Yosemite National Park

Ever wanted to plan a hiking trip to see some beautiful scenery, or wanted to immerse yourself in the wonderful nature outside? Yosemite National Park is a great place to start your travelling adventure. The park includes all the things you would want to experience on a checklist. Located in California, Yosemite’s size is nearly 1,200 square miles. The park includes many granite cliffs, waterfalls, forests, and meadows! Its nature and beauty is what makes the national park such an amazing place to visit.

Yosemite’s history dates back thousands of years. Many Indigenous peoples and tribes—like the Ahwahnechee peoples—have lived in the Yosemite region for at least 8000 years. In the 1850s, settlers and miners arrived in the region due to the California Gold Rush, which led to displacement of the Native people. President Abraham Lincoln would later sign the ‘Yosemite Grant Act,’ a piece of legislation that would protect the Yosemite Valley in 1864, and Yosemite would officially become the third national park in the United States in 1890.

One of the features that Yosemite National Park contains are the giant granite cliffs and formations. Famous landmarks in the park include El Capitan and Half Dome. They are tall cliffs that rise above the Yosemite Valley. The Park also has Tuolumne Meadows, some deep valleys, large forests, flowing rivers, and mountains that reach higher than 13,000 feet in elevation!

However, Yosemite is by far most famous for its waterfalls. The most well known waterfall called ‘Yosemite Falls’ drops down about 2,425 feet, which makes it one of North America’s tallest waterfalls. Other waterfalls in the park include ‘Bridaveil Fall’ and ‘Vernal Fall.’ Preferably, springtime is the best time to see the waterfalls in the park because the snow that melts increases the amount of water flowing.

There are many activities for visitors to do in Yosemite. The most popular and well known is hiking. There are more than 750 miles of hiking trails throughout the park! Visitors can also go camping, go on tours, explore the wilderness, and watch the wildlife + scenery. Another popular activity is rock climbing. Although much skill is needed, it’s a cool activity if you want some exercise while immersing yourself in the granite cliffs and looking at the scenery. Remember though, some overnight activities or hikes at the park require permits, so just make sure you have everything settled and properly completed before enjoying your activities!

All in all, Yosemite National Park is an excellent place to visit for a thrilling adventure. The waterfalls, granite cliffs, forests, and mountains make it a beautiful, natural area to travel through in the United States. So, what are you waiting for? Come down to the park to go hiking and see the amazing ‘Yosemite Falls' waterfall, or go rock climbing on the famous granite cliff ‘El Capitan!’