California: Yosemite National Park

Hello friends,

I will continue the list of national parks I visited in California with Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite is one of the most famous national parks of United States, with more than 4 million visitors each year. The park covers around 1,200 square miles, out of which 95% is designated wilderness.

The main attraction of the park is Yosemite Valley, a glacial valley situated in western Sierra Nevada mountains. Yosemite Valley represents only one percent of the park, but it attracts the majority of the tourists and, being home of the most famous rocks and waterfalls of the park: El Capitan, Half Dome, Yosemite Falls.

Yosemite holds a great historical significance - it is the first national land designated for preservation and public use (The Yosemite Grand, a bill designated to protect the area, was signed by President Abraham Lincon in 1864). It is the precedent for all future American National Parks. This is another example of how much Californians appreciate the nature.

This place was a must see on my list when moving to California and I was able to visit it twice in the last couple of years. Both times were great getaways for a weekend of nature and no technology (except for the camera). Here are some of the pictures I took during my last trip, in October:

El Capitan is a granite vertical formation of 3000 feet (900m) and one of the world's top rock climbing destinations

Yosemite Valley

Tunnel View is a scenic overlook of Yosemite Valley, El Capitan (on the left side) and Half Dome (on axis).

Yosemite Falls , the highest waterfall in Yosemite National Park