Yosemite National Park Information

Yosemite National Park is famous for its granite cliffs, spectacular waterfalls, and gigantic sequoia trees. Yosemite Park is located in central California, just 150 east of San Francisco in the wild and beautiful high Sierras. 

Yosemite National Park was established in 1890 and was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984. Within the park's 1,200 square miles are thousands of lakes, two federally designated wild and scenic rivers, 350 miles of roads, and 800 miles of hiking trails.

While Yosemite National Park is known mostly for the beautiful scenery, it is also a place rich in biodiversity. Elevations range from 2,000 feet to more than 13,000 feet which represents the major life zones.

Yosemite was made famous by naturalist John Muir and photographer Ansel Adams, and is one of the most popular and well known national parks in the world. Every year, more than 3.5 million people visit Yosemite to experience the granite mountains, meadows filled with wildflowers, and the cascading waterfalls. The primary landmarks include El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, and Bridalveil Falls. Most of the visitors spend time within Yosemite Valley, which can make for crowded roads and trails in the summer. Fortunately, Yosemite Park has an efficient shuttle bus service and well-placed footpaths and bike trails that makes it possible for you to avoid too much crowding.

Because the mountains are made of granite and it’s location in California, Yosemite is also world renown as a rock climber’s mecca.  In fact Yosemite has nurtured and challenged the likes of Royal Robbins, Yvon Chouinard, Lynn Hill, Rick Ridgeway and other legendary climbers.  

Waterfall enthusiasts will also find plenty of cascading torrents of water in the park ranging from 2,425 foot Yosemite Falls to small hidden rivulets in remote canyons and basins.  Inside Yosemite’s 1,200 square miles, visitors can find deep glaciated valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoia trees, vast wilderness areas, and enough hiking and trekking adventure to last a lifetime.

Yosemite Lodging

There are several wonderful lodging opportunities in and adjacent to Yosemite Park. Yosemite National Park hotels range from the rustic tent cabins at Curry Village to the AAA Four-diamond Ahwahnee Hotel. Click here to learn more about the Yosemite National Park Hotels...

Hiking and Climbing in Yosemite

Yosemite’s granite monoliths represent the world’s greatest rock climbing area.  Besides historic glacial activity, rock fall events have shaped many of the spectacular features along Yosemite Valley's grand walls, including Royal Arches, North Dome, and Half Dome. Giant talus slopes that rise from the valley walls accumulate debris with each rock slide event.  

Yosemite offers rock climbers sustained crack climbs of the Merced River Canyon and Tuolumne Meadows domes to multi-day technical aid climbs on the famous walls of the valley like El Capitan.  

For those that are not quite ready for the big walls, Yosemite Valley also boasts some of the best bouldering in the west and the sport continues to grow in popularity in Yosemite national Park.  Because of the park’s popularity, human waste management, litter, and backcountry camping permits all must be researched before your climb in the park.

Fishing in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite is full of cold clear mountain trout streams and beautiful jewel lakes.  One of the most popular fishing activities in the park is fly fishing the Tuolumne River. The Tuolumne has it's beginning in Tuolumne Meadow qt an elevation of approximately 8600 ft. and it is the largest sub-alpine meadow in the Sierra Nevada. The Tuolumne River is hidden within the tall grasses and rainbow trout, brook trout, and brown trout inhabit this section of the river.  With the brown trout growing up to approximately 14 inches dry fly fishing is the best technique and most fun method.  Remember that visitors 16 and older need a valid California fishing license to fish in Yosemite.

Wildlife of Yosemite

Yosemite National Park provides habitat for more than 400 species of vertebrates including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.  The high diversity of wildlife species is the result of diverse habitats in Yosemite that are largely still intact. The park’s rich and varied habitats range from thick foothill chaparral to conifer forests to unique alpine rock habitats. 

Yosemite National Park is also home to a healthy population of black bears.  It is not uncommon to observe a bear in a developed campground.  For that reason, managers work to protect the American black bear in Yosemite National Park so that it can continue its healthy existence for future generations of visitors to see. The challenge: The species, by its nature, can easily be corrupted by detrimental human behaviors, such as approaching too closely or poor food storage practices in campgrounds. 

Mountain lions, also known as cougars or pumas roam Yosemite’s vast mountains and valleys. These important stalk-ambush predators, native to the Americas and California, are a natural part of the Yosemite landscape. Because mountain lions are shy, solitary creatures, they elude visitors and are typically unconcerned by human presence even in close proximity.  If you see on consider yourself very fortunate.