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Yosemite National Park
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| Half Dome at dusk in Yosemite National Park, California (Don Smith/Photodisc/Getty) (Kennan Ward) |
Yosemite National Park
Established: 1890
Acreage: 761,266
Average Yearly Visitors: 3,306,000
Location: East-central California, 200 miles east of San Francisco
Contact Details
Yosemite National Park
P.O. Box 577
Yosemite, CA 95389
Phone: 209-372-0200
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- Yosemite Valley is the centerpiece of the park. Sprayed by thousand-foot waterfalls and framed by monumental granite spires—including Half Dome, which is to the High Sierra what the swoosh is to Nike—it's perhaps the most famous glacially carved landscape in the world.
- And of course there's lots more to this marquee national park than just the valley. From the peak-ringed and wildflower-studded Tuolumne Meadows to the Mariposa Grove's gargantuan sequoias, from the rushing waters of the Merced River to the huge views from Glacier Point, you'll find cause for wonder in every corner of Yosemite.
- At 10,087 feet, Saddlebag Lake is the highest lake to which you can drive in California. Set in a stark landscape high above treeline, the lake and its neighboring 20-site campground are only five miles from the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite. A boat taxi shuttles hikers and anglers across the lake to the 20 Lakes Basin in the Hoover Wilderness.
- If you seek the seclusion of a grove of aspen trees or the convenience of a fish-filled stream just a few feet from your tent, you'll love Boulder and Aspen Campgrounds in Lee Vining Canyon, just east of Tioga Pass. Camp here in autumn for an unforgettable fall color show.
- Start early in the morning to set out for the approximately 12-hour hike to the magnificent Half Dome. The final climb to the top requires using cables to ascend.
- A short walk up a paved trail to the bottom of Lower Yosemite Fall provides great views of all of Yosemite Falls, plus a close-up of the lower fall. Note that this waterfall is often dry from August through October.
- For advanced rock climbers, Snake Dike is the easiest technical climbing route to the top of the famous Half Dome. The summit of Half Dome rises 5,000 feet above the Yosemite Valley floor and provides amazing views of Yosemite and the High Sierra.
- Though ice climbing can be found in Yosemite, it's a good idea to always check with local climbers and review current weather conditions. The valley is too low to maintain reliable conditions, so often climbs are only in good condition for a week.
Published: 23 Oct 2008 | Last Updated: 15 Sep 2010
Details mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication
Details mentioned in this article were accurate at the time of publication
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