YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK |
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But then Mother Nature went to work! Over the next few million years,the area known today as the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and tilted, increasing the steepness of streams and rivers and resulting in deep narrow canyons. Fast forward again, and the earth has turned cold - snow and ice accumulate, forming glaciers. Now we're standing on a river of ice that's moving imperceptibly through the V-shaped channel forged previously by rivers and streams. The ice is carving the valley wider, breaking off chunks of granite, wearing other chunks smooth, carrying what it can with it; forging a new look... |
Now we're back in today's world. The ice is gone and we're standing atop Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park, looking out on what nature has wrought. A beautiful U-shaped valley dotted with magnificent granite outcroppings with names like El Capitan and Half Dome.
The National Park was created on October 1, 1890, largely through the efforts of Century Magazine editor, Robert Underwood Johnson and amateur naturalist & Scotsman, John Muir. And Yosemite was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984.
Today, because of its majesty and beauty, Yosemite National Park is visited by an estimated 3.5 million people per year, who come from every corner of the globe!
They come to stay in one of Yosemite's many lodges; or for the experience of camping in Yosemite; they come to hike its many trails; to climb its granite outcrops; to feel the spray of its waterfalls, and to ski its slopes.
WHAT MAKES YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK SO SPECIAL?
After all, there are probably thousands of national parks all over the world - in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, New Zealand, Russia, all of the Americas! They each have their special features, otherwise they wouldn't have been worth preserving . . .
And each park has it's fans and its proponents - but is there anyone who wouldn't want to visit Yosemite given the opportunity? I don't think so!
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Is it the drama of the landscape that makes this national park more unique than most?
Thundering cascading waterfalls free-falling thousands of feet juxtaposed against gargantuan granite monoliths...
A fertile womb-like valley that nurtures 3000 year old giant sequoias...
Pristine alpine meadows giving birth each year to multi-hued groups of wild flowers - who wouldn't be awestruck!
But it's more than the drama. It's also the sense of peace you feel, sitting alongside the Merced River listening to the birds in the pines and watching in wonder as a doe and her twins emerge from the woods for a drink.
And it's the consciousness of your own mortality when you look down from your sling as you're climbing El Capitan.
It's being awakened before sunrise by squabbling Stellar's Jays after hearing the grumbly roar of a distant mountain lion during the night.
And it's hiking for an hour or two without seeing another soul (yes, believe it or not it's possible!) while you imagine what it must have been like as a member of the Ahwahneechee tribe, living off the bountiful land.
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It's also watching the park change through the seasons when you're lucky enough to live nearby!
As the snows melt in Spring, wildflowers fill the meadows and blooming Dogwoods line the roadside...
Soon the rivers, streams, and waterfalls are fast-flowing and spectacular!
Summer brings the vacationing hordes along with warm days and cool nights, camping under the stars and marshmallow s'mores, then bleeds into Autumn as the nights turn crispy and the leaves change to purples, oranges, yellows, and reds.
And given the chance, who could resist Yosemite in winter! Towering Redwoods with their flocking of white, pristine snow blankets covering the meadows, and more quiet than you've ever experienced!
Yosemite National Park is open year round and, in fact, the best time to go is not necessarily in the summer as you might think.
That's when the throngs show up and take over the valley. Which is okay if you like crowds - lots of people do!
But if you really want to see Yosemite the way it's meant to be seen, visit in the late Fall when the colors are changing; or in the winter, when there's ice on the river; or in the early Spring as the buds begin to paint a soft green haze on the branches...
(For my Insider Secret on how to enjoy summer in Yosemite without the crowds, click here.)
Whether you come for the campgrounds or to stay in one of the many lodges...
Or for a very special stay at the
historic Ahwahnee Hotel...
Whether you're into hiking, rock climbing, photography, wildlife, or snowshoes...
Unless you live nearby like I do
(make that even when you live nearby
like I do)...
Plan to spend at least a few days inside Yosemite so you can really experience the majesty of the park.
Want to know what your options are for staying inside the park?
Yosemite Lodging
From luxury hotels to tent cabins & more!
Do you love to camp under the stars - one with nature? There's NO better place have that experience than Yosemite National Park!
Yosemite Campgrounds
Not ALL camping's the same you know - check out the wide variety of campground options in Yosemite.
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