Yosemite National Park is a national park in the United States located in California. It is near the Sierra National Forest to the southeast and the Stanislaus National Forest to the northwest. The park is managed by the National Park Service and covers an area of 1,187 square miles (3,070 square kilometers) across four counties—Tuolumne and Mariposa are central, while Mono and Madera are to the north, east, and south. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is known worldwide for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, giant sequoia trees, lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and rich variety of plant and animal life. Nearly 95% of the park is protected as wilderness. Yosemite is one of the largest and least broken habitat areas in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The park’s geology includes granite and older rocks. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was lifted and tilted, creating steep slopes that formed deep, narrow canyons. About one million years ago, glaciers formed at higher elevations and moved downslope, shaping the U-shaped Yosemite Valley.
Humans may have first arrived in the area 10,000 to 8,000 years ago. Native Americans lived in the region for nearly 4,000 years before European Americans arrived by 1833. The first well-documented arrival of European Americans in Yosemite Valley happened in 1851 when the Mariposa Battalion, led by James D. Savage and ordered by Governor McDougal, attacked the Ahwahneechee people there.
Yosemite played an important role in creating the idea of national parks. Galen Clark and others worked to protect Yosemite Valley from development, which led to President Abraham Lincoln signing the Yosemite Grant of 1864, making the area federally protected land. In 1890, environmentalist John Muir helped Congress create Yosemite Valley and its surrounding areas as a National Park. This action helped establish the National Park System. Yosemite receives about four million visitors each year. Most visitors spend time in the valley’s seven square miles (18 square kilometers). The park had its highest number of visitors in 2016, when it welcomed more than five million people. In 2024, the park received over four million visitors.
Toponym
The name Yosemite comes from the Miwok word yohhe'meti, which means "they are killers." This name was historically used by the Miwok people to describe the Ahwahneechee, the original people who lived in the area. Before this, the Ahwahneechee called the region "Ahwahnee," which means "big mouth" in their language. The Miwok word Yosemite is often confused with another similar word that means "grizzly bear," and this mistake is still common today.
History
The first people who lived in Yosemite called themselves the Ahwahneechee, which means "dwellers" in their language. The Ahwahneechee were the only tribe that lived inside the park, but other tribes lived nearby. Together, they were part of a larger group of Indigenous people in California called the Southern Sierra Miwok. These people were related to the Northern Paiute and Mono tribes. Other tribes, like the Central Sierra Miwoks and the Yokuts, who lived in the San Joaquin Valley and central California, visited Yosemite to trade goods and marry. This helped their cultures mix, which helped them survive when early American settlers arrived and changed the land. The plants and animals in the area were similar to today, and acorns, seeds, plants, salmon, and deer were important parts of their diet.
The California Gold Rush from 1848 to 1855 greatly affected the Native population. More than 90,000 European Americans came to the area in 1849, causing conflicts over resources between miners and Native people. Before the Gold Rush, about 300,000 Indigenous people lived in California, but their numbers dropped quickly. By the time of the Gold Rush, there were about 150,000, and by 1860, only about 50,000 remained. The reasons for this decline included disease, lower birth rates, starvation, and fighting. In Yosemite, this fighting became known as the Mariposa War, which was part of a larger event called the California genocide. This was a planned killing of Indigenous people across the state from the 1840s to the 1870s. The war began in December 1850 when the state of California funded a group of soldiers to drive Native people out of areas where they lived to stop resistance to European settlers.
Yosemite tribes sometimes stole from settlers and miners as revenge for the loss of their lands, families, and resources. The Mariposa War and the creation of the Mariposa Battalion were partly caused by an event in December 1850 when a trader named James Savage had his trading post attacked. After this, Savage gathered other miners and got support from local officials to fight Native people. He was made a U.S. Army major and led the Mariposa Battalion starting in 1851. He and Captain John Boling chased the Ahwahneechee people, led by Chief Tenaya, and forced them to leave Yosemite. In March 1851, the battalion captured about 70 Ahwahneechee and planned to take them to a reservation in Fresno, but they escaped. Later, in May 1851, the battalion captured 35 Ahwahneechee, including Chief Tenaya, and marched them to the reservation. Most were allowed to leave, and some escaped. Chief Tenaya and others fled to join the Mono Lake Paiute tribe. Tenaya and some of his followers were killed in 1853, possibly over stealing horses or a gambling dispute. The remaining Ahwahneechee people were absorbed into the Mono Lake Paiute tribe.
Accounts from the Mariposa Battalion were the first detailed records of European Americans entering Yosemite Valley. A doctor named Lafayette Bunnell, who was part of Savage’s unit, later wrote about his impressions of Yosemite in a book called The Discovery of the Yosemite. Bunnell is credited with naming Yosemite Valley, based on interviews with Chief Tenaya. Bunnell incorrectly believed the word "Yosemite" meant "full-grown grizzly bear."
After the Mariposa War, Native Americans continued to live in Yosemite in smaller numbers. The remaining Ahwahneechee were forced to move to a village built by the state government in 1851. They adapted to their new lives by working in the tourism industry, running small businesses, and selling goods. By the late 1800s, it was hard to estimate how many Native people lived in Yosemite, with estimates ranging from 30 to several hundred. The Ahwahneechee and their descendants were difficult to identify. The last full-blooded Ahwahneechee, named Totuya or Maria Lebrado, died in 1931. She was the granddaughter of Chief Tenaya and one of many people forced from their homeland. The Ahwahneechee people live on through the memories of their descendants, other Yosemite Natives, and exhibits at the Smithsonian and Yosemite Museum. In 1851 and 1852, Indigenous people proposed treaties to create land reservations, but Congress refused to approve them. The Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation still seeks tribal sovereignty and federal recognition.
In 1953, the National Park Service banned non-employee Native people from living in the park and evicted those who lived there. In 1969, the National Park Service removed the few remaining Native families from the park, destroying their village during a fire-fighting exercise. A reconstructed "Indian Village of Ahwahnee" now stands behind the Yosemite Museum, near the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. The National Park Service has created rules to protect sacred sites and allow Native people to return to their lands and use park resources.
In 1855, entrepreneur James Mason Hutchings and artist Thomas Ayres were the first tourists to visit Yosemite. Hutchings and Ayres helped promote Yosemite by writing articles and publishing special issues about the valley. Ayres’ artwork was detailed and exaggerated, and his drawings were shown in New York City. Hutchings’ efforts from 1855 to 1860 increased tourism to Yosemite. Native people supported the growing tourism industry by working as laborers, maids, guides, and by selling handmade goods, such as woven baskets. The Indian village and its people fascinated visitors, especially Hutchings, who believed the presence of Native people was one of Yosemite’s greatest attractions.
Wawona was an early camp for Nuchu and Ahwahneechee people who were captured and moved to a reservation on the Fresno River by Savage and the Mariposa Battalion in 1851. In 1857, Galen Clark discovered the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias in Wawona. He built simple lodgings and roads there. In 1879, the Wawona Hotel was built to serve tourists visiting the grove. As tourism grew, more trails and hotels were built.
The Wawona Tree, also called the Tunnel Tree, was a giant sequoia in the Mariposa Grove. It was 234 feet tall and 90 feet around. In 1881, a tunnel was cut through the tree to make it a tourist attraction. Carriages and cars passed through the
Geography
Yosemite National Park is located in the central Sierra Nevada. Three wilderness areas are near Yosemite: the Ansel Adams Wilderness to the southeast, the Hoover Wilderness to the northeast, and the Emigrant Wilderness to the north.
The park covers 1,189 miles (3,080 kilometers) and includes thousands of lakes and ponds, 1,600 miles (2,600 kilometers) of streams, 800 miles (1,300 kilometers) of hiking trails, and 350 miles (560 kilometers) of roads. Two rivers, the Merced and the Tuolumne, are protected as Wild and Scenic Rivers. These rivers begin in Yosemite and flow westward into California’s Central Valley.
Most of the park’s landforms are made from granitic rock from the Sierra Nevada Batholith, which is a large mass of rock formed deep underground. About 5% of the park’s land (mainly near Mount Dana) is made of metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks. These rocks once formed the top layer over the granitic rock below.
Erosion shapes valleys, canyons, and domes by working on cracks and joints in the rock. These cracks do not move and are not faults. The spacing between cracks depends on the amount of silica in the granite and granodiorite rocks. More silica makes the rock stronger, creating larger spaces between cracks.
Pillars and columns, like Washington Column and Lost Arrow, form from cross-shaped cracks. Erosion along large cracks shapes valleys and canyons. Over millions of years, large alpine glaciers have been the main force shaping the landscape, turning V-shaped river valleys into U-shaped canyons, such as Yosemite Valley and Hetch Hetchy Valley. Exfoliation, caused by crystals in plutonic rocks expanding at the surface, creates domes like Half Dome and North Dome and arches like Royal Arches.
Yosemite Valley covers only 1% of the park. Tunnel View offers a view of the valley. El Capitan is a large granite cliff that rises over the valley and is popular with rock climbers because of its size, many climbing routes, and year-round access. The park has many granite domes, including Sentinel Dome and Half Dome, which rise 3,000 and 4,800 feet (910 and 1,460 meters) above the valley floor. Taft Point is a high spot that looks down 3,500 feet (1,100 meters) to the valley.
The high country of Yosemite includes areas like Tuolumne Meadows, Dana Meadows, the Clark Range, the Cathedral Range, and the Kuna Crest. The Sierra Crest and the Pacific Crest Trail pass through the park. Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs are peaks made of red metamorphic rock. Granite peaks include Mount Conness, Cathedral Peak, and Matterhorn Peak. Mount Lyell is the highest point in the park, standing at 13,120 feet (4,000 meters). The Lyell Glacier is the largest glacier in the park and one of the few remaining in the Sierra.
The park has three groves of ancient giant sequoia trees: the Mariposa Grove (200 trees), the Tuolumne Grove (25 trees), and the Merced Grove (20 trees). This tree species is the largest by volume and among the tallest and oldest in the world.
The Tuolumne and Merced Rivers begin in the Sierra and have carved deep canyons up to 3,000 to 4,000 feet (910 to 1,220 meters) deep. The Tuolumne River drains the northern part of the park, covering about 680 square miles (1,800 square kilometers). The Merced River starts in the southern peaks of the park and drains about 511 square miles (1,320 square kilometers).
Water processes, including glaciers, floods, and river activity, have shaped the park’s landforms. The park has about 3,200 lakes, two reservoirs, and 1,700 miles (2,700 kilometers) of streams. Wetlands are common in valley bottoms and are connected to lakes and rivers through seasonal flooding and groundwater. Meadow habitats, found between 3,000 and 11,000 feet (910 and 3,350 meters) in elevation, are often wetlands, as are areas near rivers and streams.
Yosemite is known for having many waterfalls in a small area. Waterfalls are especially active in April, May, and June when snow melts. Yosemite Falls in Yosemite Valley is the fourth tallest waterfall in North America, standing 2,425 feet (739 meters). Ribbon Falls, also in the valley, has the highest single drop of 1,612 feet (491 meters). Bridalveil Fall is one of the most famous waterfalls in the valley. Horsetail Fall flows over El Capitan’s eastern edge and is usually visible only in winter. On rare evenings in February
Geology
The park’s area was once a passive continental margin during the Precambrian and early Paleozoic eras. Sediment from nearby continents was carried by water and settled in shallow seas. Over time, these sediments were squeezed and changed by heat and pressure.
Heat from the Farallon Plate moving under the North American Plate created a chain of volcanoes along the west coast of proto-North America during the late Devonian and Permian periods. Rock material from these volcanoes added to the edge of North America, and mountains formed to the east in Nevada.
The first major phase of pluton formation began 210 million years ago in the late Triassic and continued through the Jurassic, ending about 150 million years before present. This process formed the Sierra Nevada Batholith, a large mass of mostly granitic rock buried about 6 miles (9.7 km) underground. Around the same time, the Nevadan orogeny created the Nevadan mountain range, which reached heights of 15,000 feet (4,600 m).
A second major phase of pluton formation occurred from 120 million to 80 million years ago during the Cretaceous. This was part of the Sevier orogeny.
Starting 20 million years ago in the Cenozoic era and ending 5 million years ago, an extinct part of the Cascade Range volcanoes erupted, depositing igneous rock across the region north of Yosemite. Volcanic activity continued east of the park in areas like Mono Lake and Long Valley.
About 10 million years ago, the Sierra fault began to lift the Sierra Nevada range. As the Sierra block tilted and rose further, streams flowing westward became steeper and carved valleys more quickly. Later, extensional forces from the Basin and Range region created Owens Valley. Uplift sped up again about 2 million years ago during the Pleistocene.
As the Sierra Nevada rose and erosion increased, granitic rocks were exposed to the surface. This led to exfoliation, a process that shaped the rounded domes in the park, and mass wasting along cracks in the solidified plutons. Glaciers during the Pleistocene further accelerated erosion, and meltwater carried rock debris from valley floors.
Vertical cracks in the rock, called joint planes, influenced where and how fast erosion happened. These long, deep cracks often run northeast or northwest and form parallel, evenly spaced lines.
Glaciers began shaping the region about 2 to 3 million years ago and ended around 10,000 years before present. At least four major glaciations occurred in the Sierra, named the Sherwin, Tahoe, Tenaya, and Tioga. The Sherwin glaciers were the largest, filling valleys like Yosemite, while later stages produced smaller glaciers. A Sherwin-age glacier likely carved Yosemite Valley and other canyons.
Glaciers reached depths of up to 4,000 feet (1,200 m) and left clear marks. The longest glacier stretched 60 miles (97 km) down the Tuolumne River’s Grand Canyon, beyond Hetch Hetchy Valley. The Merced Glacier flowed from Yosemite Valley into the Merced River Gorge, and the Lee Vining Glacier carved Lee Vining Canyon into Lake Russel, an ancient, larger version of Mono Lake. High peaks like Mount Dana and Mount Conness remained ice-free. Retreating glaciers left moraines that formed lakes, such as Lake Yosemite, which once covered much of Yosemite Valley.
Ecology and environment
Yosemite National Park has an elevation range from 2,127 to 13,114 feet (648 to 3,997 meters) and includes five major vegetation zones: chaparral and oak woodland, lower montane forest, upper montane forest, subalpine zone, and alpine. Of California’s 7,000 plant species, about half grow in the Sierra Nevada, and more than 20% are found within the park. The park is home to over 160 rare plant species, which grow in unique areas with special soil and rock conditions.
Yosemite preserves a Sierra Nevada landscape similar to how it looked before European settlers arrived. Unlike nearby areas, which have been changed by logging, the park has about 352.36 miles (912.6 kilometers) of old-growth forest. These varied habitats support more than 250 vertebrate species, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Along the park’s western edge, forests mix conifer trees like ponderosa pine, sugar pine, incense cedar, white fir, Douglas fir, and giant sequoia, with areas of black oak and canyon live oak. These forests support many wildlife species, such as black bears, coyotes, raccoons, mountain kingsnakes, Gilbert’s skinks, white-headed woodpeckers, bobcats, river otters, gray and red foxes, brown creepers, skunks, cougars, spotted owls, and bats.
At higher elevations, forests are mostly red fir, western white pine, Jeffrey pine, lodgepole pine, and foxtail pine. Fewer wildlife species live here because of the cold and simple environment. Animals include golden-mantled ground squirrels, chickarees, fishers, Steller’s jays, water ouzels, hermit thrushes, and American goshawks. Reptiles are rare but include rubber boas, western fence lizards, and northern alligator lizards.
As the land rises, trees grow smaller and are spaced farther apart, with exposed granite rock. Lodgepole pine, whitebark pine, and mountain hemlock grow here, and at the highest elevations, granite dominates. These areas have harsh climates and short growing seasons, but animals like pikas, yellow-bellied marmots, white-tailed jackrabbits, Clark’s nutcrackers, and black rosy finches are adapted to live here. Treeless alpine areas are home to Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, which are found only near Tioga Pass, where a small population was reintroduced.
Meadows at various elevations are important for wildlife. Animals feed on grasses and use water sources in meadows, and predators follow them. The area where meadows meet forests is especially valuable because it provides open spaces for foraging and cover for protection. Species that rely heavily on meadows include great grey owls, willow flycatchers, Yosemite toads, and mountain beavers.
Black bears in Yosemite were once known for stealing food from cars and gathering at garbage dumps. This led to problems with bears and humans, so the park closed dumps, replaced trash cans with bear-proof containers, and provided bear-proof food lockers at campgrounds. Park staff use methods like rubber bullets to teach bears to avoid humans. By 2001, about 30 bears were captured yearly for DNA sampling to help identify bears causing damage.
Despite the park’s rich habitats, some species have disappeared, including brown bears, California condors, and least Bell’s vireos. Another 37 species are protected under state or federal laws. Current threats include changes to natural fire patterns, invasive species, air pollution, habitat loss, and climate change. Local issues like road accidents and human food availability also affect wildlife.
Over 130 non-native plant species grow in Yosemite. These plants were introduced by early settlers in the 1850s and spread due to fires and human activities. Some non-native plants harm native species by changing ecosystems, increasing fires, or altering soil. Examples include yellow star thistle, bull thistle, common mullein, Klamath weed, sweet clover, Himalayan blackberry, cut-leaved blackberry, and large periwinkle.
Ozone pollution damages sequoia trees, making them more likely to get sick or be attacked by insects. Historically, fires were needed for sequoia seeds to grow, but fire suppression has limited their reproduction. Controlled burns may help restore natural fire patterns.
Before European settlers arrived, Indigenous people used small fires to clear land for farming. These practices helped maintain biodiversity and reduce large forest fires. However, some early fires were accidentally caused by a militia group, which led to forest damage.
Wildfires remove dead plants and allow new growth, but they can harm tourism income. In 2018, the Ferguson Fire forced the park to close temporarily, the largest closure in nearly 30 years.
Yosemite has shown signs of climate change over the past few decades.
Activities
Yosemite National Park is open all year, but some roads close during winter months, usually from November through May or June. Some trails, like The 4-Mile Trail and part of The Mist Trail, also close during winter.
Traffic in the valley is heavy during summer (June to August), and a free shuttle bus system runs in the valley during this time. Parking in the valley is often full during summer. Amtrak and YARTS provide public transportation to Yosemite from four nearby towns: Merced, Fresno, Sonora, and Mammoth Lakes/Lee Vining. The Merced route operates year-round.
The natural and cultural history of Yosemite Valley is shown at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, the Yosemite Museum, and the Nature Center at Happy Isles. The park has two National Historic Landmarks: the Sierra Club’s LeConte Memorial Lodge (Yosemite’s first public visitor center) and the Ahwahnee Hotel. Camp 4 is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Over 800 miles (1,300 km) of trails are available for hiking, ranging from easy walks to challenging mountain hikes or backpacking trips. The popular Half Dome hike to the top of Half Dome requires a permit when the cables are up (usually from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day). Each day, a maximum of 300 hikers are allowed to climb beyond the base of the subdome, including 225 day hikers and 75 backpackers.
The park is divided into five sections: Yosemite Valley, Wawona/Mariposa Grove/Glacier Point, Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy, and Crane Flat/White Wolf. Books describe park trails, and the National Park Service provides free information.
From late spring to early fall, much of the park is accessible for backpacking trips. All overnight trips in the backcountry require a wilderness permit, and most require approved bear-resistant food storage.
Some areas in Yosemite can only be reached on foot, while others are accessible by road. The most famous road is Tioga Road.
Bicycles are allowed on roads, but only 12 miles (19 km) of paved off-road trails are available in Yosemite Valley itself. Mountain biking is not allowed.
Rock climbing is an important activity in Yosemite. The valley is surrounded by summits like Half Dome and El Capitan. Camp 4, a walk-in campground in the Valley, played a key role in developing rock climbing as a sport and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Climbers are often seen during snow-free months on climbs ranging from 10-foot-high (3 m) boulders to the 3,300-foot (1.0 km) face of El Capitan. Rock climbing classes are offered there.
Tuolumne Meadows is well known for rock and mountain climbing.
Outside the valley, the park is often covered in snow during winter, with many roads closed. Downhill skiing is available at Badger Pass Ski Area, the oldest downhill ski area in California, which operates from mid-December through early April. Much of the park is open for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and backcountry ski huts are available. Wilderness permits are required for overnight backcountry ski trips.
The Bracebridge dinner is an annual holiday event held since 1927 at the Ahwahnee Hotel. It was inspired by Washington Irving’s descriptions of Squire Bracebridge and English Christmas traditions in the 18th century, as written in his Sketch Book. Between 1929 and 1973, the event was organized by Ansel Adams.
Yosemite has 13 official campgrounds.
Bicycle rentals are available from spring through fall. Over 12 miles (19 km) of paved bike paths are available in Yosemite Valley. Bicyclists can also ride on roads. Helmets are required for children under 18 years of age. Off-trail riding and mountain biking are not allowed in the park.
Water activities are available during warmer months. Rafting on the Merced River in the valley runs from late May to July. Swimming pools are available at Yosemite Lodge and Curry Village.
In popular culture
The opening scenes of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) were filmed in Yosemite National Park. Other films shot there include The Last of the Mohicans (1920) and Maverick (1994). The 2014 documentary Valley Uprising focuses on Yosemite Valley and its history, highlighting the climbing culture in the area. The Academy Award-winning 2018 documentary Free Solo was filmed in Yosemite. The 2018 Travis Scott album Astroworld includes a song titled "Yosemite" as its twelfth track. The 2017 documentary The Dawn Wall was filmed in the park. Yosemite is a playable map in the game Jurassic World Evolution 2, a park management simulation. The 2025 drama murder mystery series Untamed, which is mostly set in Yosemite, was filmed in the Canadian province of British Columbia.