Yosemite National Park Travel Guide

Although most of Yosemite's 3.5 million annual visitors focus on the 7 square mile area of Yosemite Valley with its spectacular waterfalls, impressive granite cliffs, and abundant wildlife, the entire park stretches across 1,200 square miles, with thousands of lakes, ponds, streams, and giant sequoia trees. The 350 miles of roads and 800 miles of trails hardly begin to allow people to explore the vast area that makes up Yosemite.

The scenery resulted from centuries of glaciers carving valleys through the granite rock, as well as the streams and rivers that still run through the park. Some of the most popular landmarks are Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and Bridalveil Fall. The Park ranges in elevation from 549 meters (1,800 ft.) to 3,900 meters (13,000 ft.), encompassing 5 very different vegetation zones, each with its own distinctive mix of plants. Yosemite is also teeming with animals, with more than 150 species of birds, almost 3 dozen species of reptiles and amphibians, and over 90 species of mammals (including American black bears).

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