Yosemite National Park, USA

Spanning an amazing 761,000 acres, Yosemite National Park is an outdoors lover’s dream. Discover the best overlooks, rock-climbing mountains, day-hike trails and trees more than 3,000 years old!

One of California's most formidable natural landscapes, Yosemite National Park features nearly 1,200 square miles of sheer awe: towering waterfalls, millennia-old Sequoia trees, daunting cliff faces and some of the most unique rock formations in the United States. But despite its enormous size, most of the tourist activity takes place within a 7-square-mile area of Yosemite Valley. Here you'll find the park's most famous landmarks Half Dome and El Capitan as well as excellent hiking trails through the natural monuments. Even inexperienced hikers can enjoy Yosemite: Guided tours and climbing lessons are available from local adventure outfitters. Just don't expect to experience it by yourself. Like so many other American tourist destinations, crowds are the biggest obstacles to an enjoyable Yosemite vacation at least 4 million people visit each year. But if you go at the right time (and start your day a little earlier than usual), Mother Nature's wonders will reveal themselves to you in a miraculous and serene way.

Establishment

Yosemite National Park was established on 01 October 1890, and is the Nation’s third oldest

national park. The park was established for the purpose of preservation of the resources that contribute to its uniqueness and attractiveness. Congress recognized the importance of preserving this great park for future public enjoyment when it established Yosemite National Park. Yosemite National Park is a showcase of spectacular geological features, including the greatest concentration of granite domes in the world and the largest exposed granite monolith in the world.

The first application of a park concept originated in Yosemite with the grant of 1864 (Federal land given to California for preservation) signed by Abraham Lincoln and since that time the park has played an important role in pioneering park management concepts.

Yosemite National Park possesses outstanding recreational values and supreme scenic attractions, including alpine and subalpine wilderness, three groves of giant sequoia trees and thundering waterfalls that are among the world’s highest. Yosemite was the birthplace of the idea of the Sierra Club and plays an important role in wildlife preservation and preserving biological diversity.

Yosemite National Park is a world heritage site which has made a significant contribution to California’s cultural heritage, to the national park movement, and to Yosemite’s 4,000 years of cultural heritage by Native Americans. The park provides solitude and inspiration and serves as an outdoor classroom for environmental education.

Weather

Weather can change rapidly during all seasons of the year. Elevation plays a major role in temperature and precipitation. Most of the moisture comes in the months of January, February and March, and the winter climate is relatively mild. Sierra summers are typically warm and dry. April and November are transitional months, when warm, sunny days can suddenly become stormy. Clouds can build up during the summer to produce spectacular thunderstorm activity.

It is wise to pack for any season with clothing that can be “layered”, ready to peel off or add on as the thermometer dictates. Always include some kind of rain gear.

Size and Visitation
Yosemite National Park embraces almost 1,200 square miles of scenic wild lands set aside in 1890 to preserve a portion of the central Sierra Nevada that stretches along California’s eastern flank. The park ranges from 2,000 feet above sea level to more than 13,000 feet and has these major attractions; alpine wilderness, three groves of Giant Sequoias and the glacially carved Yosemite Valley with impressive waterfalls, cliffs and unusual rock formations

Visitor Center

There are four visitor centers in Yosemite National Park. The Valley Visitor Center, located in Yosemite Valley is the largest and most comprehensive in terms of displays, books, postcards and maps. The Big Oak Flat Information Station, Wawona Information Station and Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center are open on a more limited basis.