ABOUT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Yosemite National Park is in California’s Sierra Nevada mountains. It’s famed for its giant, ancient sequoia trees, and for Tunnel View, the iconic vista of towering Bridalveil Fall and the granite cliffs of El Capitan and Half Dome.
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| Hiking in Yosemite National Park |
In Yosemite Village are shops, restaurants, lodging, the Yosemite Museum and the Ansel Adams Gallery, with prints of the photographer’s renowned black-and-white landscapes of the area.
How do we pronounce Yosemite?
Yosemite is pronounced as “yoh-SEM-ih-tee” in English language.
History of Yosemite National Park
The past of this area is relatively unknown. Scientists have been able to identify some major events, but not many. The grounds rose about 10 million years ago, probably due to volcanic activity.
This erosion created deep gorges in the landscape. These are now up to 1,200 meters deep. With strikingly steep mountain walls such as El Capitan and Half Dome. In addition, meltwater has remained in numerous places, making Yosemite more than 3,200 lakes. These are just a few indications of the forces of nature that once worked here, even though the rivers continue to change the landscape.
Climate of Yosemite National Park
Contrary to popular belief, Yosemite has a mild climate. That you can almost call the Mediterranean if you look at the limited rainfall. The reason is that this area is only a little over 200 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean, so dry air is supplied. The temperature is lagging somewhat until July snow can fall in the higher parts.
What to see/expect in Yosemite National Park?
More than 90 percent of the park is wilderness. And is hardly visited or not at all. Avoid the crowds and go to Hetch Hetchy in the west of the park. Hetch Hetchy is a relatively unknown part of the park. This is the catchment area of the Tuolumne River, which provides the water supply for San Francisco, among others.
Here are 10+ things to do and discover at Yosemite National Park:
Olmsted Point
Olmsted Point is one of Yosemite’s relatively unknown gems. This vantage point gives you a wide view over Clouds Rest, with Half Dome in the background. Olmstead Point can be reached via Tioga Road, after which it is a short half hour walk. What is also special here is that you can clearly see in various places that immense glaciers have been at work here. Especially in the morning this place is almost magical.
Tuolumne Meadows
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| Tuolumne Meadows |
This alpine meadow is famous for its rustic location. The backdrop is formed by countless granite peaks and the Tuolumne River. It is located on Tioga Road and can only be visited by car in summer and autumn. In winter you can go cross-country skiing or snowshoeing.
Sentinel Rock and Sentinel Falls
Sentinel Rock is a 2,145-meter high sheer cliff. It is seen as the guardian of the south side of Yosemite Valley. Sentinel Falls is found next to Sentinel Rock. This waterfall consists of various parts from which the water drops or flows alternately. They are opposite Yosemite Falls.
Yosemite Cemetery
Few visitors know that Yosemite has a burial ground. White settlers in particular are buried here. Their life was hard in this rugged area, where disease regularly arose. The pioneer cemetery is tucked away in a forest near the Yosemite Museum. Ask about visiting possibilities at the museum. Information about the people buried here is available on site.
Indian Village of Ahwahnee
According to scientists, the first inhabitants lived here about 8,000 years ago. After that, Indian tribes such as Mono Paiute, Sierrra Miwok and Ahwahnechee lived in the area. According to scientists, the Ahwahnechee descend from the Miwok and were the first in the park to have contact with white people.
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| Indian Village of Ahwahnee |
They lived along the rivers and used, among other things, fire to keep various meadows free of trees. So that many wild animals came to graze there for hunting. The Ahwahnechee were very bloody and were called yohemite or yohometuk by other Indian tribes. Which stands for: they are murderers. Yosemite is named after this unfriendly name.
The whites arrived in the Yosemite Valley in 1851. Because the various Indian tribes in the area fiercely resisted, they were expelled or massacred. This happened during the infamous Mariposa Indian War, in which the whites tried to get all of California Indian free. In order to be able to search for gold in this part of the US without hindrance. For a long time, the Miwok tried to live with the whites, but in the end, they had to leave.
The Ahwahnee village belonged to the Ahwahneshee Indians. The village has been completely reconstructed and shows their environment from around 1870.
Three Brothers
East of El Capitan you find three granite rocks, with beautiful names such as Eagle Peak, Middle Brother, and Lower Brother. Together they are called The Three Brothers, although Pompompasus is also used.
This Native American name means mountains playing leapfrog. A suitable name for those who look at the three mountains. Eagle Peak is the highest (2,173 meters) and rises about 1,150 meters above the valley.
Cathedral Rock
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| Cathedral Rock |
Cathedral Rock is an impressive rock with its height of 2,025 meters. The name comes from its shape. It resembles a Gothic cathedral. Two narrow granite columns can be seen to the left of Cathedral Rock. They are called the spires. Cathedral Rock is located on the east side of the valley, diagonally across from El Capitan.
Liberty Cap
Next to the Nevada waterfall is the immense Liberty Cap. A granite 2,137 meters high rock, rising 1,402 meters above the Yosemite Valley. And towers are more than 600 meters above the Nevada waterfall. This makes the waterfall look remarkably small. Liberty Cap shows what the immense erosion has done here. If you see both, you will see typical Yosemite: rugged nature.
Vernal Fall en Nevada Fall
These two waterfalls are close to each other. Vernal Fall is 97 feet high, while Nevada Fall is 181 feet high. They both drop their water in the Yosemite Valley. From Nevada Fall you can walk to Vernal Fall. You can swim in the ice-cold water of both.
Bridalveil Fall
This is the park’s other famous waterfall. It is 188 meters high and falls from the edge of the canyon into the Yosemite Valley. The action of a former glacier can be clearly seen in the U-shape of the canyon. Unlike Yosemite Falls, this waterfall can be seen all year round.
Yosemite Museum
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| Yosemite Museum |
Yosemite’s history is very colourful. Not only about glaciers and rivers, but also about the people who have lived here for centuries. In the Yosemite Museum, you can see everything about the original inhabitants, the various Indian tribes, and the first white settlers. From 1850 to now.
Discover the many types of trees
Yosemite is one of the best places to see the giant sequoia or giant sequoia. Mariposa Grove is the place to literally let yourself be belittled among these giants. Also, note the immense size of the trunk.
Hike the John Muir Trail
The John Muir Trail is one of California’s longer hiking trails. It is 334 miles long and follows the route the conservationist took when he explored Yosemite and the surrounding area. You don’t have to hike it completely, it is also possible to explore parts of the trail. Along this trail you can find Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls.
Hetch Hetchy
Hetch Hetchy is a valley, a reservoir, and a water system in California in the United States. The glacial Hetch Hetchy Valley lies in the northwestern part of Yosemite National Park and is drained by the Tuolumne River. For thousands of years before the arrival of settlers from the United States in the 1850s, the valley was inhabited by Native Americans who practiced subsistence hunting-gathering.
