground. Open year-round. Some reservations are available. 800-436-7275.
- Upper Pines Campground. Located in the Yosemite Valley. Open year-round. Some reservations are available. 800-436-7275.
- Camp 4 Campground. Located in the Yosemite Valley. Open year-round. Some reservations are available. 800-436-7275.
- Nine other campgrounds are open variously from March through October. Some reservations are available. 800-436-7275.
- A variety of lodges within the park are open year-round. Reservations are available. 559-252-4848.
Visiting Yosemite National Park
The spectacularly beautiful natural setting of California's Yosemite Valley inspired Lafayette H. Bunnell, one of its early explorers, to describe "the grandeur of the scene" and to write, "As I looked, a peculiar exalted sensation seemed to fill my whole being, and I found my eyes in tears with emotion."
Visitors today find themselves equally moved by this profoundly lovely gorge, cut by the Merced River, with its sides gouged out by glaciers into enormous monoliths. Granite cliffs rise 3,000 feet above a forested floor, a tranquil and solemn river flows grandly through its proud channel, and waterfalls tumble from the heights. The famed Yosemite Falls is 2,425 feet high, which makes it North America's highest waterfall.
The grandeur of Yosemite tugs at the soul. A park ranger was once asked what he would do if he had only one day to visit Yosemite Valley. The ranger replied, "I'd weep." Whether apocryphal or not, the anecdote contains much truth about this grassy, tree-filled defile cut deep into the heart of the Sierra Nevada. Although it contains less than one percent of the total area of the park, this valley is undoubtedly what most people think of when they think of Yosemite.
The gorge is guarded by two famous sentinel rocks; their massive shapes are well known around the globe. The park's most famous landmark, Half Dome, with its great sheared-off face, rises 4,800 feet above the eastern end of the valley. El Capitan, a monolith that rises 3,600 feet above the evergreens along the Merced River, stands sentinel at the western entrance. One of the most precipitous cliffs in the world, El Capitan is made of granite so hard and crack-free that the powerful forces of erosion scarcely seem to affect it.
Beyond this justifiably famous valley, the park is a showcase for the wonders of nature. This vast and varied domain includes giant sequoias, alpine meadows, peaks soaring above 13,000 feet, lovely alpine lakes, sparkling trout streams, grassy meadows, and glacial remnants. The range of natural features is so diverse because of Yosemite's location in the temperate climate of central California and an unusually varied terrain, ranging from desert to high alpine.
Within the park, there are five of the seven life zones found on the North American continent. At its lowest elevations, a desertlike environment harbors the brush rabbit and chaparral. Next are mid-elevation forests and the valley floors that provide a haven for mule deer and chipmunks.
Moving up in altitude, the red fir and Jeffrey pine of high-elevation forests take over. This is where deer and the park's resident black bears migrate in spring. Higher still is a colder and harsher subalpine world. This land is dominated by rock, snow, and ice.
Where soil has been able to cover the rocky landscape, meadows appear, providing a habitat for such small animals as the marmot and pika. Dwarf willows and dozens of wildflower species dot the landscape.
Tuolumne Meadows, one of the park's most cherished features, is a vast expanse of flowing grass, cut by the lovely Tuolumne River and circled by peaks of the Sierra. Millions of years ago, the meadow was under a vast sheet of ice nearly half a mile thick.
The park contains three groves of giant sequoias. These towering monuments of another age are second only to bristlecone pine trees in age among all living things. Each of the groves, which are widely separated by less lofty forests of pine and ponderosa, contains several hundred giant trees.
The best known of the three, Mariposa Grove, has about 200 sequoia trees, which rise so far above the thick, bouncy forest floor that you are only dimly aware of their tops. One of the oldest is called the Grizzly Giant. Believed to be the fifth largest tree in the world, Grizzly Giant is estimated to be 2,700 years old, with a weight of 1,000 tons; its top rises more than 200 feet above the ground.
Before you pack your bags -- or better yet, backpacks -- be sure to check out the next section for sightseeing tips.
Established: 1890 Size: 761,266 acres Terrain: Deep gorges, forests, mountains, and meadows Highlights: El Capitan, Mariposa Grove, and Yosemite Falls Wildlife: Mule deer, bears, squirrels, rabbits, marmots, pikas, and dozens of bird species Activities: Ranger-led talks and walks, evening and children's programs, bike rides, and history tours; auto tape tours; bus and tram tours; stagecoach rides; films; plays; concerts; art and photography classes; music workshops; museum; horseback riding; climbing; fishing; rafting; swimming; boating; ice-skating; cross-country and downhill skiing; and backpacking |
