The jewel of the Sierra Nevada, the jewel of the National Park System. Yosemite is many things, a trip of a lifetime or a lifetime of trips. The park covers an area of only about 2.5 times that of the city of Los Angeles (and thus is much smaller than Los Angeles County -- most counties in California being on the large side). This park shows many faces, some are overrun with visitors, others see few people each year. Yosemite presents the classic example of the tension between access and preservation that defines the goal of the National Park System (conserve for enjoyment of current and future generations). If you do not preserve the parks, there is nothing to visit. If visitiation is too great, there is nothing left to preserve.
Yosemite is a lot like Shakespeare -- one cliche after another, one iconic view after another. Ansel Adams had a lot to do with that. This is a personal view of Yosemite. There are a lot of official touristy web sites for the park, look at them if you want official information. The site is never complete, there will always be changes and additions. Note that each heading is a link to more information and pictures.
Most of the park is not Yosemite Valley, yet most people who visit stay only in the valley. In size, the length of the valley (where all the people and traffic are) is about the same as the distance from Beverly Hills to the beach, all accessible from one road (the one-way loop road). So compared to Wilshire Blvd. traffic, Yosemite is not crowded. See the map from Google. To get a sense of scale, view other places at the same map scale. If you are not up to walking or biking to all the valley sights, use the shuttle (park the car and leave it there). You can stop at the other views on the drive in or out.
Tunnel view (Discovery View) is the spectacular entrance to Yosemite Valley
for those arriving
from Wawona and the south. Sometimes referred to as Inspiration Point, which
is located on the old road, which was used before the tunnel,
and it a steep hike
up from the parking lot on the South Side of the road. Old Inspiration Point
is more remote and further up from there.
The view, while timeless, changes with the weather, changes with the seasons,
and changes from year to year. No matter when you visit it is unmatched.
It the fog or a snow storm it might be a bit lacking, but other than that
you must stop. The construction in 2008 complicates traffic at this location,
but stop anyway.
Yosemite is cliffs, falls, meadows, streams, trails, animals, flowers, and much more. Famous falls include Yosemite Falls, Nevada, Vernal, Illilouette, and Bridalveil. In the Spring you also see Silver Strand, Horestail, Ribbon, Sentinel, and others. The falls are a product of the geological glacial forces that define the valley. They can be seasonal since California's climate brings winter rain (and snow) and summer sun.
The standard view of Yosemite Falls from the valley floor.
In the summer, the most impressive view is from high above the valley floor at Glacier Point. You get there using the 4.8 miles long 4 mile trail, or by taking the shuttle, or driving (assuming you can park when you arrive after everyone else).
This is one of the few places in the world where you get the "Oh wow!" response from kids. Drive in the summer, ski in the winter. This is the most accessible of the views of the valley that are available from the rim. The Glacier Point road is closed by snow all winter and most of the spring (and sometimes part of the summer). Services are closed in the fall with the road closing whenever the snow comes.
Sentinel Dome is an easy hike from the road with clear views in all directions (and not crowded early). The Washburn Point turnout provides a slightly different viewing angle for Half Dome, the Merced River and Tenaya Creek drainages. Many visitors to the park never make it to Glacier Point. They miss one of the highlights, though their failure to visit makes it less crowded for the rest of us.
The high road through Tuolumne provides the easiest access to a high Alpine meadow in the Sierra. From the east you have a long steep climb to the park boundary at Tioga Pass -- a relatively low pass over the Sierra, which is why the road was built there. Then the Tuolumne meadow area with the campground and visitor center. Tenaya Lake is a good place for starting an interesting hike to Clouds Rest (and continuing to the valley if your car can drive itself). Olmstead Point gives you a view of Half Dome and is the critical avalanche zone for the snow plows every spring. The road continues down into the forest past White Wolf connects to the other roads at Crane Flat.
The road has many trailheads, which save the long climb from the valley floor. Winter and spring are possible only on skis or snow shoes, but summer and early fall are great times to visit and get away from the crowds. Especially fall when facilities are closing and there is no overnight parking allowed along the road -- once it snows the road is closed and your car would be a hazard for the spring plowing.
Wawona was used by US Army for the original management of Yosemite National Park. This original version of the National Park did not include the state managed valley and Mariposa grove. The Mariposa Grove even served as a campground for many years until the recognition of the damage that such activities cause to the trees. Today the grove is accessible by trails or via a tram (open truck, much like some of the valley tours) to the museum near the top. Take the trails and see the deer.
Parking is limited (especially compared to places like Yellowstone, where even with the large parking lots, you may miss some geysers because there are no empty spaces), and the parking lot often reaches capacity so that the shuttle from Wawona is the strongly suggested way to get to Mariposa. If you come from the Valley facilities you will arrive with everyone else and find the lot already full. If you come from Fresno you will arrive after the Valley crowds. So stay in Wawona and take the shuttle. You can walk from Wawona, but the lower part of the trail is less interesting.
Hetch Hetchy valley is currently partially filled with water. I say partly because there are still hints of what could be there, but much of the splendor is lost.
The Raker Act, passed by Congress in 1913, allowed San Francisco to dam Hetch Hetchy Valley in Yosemite National Park to provide water to the growing city -- but only on the condition that the dam also generate electric power, which is to be sold by the city to its residents at low rates. That provision was intended to prevent Pacific Gas and Electric Co. from establishing a private power monopoly in northern California. Today, PG&E is a private power monopoly in northern California and rather then providing low cost power to the residents of San Francisco, Hetch Hetchy provides power for SF municipal uses (Muni, SFO, City offices) and is sold to Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts.
Never before or since has such a desecration of a National Park been allowed.
Most of Yosemite is managed as Wilderness (essentially everything more than 1 mile from a road -- wilderness is best defined by what the Wilderness Act says, not by anything else). It is also where you see fewer people. We have spent several consecutive days on trails in the Yosemite Wilderness, and encountered fewer than 5 people. You have to walk to see it. Horses are allowed on most of the trails -- like everything this is both good and bad (it defines how trails are constructed, but also means trails can be dusty and worn).
Yosimte valley has been protected since 1864, first as a grant to the state of California, then in 1890 as a national park. Visitation grew along with the US population and improvments in access to the park. Today approximately 3,000,000 people visit the park each year with all the crowding and damage that that implies.
.
and
My First Summer in the Sierra (Nature Library, Penguin)
are important reading. Expecially the discussion of day hikes in the first
book. Follow Muir's suggestions carefully. But look at a map first.
). This book
has descriptions for each of the milepost looking signs you see
along the park roads. Since it was written before some roads were closed, you
can also read about Mirror Lake.
and
Mac's Field Guide to Yosemite National Park: Trees & Wildflowers
.
by Nevada Barr.
Maintained by Keith Price.
