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Exploring the beautiful nature of California


California Nature: Yosemite National Park


Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.

Yosemite activities and sightseeing are all about the great outdoors and everything you can do to immerse yourself in its wonders. Within the Park, you'll find adventures for all ages and all levels of skill, from tranquil evening strolls and programs for young kids to downhill skiing and extreme climbing, depending on the season.
 
Yosemite's wilderness is a popular destination for winter skiing and snow-shoeing. But winter wilderness travel calls for snow-camping experience as well as a knowledge of route finding over snow-covered terrain where trails are no longer visible. Most winter wilderness users prefer to enjoy the marked ski and snowshoe trails at Yosemite's three winter use areas, Badger Pass, Crane Flat, and the Mariposa Grove. Visitors to the wilderness should he familiar with the use of snowshoes or skis in order to navigate deep snow conditions.
Yosemite National Park one of California greatest natural treasures Yosemite Valley, home to many of the famous cliffs and waterfalls that make Yosemite National Park famous is accessible by car and bus all year. In Yosemite Valley, El Capitan Meadow provides a view straight up El Capitan and a great view of Cathedral Rocks, as well. Located along one-way Northside Drive, it is best to stop here on your way out of Yosemite Valley. It goes without saying that Yosemite National Park provides one of the world's most phenomenal backdrops for hiking and exploration.

Yosemite Valley is home to most of the park's famous waterfalls. The best time to see them is during spring runoff; they have little or no water in late summer and fall. In Yosemite Valley, the area around Sentinel Meadow and the Yosemite Chapel is a favorite place to stop to look at Yosemite Falls. Another great sot in Yosemite Valley In Yosemite Valley is the Sentinel Bridge, famous for its views of Half Dome reflected in the Merced Rive, and the nearby Yosemite Falls.
Yosemite National Park is the home of a large and healthy bear population. Unfortunately, their natural behavior, foraging habits, distribution, and numbers have been altered by access to human food in the park. Bears habituated to these unnatural foods all too often lose their instinctive fear of humans.

Bears become aggressive and can cause extensive damage to motor vehicles, trailers, tents, ice chests, and other camping equipment while searching for human food. When bears become too aggressive and destructive, they often have to be killed. The only way to stop this devastating cycle is to make sure that all food items are stored properly.

Mountain lion sightings and encounters have increased throughout Yosemite over the past several years. The lions are an important part of the park ecosystem, helping to keep deer and other prey populations in check. Although lion attacks are rare, they are possible, as is injury from any wild animal.
Half Dome Rock Yosemite National Park California Yosemite is one of the world's greatest climbing areas. Climbers here can enjoy an endless variety of challenges- from the sustained crack climbs of the Merced river canyon to pinching crystals on sun drenched Tuolumne domes to multi-day aid climbs on the big walls of the Valley.

Yosemite is not just a climber's playground, however, its walls and crags are an integral part of a larger ecosystem, protected as wilderness, that was set aside for people to enjoy in a natural state for generations to come.

Permits will be required seven days per week to hike to the top of Half Dome, which can only be completed when the cables are up. The Half Dome Cables are usually in place and available for use the weekend before Memorial Day, conditions permitting. The last day to use them usually is Columbus Day Monday. They can not guarantee the cables will be available on any given date. If you choose to get a permit for dates in May, early June, or October, there is an increased chance the cables will not be in place.
The indigenous people of Yosemite Valley have used fire as a tool for thousands of years. Fire was used to encourage the growth of plants used for basket making and to promote the growth of the black oak, -a sun loving species, and a staple food source for American Indians from this region.

At one time, this area was made up of gentle rolling hills, crisscrossed with a maze of stream systems. Millions of years ago, California's Sierra Nevada was formed by a gradual series of earth upheavals. As the mountains rose, the land tilted and the westward flowing Merced River accelerated, carving deep, v-shaped river canyons.

Later, massive glaciers flowed down the canyons. Colder temperatures slowed melting and eventually glaciers formed and began to carve away at the v-shaped canyons, transforming them into u-shaped valleys. Tributary creeks, which had once joined the main stream at the same elevation, now plummeted off of shear cliffs, giving birth to the park's famed waterfalls. Eventually, sediment washed down out of the high country, filled in Lake Yosemite to form the present valley floor.
 
 
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