Yosemite – Syndication Server

Your Yosemite National Park questions, answered

Get the info you need.

California is a state that enjoys a bounty of natural wonders. In fact, it has the most national parks of any state in America. The state’s nine national parks include Channel Islands, Death Valley, Joshua Tree, Sequoia & Kings Canyon, Lassen Volcanic, Pinnacles, Redwood, and last but not least, Yosemite.

Yosemite National Park is the third oldest national park, after Yellowstone and Sequoia. Established as a national park in 1872, Yosemite also became a World Heritage Site in 1984. The site protects roughly 750,000 acres of meadows, valleys, mountains, and more. These stunning landscapes help make Yosemite one of the country’s most visited national parks. Before you visit, get to know the area with these answers to some of the most commonly asked Yosemite National Park questions. Plus, find resources to help you plan your trip.

A mountain range overlooking a lake. — *Photo by DJM Photos*

Where is Yosemite National Park?

Let’s start with the basics. Where is Yosemite National Park? As the park website explains, since Yosemite “covers nearly 1,200 square miles of mountainous terrain in the Sierra Nevada of California” there is no “single address” for the destination. When visiting the park, old-school maps and park-provided directions will be most helpful.

Visitors coming from San Francisco can expect the drive into Yosemite to take around four hours. If you’re coming from Reno, the drive will take between four and six hours. For help planning your trip, check out Yosemite’s driving directions hub for more detailed information. This resource even includes tips for driving between sites within the park.

Snow by a river with a rocky canyon in the background and the moon overhead. — *Photo by Anita Ritenour*

What to do in Yosemite?

Curious tourists will find endless things to do in Yosemite National Park. Sightseers can explore a variety of gorgeous overlooks and marvel at the majesty of El Capitan or the serenity of the Merced River. Hikers will feel on top of the world during a Half Dome Hike and can enjoy fall color on Valley Loop Trail. Rock climbers can also find fun adventures at Yosemite. Try a crack climb at Merced River Canyon, go alpine climbing at Cathedral Peak, or do a trad climb up El Capitan. This guide will point you toward even more climbing options at Yosemite.

That’s not all Yosemite has to offer, though. Scenic drives, wildlife viewing, biking, fishing, stargazing, and more make the park paradise for active travelers. Yosemite also ranks as one of the top 10 most accessible national parks, so everyone can join in on the fun.

A gray mountain. — *Photo by docentjoyce*

What to see in Yosemite National Park?

Now that you know some of the activities available at Yosemite, let’s dive into the incredible things you’ll see when you visit. With 1,200 square miles of wild beauty, Yosemite National Park has a lot of sights to see. Here are a few of the park’s most iconic landmarks to look out for:

El Capitan
Half Dome
Bridalveil Fall
Glacier Point
Mariposa Grove
Merced River
Tunnel View
Tuolumne Meadows
Yosemite Falls
Cathedral Peak

If you’re near Yosemite during February, you’ll also want to try catching a glimpse of firefall at Horsetail Fall. Here’s a glimpse of the magic you’ll be able to see there.

Water flowing off Horsetail Fall glows orange while backlit from the setting sun. — *Photo by FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP via Getty Images*

Tackle these thrilling climbs in Yosemite National Park

Would you climb El Capitan?

Scramble to new heights at one of the country’s most beloved national parks. Described as a “climber’s playground,” Yosemite National Park provides thrillseekers with several great spots to climb. Before Outdoors Wire clues you in on the park’s best climbing locations, here’s what you should know.

As most experienced adventurers know, Leave No Trace principles should guide every outdoor expedition. For climbers, this means being mindful of and minimizing their impact on the cliffs and mountains they ascend. Thousands of climbers visit Yosemite every year, and conservation guidelines help them avoid damaging the park’s natural beauty. Before your climbing trip, read up on these guidelines here. Once you’re prepared, start the fun part of trip planning with this list of Yosemite National Park’s best climbing locations.

Witness the warmth of “firefall” at Yosemite National Park

See the park light up.

California’s Yosemite National Park leaves visitors in awe every day. After all, the dazzling waterfalls, summits, and giant sequoias are extraordinary sights to behold. But on Feb. 15, the park’s rare and incredible “firefall” helped the park’s beauty reach people worldwide.

What is firefall? At Yosemite National Park, firefall is an eye-catching natural wonder that occurs when sunset lights up the water flowing over Horsetail Fall on El Capitan’s eastern edge. When clear skies and water conditions allow it, the phenomenon takes place in mid- to late February.

Explore photos of this spectacle below, and learn more about the history of firefall (including the now-defunct tradition of human-created firefalls) here.

Watch: Hiker lets bear pass within petting distance on narrow trail

Without other options, a hiker on a narrow trail did what she sensed was the only thing she could do when a bear came walking at her.

Without other apparent options, a hiker on a narrow trail overlooking Southern California did what she sensed was the only thing she could do when a bear came sauntering down the trail right toward her. She stayed calm and still, and let it pass.

The encounter occurred last month on the Mt. Wilson Trail above Sierra Madre, located east of Pasadena. The bear came within petting distance of Victoria Pham, whose previous bear training helped her assess the situation.

“This is a Black Bear (in California) and they are generally easily scared off,” Pham wrote on Instagram. “I used to work in Yosemite National Park where I’ve gone through bear training and worked in Search & Rescue, so I’m quite familiar with bear behavior and body language.

Also on FTW Outdoors: ‘Blockhead’ who posed for photo with wild horse is kicked…and cited

“I do recognize that it is a BEAR and can do serious damage. I was already on trail where I wouldn’t be able to outrun the bear going downhill or engage the bear to go back up the trail since there were hikers ahead.

“Know that if I was in Montana or anywhere else in the world, I most definitely would NOT be standing there letting it pass.”

Pham posted video of the close encounter on Instagram (which can be seen below on most servers).

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Victoria Pham (@pham.victoria)

“There were actually a few people behind me,” she told KTLA. “They weren’t in the video, but they were talking to me, like ‘Hey, what are you doing?’ I’m like, ‘I’m going to let it pass.’ They asked, ‘Are you sure?’ and I said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to let it pass. It’s the best thing to do right now.’”

Fortunately, she was right.

[listicle id=1956609]

Yosemite wildfire closes Mariposa Grove, forces evacuations

A fire is blazing across Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove.

One of America’s most beloved national parks is on fire. On July 7, the Yosemite National Park Facebook page announced the Washburn Fire. Estimated at 60-70 acres, the Yosemite wildfire forced the closure of Mariposa Grove, the park’s largest grove of giant sequoias. The area was evacuated, and Yosemite National Park’s website advises nearby residents to prepare for further evacuations.

According to The Guardian, the closure marks Yosemite’s first major shutdown since 1988. However, additional closures may be on the horizon as temperatures rise. Some park officials have specifically voiced concern for climate change’s disproportionate impact on national parks in the United States.

Fire in the middle of a forest. — Via Yosemite NPS Facebook.

“Every single one of our national parks is suffering from the effects of climate change, from record-breaking wildfires and droughts to rising sea levels and the destruction of cultural resources,” Stephanie Kodish, the climate change program director at the National Parks Conservation Association, wrote in June.

As firefighters work to suppress the Washburn Fire, many worry about what further environmental disasters may lie ahead. With protection measures limited after the Supreme Court decision to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from mandating emission reductions, national parks may need to prepare for additional emergencies.

“The decision, reached on a 6-3 partisan split, will have wide-ranging and deeply harmful consequences for air quality and the health of the climate,” Kodish added.

Yosemite ‘snake emergency’ prompts warning to visitors

Fires and smoke aren’t the only hazards visitors to Yosemite need to be concerned about these days, rattlesnakes are another serious threat.

Fires and smoke aren’t the only hazards visitors to Yosemite National Park need to be concerned about these days, rattlesnakes are another serious threat.

Park officials reported a noticeable uptick in rattlesnake bites in the greater Yosemite region this summer, and after two bites in a three-day period recently, they were prompted to issue a warning and advice on how to handle an encounter with a rattlesnake, also listing the dos and don’ts if bitten:

Keep your distance. Rattlesnakes can strike only a distance equal to half their own length.

Watch where you step or reach with your hands. Use extra care when opening and closing food lockers.

Stand still if you think you hear a snake. As soon as you’ve located the snake, move away.

Beware of snakes without a rattle—baby rattlesnakes don’t have rattles and adult rattles can break off.

If bitten, do remain calm and move slowly, and seek medical attention.

If bitten, don’t apply a tourniquet, apply ice to the wound or attempt to suck the venom out of the wound.

Hiking or backpacking with a satellite messenger might be another good piece of advice, as the latest incidents suggest.

A backpacker in the Glen Aulin area used a satellite messenger device on behalf of another backpacker to request a “snake emergency.”

The man in his mid-30s was bitten by a rattlesnake while fishing barefoot in the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. The victim stepped on a rock, causing it to shift under his weight and suddenly a rattlesnake bit him on the left foot. It was apparently underneath the rock.

Also on FTW Outdoors: Alligator grows at alarming rate; officials think they know why

The victim’s wife left to seek help while another backpacker stayed with her husband. She hooked up with the backpacker who had a satellite messenger device and reported the coordinates. A California Highway Patrol helicopter flew in for a rescue, and the victim was eventually transported to a Modesto hospital. He was treated and was expected to be released Friday Sept. 11 or Saturday Sept. 12, more than a week after being bitten.

Two days later, a hiker on steep terrain was with two others when bitten in the knee a few miles up the Chilnualna Falls trail in Wawona.

“We were on the trail, hiking by ankle-high shurbs, when out of the blue—with no rattle, no hiss, no sound whatsoever—a snake struck,” one hiker recalled to park officials.

The Yosemite Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call from one of the hikers. They originally put a tourniquet on the victim’s left leg above the wound, but a park ranger-paramedic told them to remove it immediately.

Also on FTW Outdoors: A human-sized bat? It’s big, and photo is real, but…

“Applying a tourniquet to a limb that has been envenomated blocks blood flow and can lead to tissue damage,” Yosemite Search and Rescue reported. “For the same reason, do not apply ice to a rattlesnake bite.”

A contracted helicopter from Sequoia and Kings Canyon made the rescue. The victim was treated for dehydration, nausea and pain on the way to a hospital in Modesto. The victim was to be released over the weekend.

Photos courtesy of Yosemite National Park and Wikipedia Commons.