Want to take a good bowl of air in the heart of the USA? Direction the gigantic Yosemite National Park, one of the most beautiful natural spaces in North America!
Yosemite National Park is located in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, in the east of the state of California, the third largest natural park.
Classified as a national park in 1890, it is also the second oldest in the USA just after that of Yellowstone! More than four million tourists come to contemplate the great panoramas offered on this perfectly preserved natural space, including all at the same time cascades, granite rock complex and gigantic mountains, where seasoned climbers and Sunday hikers come to look for what they cannot find in the American metropolises. Classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, this high mountain park is definitely part of what America has more beautiful to offer, and we will try to show you why.
To allow you to relax in this incredible and unspoiled natural space, we have prepared a small guide that will allow you to serenely survey the grandiose expanses of Yosemite National Park: a brief history of the place, attractions and spots to discover, map access, rates, times and many other essential information.
Are you ready to stretch your legs? Go!
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History of Yosemite National Park
Photo credit: Shutterstock / De Sopotnicki
More than 4,000 years ago, the Amerindians of Miwoks and Païutes tribes settle in this beautiful mountainous region, then sedentify and trade with other tribes: traces of the typical craftsmanship of these populations are, still today, visible to the Yosemite Museum , which also has a village reconstituted to the identical.
After the arrival of Europeans, the first trappers converge to Sierra Nevada during the gold rush of the early nineteenth century; shortly thereafter, the newly established State of California decided to massacre the Indian tribes present after they rebelled against the settlement of settlers on their lands. But from the second half of the same century, the Yosemite valley already attracts many visitors, pioneers without knowing what is currently called tourism!
The hotels were built at a crazy pace, the farms were massively deforesting the grasslands, so that political leaders took a position and decided to protect the local ecosystem: in 1864, the great Abraham Lincoln takes note and decrees the protection of the Yosemite Valley by creating the same name regional park.
Little by little, the reputation of this gigantic wild space grows and, the number of visitors growing steadily - from 10,000 in 1905 to more than a million fifty years later and two million in 1976 - the access rules are more stringent: since 1970, the traffic is prohibited throughout the eastern part of the park and only buses transport tourists to the most prominent spots.
The Yosemite, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984, however, suffered many fires: since then, the park has tried to reconcile tourism and ecosystem protection , including awareness-raising efforts to prevent the general public from the devastating impact of anarchical attendance.
What to see and do at Yosemite National Park?
Photo credit: Shutterstock / From shaferaphoto
Yosemite National Park offers many points of interest over 3000 km2. In fact, they are countless! If you want to admire them, you can book a paid guided tour with the Valley Floor Tour: this quarantine-kilometre journey takes place in an open-air tram - or by closed bus during the winter- and lasts two hours, which will be enough to see the most famous sites like Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, Bridalveil Falls or El Capitan.
Views
With regard to views of Yosemite National Park, we can quote Glacier Point, or Sentinel Bridge; Olmsted Point, or Valley View; and especially the uncontourable Tunnel View , offering, through a rocky corridor, a view of El Capitan, the fall of the Married Sail and the famous Half Dome! Finally, O’Shaugnessy Dam allows to contemplate the mythical waterfalls of the valley: the famous Yosemite Falls , which are among the twenty highest waterfalls in the world!
Hiking
Marre des selfies qui donne le vertige? If you are an amateur, hiking, hiking many trails and legendary routes allow for visit Yosemite National Park in part; Here is the famous Mist Trail , suitable for seasoned walkers, and being part of. 800 miles, almost 1500 kilometers, of hiking trails.
Know that it is also possible to rent bicycles , or even bring yours back, or organize horse rides!
The climb
Passionate about climbing? No problem, paths are available to exercise you to the joys of the climber, the most known of the park or even of the world being the majestic wall of El Capitan one of the most mythical and majestic in the world, offered to the stars of the discipline who came to visit Yosemite National Park!
Wildlife and flora
And if you don’t taste sporting activities in general, know that many other points of interest are waiting for you: for example, nature lovers can spend hours observing fauna and flora, varied and protected in this space monitored 24 hours: daims, bears, wolves, birds, insects, centenary sequoias majestic, meadows with loss of view, endemic flowers and plant species are legion on the side of Yosemite National Park.
Yosemite village
If civilization is missing, no problem is going to drink a beer in a picturesque bistro , enjoy a grilled meat in a restaurant or discover the Yosemite Museum of Yosemite Village, welcoming the gallery dedicated to the photographer Ansel Adams who spent his life immortalizing the park in black and white.
How do I go to Yosemite National Park?
From San Francisco
- By car
Located in the centre-east of California, four hours’ drive from San Francisco and six hours from Los Angeles, the park is crossed by the CA120 (Tioga Road) from east to west, but is also accessible by the south by borrowing the CA40: in fact, there are four main entrances that allow access to Yosemite National Park by road, two west, one east and one south.
- By bus
From San Francisco, several excursions are available to go to Yosemite Park. Aboard a bus or minibus, go for a bus whole day discovering the park and its wonders. On the program, many stops where you will have the opportunity to discover the places by yourself if you wish, including the uncontourable cascade of the site. A guided tour with a guide driver who promises a time rich in discoveries.
Note : excursions do not include lunch.
On site
Once on site, and if you come with your own vehicle, traffic can be extremely difficult, especially during the winter season as the park is located at altitude and is therefore frequently snowed: for example, Tioga Road, which passes almost 3000 meters above sea level, is often closed from early November until June!
If you don’t have a disappointment, what you are advised at Wanderlix is to abandon your vehicle on one of the many parking lots scattered in the park and use the shuttle lines, totally free of charge, offering bus service every 10 to 30 minutes all points of interest and hiking tours on site: the green line, called Shuttle Valley and the violet, El Capitan Shuttle .
When you visit Yosemite National Park, here is what you need to know:
- first line is available throughout the year and serves most of the leading sites,
- second is only available from mid-June to early October and focuses on the west of the valley,
- One Third line From the South entrance you can reach Mariposa Grove, a sequoias bosquet whose oldest, Grizzly Giant, is at least 2000 years old!
Schedules & Rates of Yosemite National Park
Photo credit: Shutterstock / De Maks Ershov
HORARI
The park
It is possible to visit Yosemite National Park at any time: the park is open 24/7, regardless of the season.
Excursions
In general, excursions are available daily in summer, and from Thursday to Sunday in winter. Regardless of your choice, you should be aware of its validity which may vary from one agency to another.
RATES
The park
- Piéton $20
- Moto $30
- Vehicle $35
Note : The entry ticket is valid seven days for your vehicle, but does not have an expiration date if you are on foot.
Excursions
The cost of an excursion depends on the duration of the excursion, its place of departure, as well as the tour options it includes. For a classic trip from San Francisco, count 142€ per person for a whole day.
BON A LEARN
- Des storage instructions waste and food will be given to you when you enter the park; They aim to protect the tourists from. bears, present, greedy and curious! - Pets must be kept on a leash, stay less than 30 metres from roads and parking spaces and are formally prohibited on hiking trails. -The Yosemite valley is at an average altitude of 1200 metres; It is no longer covered with snow in the spring but some high points, such as Tuolumne Meadows and its 2627 meters often remain covered with a pretty white coat until the beginning of the summer. Prudence ! -Des violent fires frequently declare to Yosemite during the summer season. Beware of these and, of course, try not to inadvertently trigger one! - Preview two days to see the park’s main points of interest. This will normally be sufficient to fully enjoy your stay when you come to visit Yosemite National Park.
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