Yosemite is a national park in the Sierra Nevada (California, United States). It has one of the most beautiful granite plateaus on earth.
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Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular in the USA, which is also reflected in the enormous number of visitors of around 4 million per year. The park is completely overcrowded, especially in the July / August holiday season, and weekends are also over because of the many weekenders from the area San Francisco or. los Angeles hardly recommendable. However, around 90% of visitors focus on the Yosemite Valley, which is easily accessible by car.
history
The US Senate placed 1,500 square miles under special protection in the Yosemite area on October 1, 1890, soon afterwards described as Yosemite National Park. In 1906 the area was expanded to include Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove. So the is formal Yellowstone National Park older, but the protection of Yosemite was reaffirmed on June 30, 1864 by the signing of the Yosemite Grant by Abraham Lincoln.
landscape
Flora and fauna
The vegetation is very diverse with 37 tree species counted here, including sequoia trees. A large number of herbs and wildflowers are found in the mountain meadows. While humans have exterminated some animal species such as the grizzly and the wolf, black bears, ground squirrels, chipmunks, fish martens, mule deer, pumas and whistles can still be found in large numbers.
climate
In summer it is warm and dry in the park. However, in winter it can get quite cold. Most of the rainfall occurs between December and March.
getting there
The park has four entrances:
- From the northwest, e.g. B. San Francisco/ Bay Area over the 120
- from the west, e.g. B. Merced over the 140,
- from the south, e.g. B. Fresno over the 41 or
- from the Sierra in the east over the Tioga Pass (120). This street is only open in summer (June-October).
Amtrak advertises a direct train from the Bay Area to Yosemite for customers. The train goes to Merced, where you have to change to a bus that arrives at the park after two hours. Since only the train from Emeryville If it takes four hours, but the car or bus only two, this approach is quite tedious. Nonetheless, this option is a good choice for long-distance train travelers and rail enthusiasts.
Fees / permits
An entrance fee must be paid at all entrances, which entitles you to any number of entries and exits for seven days. In 2012 the fee was US $ 20 per car including occupants. For pedestrians, bus passengers, cyclists or motorcyclists US $ 10. The annual pass costs US $ 40. As an alternative there is still the National Parks Pass which is valid for one year and entitles you to visit all US national parks.
In addition, overnight hikes in the wilderness of the park are so-called wilderness permits These are available free of charge at the park entrances or, out of season, from the Yosemite Village Visitor Center. Special bear-proof food containers that can be borrowed are mandatory for this. A special permit is required for the hike to the summit of Half Dome, for which only one contingent is available per day.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
- 1 Visitor center
- 1 Glacier Point.
Gigantic vantage point on a mountain height. - 2 Yosemite Falls.North America's highest waterfall (total height 739 m). The waterfall consists of two levels - the upper waterfall (440 m) and the lower waterfall (98 m). However, often dried out in autumn and then not really worth seeing.
- 3 Tioga Pass.This pass road in the north of the park is probably the most beautiful stretch of the national park that can be reached by car. For the 55-mile route you should plan a full day with the way back. The road is only passable in summer and you should take into account that the distance climbs up to 3,000 m, which can lead to health problems.
- 4 Tenaya Lake.The glacier lake, which is well worth seeing, is at an altitude of 2484 m.
- 5 El Capitan.A famous 1000 m high rock face that is used by many climbers.
- 6 Sentinel waterfall. The waterfall with a total height difference of approx. 600 m is located on the southern slope of the valley. The best view on the way to Yosemite waterfall. Dry in June.
- 7 Vernal case.little water in October.
- 8 Mariposa Grove.The largest of the three sequoia groves in the park with around 200 trees. Right next to the south entrance of the park. A 24-month restoration project will begin here in July 2015, which means that the area is only accessible to a very limited extent.
- 9 Tuolumne Grove.a forest with about 25 sequoias.
- 10 Merced Grove.a forest with about 20 sequoias.
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activities
Hiking, mountaineering, free climbing, bouldering, slackline, cycling, swimming, paddling, horse riding.
shop
At the southern entrance or exit there is a small village (Fish Camp) after about one kilometer. In the general store there you can buy a small sequoia tree (10/2011: 10 USD). It is about 5 cm tall and is closed in a small plastic box. I took one with me to Germany and today (after 5 years) it is already 2 meters tall and is an ornament in my garden.
kitchen
accommodation
Hotels and hostels
- The Ahwahnee ****. Spectacular grand hotel in the middle of the Yosemite Valley. It means you have to book at least a year in advance.
- Cedar Lodge. Motel located in El Portal near the entrance to the national park on Highway 140. Nicely located motel with a bit careless and darkly furnished rooms. The comparatively good breakfast buffet can do a lot here.Feature: Garni.
- Tioga Pass Resort. You live in small wooden houses near the Tioga Pass at an altitude of almost 3,000 m just outside the national park border in the middle of the most beautiful high mountains. Open in summer until the beginning of October, in winter from mid-December.
- Curry Village. offers overnight stays from $ 40 for two people in unheated tented cabins (which can get very cold at night) as well as other significantly more expensive permanent accommodations on a site similar to a campsite. Breakfast and Dinner is offered as a buffet (around $ 10 and $ 12).
Overnight stays in Yosemite are generally very expensive. If you want to stay a little cheaper, drive out of the national park and take a motel in one of the nearest cities. Follow Highway 120 at the west exit after about an hour MariposaThe town is about half an hour past Yosemite on the 120 to the east Lee Vining.
camping
There are several campsites in the national park itself. The Visitor Center in Yosemite Village will inform you about the occupancy. Attention: The places are extremely busy even in the off-season.
security
- Bears: There are many black bears in the national park that are not directly dangerous to humans. However, the animals search for food with great destructive power and can tear up tents and cause serious damage to locked cars. Therefore, all food supplies in the national park are to be stored in special storage containers. These are permanently installed in parking lots and campsites. Otherwise, small transportable containers can be borrowed. Through these measures, the number of bear incidents has been reduced in recent years, but it is still well over 100 incidents per year.
- Mountain lions: As mountain lion are commonly referred to as the pumas or panthers found in the national park. In the case of such a rare encounter, stop and slowly withdraw, if necessary scream loudly and make noise, do not run away quickly - as a rule, however, people are not attacked.
- Forest fires: In autumn there is usually a very high risk of forest fires due to the prolonged drought in summer. A distinction must be made between such unplanned fires and the planned fires that the rangers light every year in certain changing areas. You will be informed everywhere about such fires and the associated benefits for nature, and certain hiking trails may be temporarily blocked as a result.
trips
- Up in the sierra east to Mono Lake and on to the ghost town Bodie.
- In the neighboring Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
- It takes about 4 hours to go west San Francisco and the Bay Area.
- It takes about a day to go to the southeast Death Valley National Park and after Las Vegas.
literature
Web links
- Homepage of the national park
- The Yosemite Valley Railroad - yes, the national park once had its own rail connection, until 1945. After various natural disasters, the line was simply shut down, as is so often the case in the USA. Today many visitors want the train back, because the road from Merced has to contend with increasing capacity and environmental problems.
- Yosemite bus tours from San Francisco
- Visitor center
