View source for Yosemite National Park

{{short description|National park in California, United States}}
{{Redirect|Yosemite}}
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{{Use American English|date=March 2021}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox protected area
| name = Yosemite National Park
| iucn_category = II
| iucn_ref = <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.protectedplanet.net/10908|title=Yosemite National Park|publisher=Protected Planet|website=protectedplanet.net|access-date=2020-05-29|archive-date=May 30, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530002952/https://www.protectedplanet.net/10908|url-status=live}}</ref>
| photo = Tunnel View, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite NP - Diliff.jpg
| photo_caption = [[Yosemite Valley]] from [[Tunnel View]]
| map = California#USA
| label = Yosemite National Park
| map_caption = Location in California##Location in the United States
| map_width = 
| location = [[Tuolumne County, California|Tuolumne]], [[Mariposa County, California|Mariposa]], [[Mono County, California|Mono]] and [[Madera County, California|Madera Counties]], [[California]], United States
| nearest_city = [[Mariposa, California]]
| coordinates = {{coord|37|51|N|119|31|W|region:US-CA_dim:100000|display=inline,title}}
| coords_ref = <ref>{{cite gnis|255923|Yosemite National Park}}</ref>
| established = {{start date and age|1890|10|1}}
| area = {{cvt|1187|mi2}}
| area_ref = <ref name="statistics">{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/management/statistics.htm |title=Park Statistics |publisher=Yosemite National Park ([[U.S. National Park Service]]) |access-date=July 22, 2018 |archive-date=March 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150308185200/http://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/management/statistics.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
| visitation_num = 3,897,070
| visitation_year = 2023
| visitation_ref = <ref>{{cite web |title=Annual Park Ranking Report for Recreation Visits in: 2023 |url=https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/National%20Reports/Annual%20Park%20Ranking%20Report%20(1979%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year)|website=nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=March 23, 2024 }}</ref>
| governing_body = [[National Park Service]]
| website = {{Official URL}}
| embedded1 = {{Infobox UNESCO World Heritage Site
  |child    = yes
  |ID       = 308
  |Year     = 1984
  |Criteria = Natural: vii, viii
  }}
}}

'''Yosemite National Park''' ({{IPAc-en|j|oʊ|ˈ|s|ɛ|m|ɪ|t|i}} {{respell|yoh|SEM|ih|tee}}<ref>{{MW|Yosemite Falls}}</ref>) is a [[List of national parks of the United States|national park of the United States]] in [[California]].<ref>{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=324}}</ref><ref name="VisitCal">{{cite web|url=http://www.visitcalifornia.com/region/discover-high-sierra|title=Discover the High Sierra|publisher=[[California Office of Tourism]]|access-date=June 9, 2015|archive-date=June 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200603003117/http://www.visitcalifornia.com/region/discover-high-sierra|url-status=live}}</ref> It is bordered on the southeast by the [[Sierra National Forest]] and on the northwest by [[Stanislaus National Forest]]. The park is managed by the [[National Park Service]] and covers {{cvt|1187|mi2}}<ref name="statistics" /> in four [[County|counties]]{{snd}}centered in [[Tuolumne County, California|Tuolumne]] and [[Mariposa County, California|Mariposa]], extending north and east to [[Mono County, California|Mono]] and south to [[Madera County, California|Madera]]. Designated a [[World Heritage Site]] in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, groves of [[Sequoiadendron giganteum|giant sequoia]], lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and [[Biodiversity|biological diversity]].<ref name = "naturehistory">{{cite web | title =Nature & History | publisher = United States National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | url =http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/nature.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125062753/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/nature.htm|archive-date=January 25, 2007 | date = October 13, 2006 | access-date = January 27, 2007}}</ref> Almost 95 percent of the park is designated [[National Wilderness Preservation System|wilderness]].<ref>{{cite web | title = Yosemite Wilderness | publisher = United States National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | url = http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/yosemitewilderness.htm | access-date = March 15, 2008 | archive-date = December 19, 2015 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151219025803/http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/yosemitewilderness.htm | url-status = dead }}</ref> Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the [[Sierra Nevada]] mountain range.

Its [[geology of the Yosemite area|geology]] is characterized by [[granite]] and remnants of older rock. About 10&nbsp;million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was [[Mountain formation|uplifted]] and tilted to form its unique slopes, which increased the steepness of stream and river beds, forming deep, narrow canyons. About one million years ago, [[glacier]]s formed at higher elevations. They moved downslope, cutting and sculpting the U-shaped [[Yosemite Valley]].<ref name="naturehistory" />

Humans may have first entered the area 10,000 to 8,000 years ago, with [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]] having inhabited the region for nearly 4,000 years.<ref>{{Cite book | title=Yosemite: Official National Park Service Handbook |publisher=National Park Service |year=1989 |series=no. 138 |location=Washington, DC |page=102}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> European Americans entered the area by 1833, and settlers first entered the valley in 1851, with [[Jim Savage|James D. Savage]] credited as discovering the area that became Yosemite National Park.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yosemite NP: Early History of Yosemite Valley |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/yose/kuykendall/sec.htm |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=www.nps.gov |archive-date=February 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220218160004/https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/yose/kuykendall/sec.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Yosemite was critical to the development of the concept of national parks. [[Galen Clark]] and others lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development, ultimately leading to President [[Abraham Lincoln]]'s signing of the Yosemite Grant of 1864 that declared Yosemite as federally preserved land.<ref name="historyculture" /> In 1890, environmentalist [[John Muir]] led a successful movement to motivate [[United States Congress|Congress]] to establish Yosemite Valley and its surrounding areas as a National Park. This helped pave the way for the [[National Park Service#National Park System|National Park System]].<ref name="historyculture" /> Yosemite draws about four million visitors annually.<ref name="visits">{{cite web | url=https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Annual%20Park%20Recreation%20Visitation%20(1904%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year) | title=Annual Park Recreation Visitation (1904&nbsp;– Last Calendar Year) | publisher=U.S. National Park Service | access-date=March 11, 2019 | archive-date=June 11, 2019 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190611041047/https://irma.nps.gov/Stats/SSRSReports/Park%20Specific%20Reports/Annual%20Park%20Recreation%20Visitation%20(1904%20-%20Last%20Calendar%20Year) | url-status=live }}</ref> Most visitors spend the majority of their time in the valley's {{convert|7|sqmi|km2|spell=in}}.<ref name="naturehistory" /> The park set a visitation record in 2016, surpassing five million visitors for the first time.<ref>{{cite web|title=New visitation record in 2016 as over 5 million people visited Yosemite National Park.|url=http://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/8685-new-visitation-record-in-2016-as-over-5-million-people-visited-yosemite-national-park|website=GoldRushCam.com|date=January 13, 2017|publisher=Sierra Sun Times|access-date=February 8, 2017|archive-date=May 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525092757/http://goldrushcam.com/sierrasuntimes/index.php/news/local-news/8685-new-visitation-record-in-2016-as-over-5-million-people-visited-yosemite-national-park|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2024, the park received over four million visitors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-03-06 |title=National Park Service Quiet About Record 2024 Visitation |url=https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2025/03/national-park-service-quiet-about-record-2024-visitation |access-date=2025-08-01 |website=National Parks Traveler |language=en}}</ref>

==Toponym==
The word ''Yosemite'' (derived from ''yohhe'meti'', "they are killers" in [[Miwok languages|Miwok]]) historically referred to the name that the [[Miwok]] gave to the [[Ahwahneechee]], the resident indigenous tribe.<ref name="Anderson" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Yosemite |url=http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Yosemite&searchmode=none |access-date=September 10, 2010 |work=Online etymology dictionary |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170525092757/http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=Yosemite&searchmode=none |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book |last=Barrett |first=S. A. |title=Myths of the southern sierra miwok. |date=2010 |publisher=Nabu Press |isbn=978-1-177-40758-8 |oclc=944730381}}</ref> Previously, the region had been called "Ahwahnee" ("big mouth") by the Ahwahneechee.<ref name=Anderson>{{cite web|title = Origin of the Word Yosemite|url = http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/origin_of_word_yosemite.html|website = www.yosemite.ca.us|access-date = October 4, 2015|first1 = Dan|last1 = Anderson|archive-date = January 5, 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070105223109/http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/origin_of_word_yosemite.html|url-status = live}}</ref> The term ''Yosemite'' in Miwok is easily confused with a similar term for "grizzly bear", and is still a common misconception.<ref name=Anderson/><ref name=Beeler>{{cite journal|title=Yosemite and Tamalpais|journal=Journal of the American Name Society|volume=3|issue=3|pages=185–86|year=1955|first=Madison Scott|last=Beeler}}</ref>

==History==
{{Main|History of the Yosemite area}}

===Ahwahneechee and the Mariposa Wars===
{{multiple image
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 | header       =
 | image1       = Miwok-Paiute ceremony in 1872 at current site of Yosemite Lodge.jpeg
 | width1       = 195
 | alt1         =
 | caption1     = [[Northern Paiute people|Paiute]] ceremony (1872)
 | image2       = Lafayette Bunnell 1880.jpg
 | width2       = 160
 | alt2         = engraving of Dr Lafayette Bunnell, showing him as an older man with a craggy face, short bristly hair, and a cropped grey beard.
 | caption2     = [[Lafayette Bunnell]] gave Yosemite Valley its name.
 }}

The first humans of Yosemite called themselves the [[Ahwahnechee|Ahwahneechee]], meaning "dwellers" in Ahwahnee.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Runte |first=Alfred |url=https://archive.org/details/yosemiteembattle00runt |title=Yosemite: The Embattled Wilderness |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |year=1990 |isbn=0803238940 |pages=Chapter 1}}</ref> The Ahwahneechee People were the only tribe that lived within the park boundaries, but other tribes lived in surrounding areas. Together they formed a larger Indigenous population in California, called the [[Plains and Sierra Miwok|Southern Sierra Miwok.]]<ref name="Spence">{{cite journal |last1=Spence |first1=Mark |date=1996 |title=Dispossesing the Wilderness: Yosemite Indians and the National Park Ideal, 1864–1930 |journal=Pacific Historical Review |volume=65 |issue=1 |pages=27–59 |doi=10.2307/3640826 |issn=0030-8684 |jstor=3640826}}</ref> They are related to the Northern [[Northern Paiute|Paiute]] and [[Mono people|Mono]] tribes. Other tribes like the Central [[Sierra Miwoks]] and the [[Yokuts]], who both lived in the [[San Joaquin Valley]] and central California, visited Yosemite to trade and intermarry.{{sfn|Greene|1987|p=78}} This resulted in a blending of culture that helped preserve their presence in Yosemite after early American settlements and urban development threatened their survival.<ref name="Spence" /> Vegetation and game in the region were similar to modern times; acorns were a dietary staple, as well as other seeds and plants, salmon, and deer.<ref name="Spence" />

The 1848–1855 [[California Gold Rush]] was a major event impacting the native population. It drew more than 90,000 European Americans to the area in 1849, causing competition for resources between gold miners and residents.<ref>{{cite book |editor-last1=Starr |editor-first1=Kevin |editor-last2=Orsi |editor-first2=Richard J |year=2000 |title=Rooted in Barbarous Soil: People, Culture, and Community in Gold Rush California |publisher=University of California Press |location=Berkeley and Los Angeles |isbn=978-0-520-22496-4 |page=57 }}</ref> About 70 years before the Gold Rush, the indigenous population was estimated to be 300,000, quickly dropping to 150,000, and just ten years later, only about 50,000 remained.<ref name=":1" /> The reasons for such a decline included disease, birth rate decreases, starvation, and conflict. The conflict in Yosemite, which is known as the [[Mariposa War]], was part of the [[California genocide]], which was the systemic killing of indigenous peoples throughout the State between the 1840s and 1870s.<ref name="Adhikari">{{cite book |last=Adhikari |first=Mohamed |date=25 July 2022 |title=Destroying to Replace: Settler Genocides of Indigenous Peoples |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ht9dEAAAQBAJ |location=Indianapolis |publisher=Hackett Publishing Company |pages=72–115 |isbn=978-1647920548 |access-date=March 21, 2023 |archive-date=March 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326164810/https://books.google.com/books?id=ht9dEAAAQBAJ |url-status=live }}</ref> It started in December 1850 when California funded a state militia to drive Native people from contested territory to suppress Native American resistance to the European American influx.<ref name="miwuk">{{cite web |title=Who We Are |url=https://www.southernsierramiwuknation.org/about-2 |access-date=July 23, 2021 |publisher=Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation |archive-date=August 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210806040156/https://www.southernsierramiwuknation.org/about-2 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Yosemite tribes often stole from settlers and miners, sometimes killing them, in retribution for the extermination/domestication of their people, and loss of their lands and resources.<ref name=":1" /> The War and formation of the [[Mariposa Battalion]] was partially the result of a single incident involving [[Jim Savage|James Savage]], a [[Fresno]] trader whose trading post was attacked in December 1850. After the incident, Savage rallied other miners and gained the support of local officials to pursue a war against the Natives. He was appointed [[United States Army]] Major and leader of the Mariposa Battalion at the beginning of 1851.<ref name=":1" /> He and Captain John Boling were responsible for pursuing the Ahwahneechee people, led by [[Chief Tenaya]] and driving them west, and out of Yosemite.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sketch of Yosemite National Park and an Account of the Origin of the Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy Valleys (History of Yosemite National Park) |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/yose/matthes/sec1.htm |access-date=2022-04-19 |website=www.nps.gov |archive-date=July 4, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220704055441/https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/yose/matthes/sec1.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":1" /> In March 1851 under Savage's command, the Mariposa Battalion captured about 70 Ahwahneechee and planned to take them to a reservation in Fresno, but they escaped. Later in May, under the command of Boling, the battalion captured 35 Ahwahneechee, including Chief Tenaya, and marched them to the reservation. Most were allowed to eventually leave, and the rest escaped.<ref name=":1" /> Tenaya and others fled across the [[Sierra Nevada]] and settled with the [[Kucadikadi|Mono Lake Paiutes]]. Tenaya and some of his companions were ultimately killed in 1853, either over stealing horses or a gambling conflict. The survivors of Tenaya's group and other [[Ahwahnechee|Ahwahneechee]] were absorbed into the Mono Lake Paiute tribe.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Bingaman |first=John W. |date=1966 |title=The Ahwahneechees: A Story of the Yosemite Indians |url=https://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/the_ahwahneechees/chapter_1.html |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=yosemite.ca.us |archive-date=June 23, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220623094147/http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/the_ahwahneechees/chapter_1.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":3">{{cite web |last1=Godfrey |first1=Elizabeth |title=Yosemite Indians; Yesterday and Today |url=http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_indians/history.html |access-date=26 August 2021 |website=Yosemite Indians |archive-date=February 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200219202803/http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_indians/history.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:Chief Tenaya by Sculptor Sal Maccarone carved in 1990.jpg|thumb|226x226px|Sculpture of Chief Tenaya made by Sal Maccarone for the Tenaya Lodge in Yosemite National Park]]
Accounts from this battalion were the first well-documented reports of European Americans entering Yosemite Valley. Attached to Savage's unit was Doctor [[Lafayette Bunnell]], who later wrote about his awestruck impressions of the valley in ''The Discovery of the Yosemite''. Bunnell is credited with naming Yosemite Valley, based on his interviews with Chief Tenaya. Bunnell wrote that Chief Tenaya was the founder of the Ahwahnee colony.<ref name="Bunnell17">{{cite book|title=Discovery of the Yosemite and the Indian War of 1851 Which Led to That Event |last=Bunnell |first=Lafayette H. |url=http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/discovery_of_the_yosemite/17.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005171611/http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/discovery_of_the_yosemite/17.html |archive-date=October 5, 2012 |chapter=Chapter 17 |publisher=F.H. Revell |year=1892 |access-date=January 27, 2007 |isbn=0939666588 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Bunnell falsely believed that the word "Yosemite" meant "full-grown grizzly bear".<ref>{{cite book|title=Discovery of the Yosemite and the Indian War of 1851 Which Led to That Event |last=Bunnell |first=Lafayette H.}}</ref>

===Indigenous peoples' continuing presence ===
[[File:Lucy Telles basket.jpg|thumb|Basket woven by Lucy Telles (1885–1955), a [[Kucadikadi|Mono Lake Paiute]] and [[Miwok#Southern Sierra Miwok|Southern Sierra Miwok]] Native American artist from the Yosemite region|163x163px]]
After the [[Mariposa War]], Native Americans continued to live in the Yosemite area in reduced numbers. The remaining Yosemite [[Ahwahneechee]] tribe members there were forced to relocate to a village constructed in 1851 by the state government.<ref name=":1" /> They learned to live within this camp and their limited rights, adapting to the changed environment by entering the tourism industry through employment and small businesses, manufacturing and selling goods, and providing services.<ref name="Spence" /> In 1953, the National Park Service banned all non-employee Natives from residing in the Park and evicted the non-employees who had residence. In 1969, with only a few families left in the Park, the National Park Service evicted the remaining Native people living within the Park (all Park employees and their families) to a government housing area for park employees and destroyed the village as part of a fire-fighting exercise.<ref name="SpenceBookChapter8">{{cite book |last1=Spence |first1=Mark David |title=Dispossessing the wilderness: Indian removal and the making of the national parks |chapter=Yosemite Indians and the National Park Ideal, 1916-1969 |date=1999 |pages=115–132 |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/dispossessingwil0000spen/page/114/mode/2up?view=theater |access-date=3 April 2024}}</ref><ref name="miwuk" /> A reconstructed "Indian Village of Ahwahnee" sits behind the [[Yosemite Museum]], located next to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center.<ref>{{cite web |title=Indian Village of the Ahwahnee – Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/yosemite-indians.htm |access-date=1 March 2021 |archive-date=March 2, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302223136/https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/yosemite-indians.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Yosemite Indians – Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service) |url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/indian-village-of-the-ahwahnee.htm |access-date=1 March 2021 |archive-date=February 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221140746/https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/indian-village-of-the-ahwahnee.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Yosemite Valley map |url=https://www.nps.gov/carto/hfc/carto/media/YOSEmap2.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181012171335/https://www.nps.gov/carto/hfc/carto/media/YOSEmap2.pdf |archive-date=2018-10-12 |url-status=dead |access-date=1 March 2021}}</ref>

By the late 19th century, the population of all native inhabitants in Yosemite was difficult to determine; estimates ranged from thirty to several hundred. The Ahwahneechee people and their descendants were hard to identify.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|last=Solnit|first=Rebecca|title=Savage Dreams: a Journey into the Hidden Wars of the American West.|date=2014|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|isbn=978-0-520-95792-3|location=Berkeley|oclc=876343009}}</ref> The last full-blooded Ahwahneechee died in 1931. Her name was Totuya, or Maria Lebrado. She was the granddaughter of Chief [[Tenaya]] and one of many forced out of her ancestral homelands.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="miwuk" /> The Ahwahneechee live through the memory of their descendants, their fellow Yosemite Natives, and through the Yosemite exhibit in the [[Smithsonian Museum of American History|Smithsonian]] and the Yosemite Museum.<ref name=":1" /> As a method of self-preservation and resilience, the Indigenous people of California proposed treaties in 1851 and 1852 that would have established land reservations for them, but Congress refused to ratify them.<ref name=":1" /> The Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation is seeking tribal sovereignty and federal recognition.<ref name="miwuk" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=Federal Recognition {{!}} Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation |url=https://www.southernsierramiwuknation.org/federal-recognition |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=SouthernSierra Miwuk |language=en |archive-date=April 21, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421080511/https://www.southernsierramiwuknation.org/federal-recognition |url-status=live }}</ref> The National Park Service created policies to protect sacred sites and allow Native People to return to their homelands and use National Park resources.<ref name=":4" /><ref>{{Cite book |first=Jeanette |last=Wolfley |title=Reclaiming a presence in ancestral lands: the return of Native Peoples to the National Parks |date=2016 |publisher=[University of New Mexico, School of Law] |oclc=1305864036 }}</ref>

===Early tourists===
{{multiple image
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 | caption1     = The Dead Giant ({{circa|1870s}})
 | image2       = 8. The vernal fall, Yosemite valley.jpg
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 | caption2     = [[Vernal Fall]] ({{circa|1870s}})
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 | alt2         = Woman in a long dress in front of a sign across a road. Wooden letters read "Camp Curry".
 | caption2     = Jennie Curry in front of Camp Curry ({{circa|1900}})
 }}
In 1855, entrepreneur [[James Mason Hutchings]], artist [[Thomas Ayres (artist)|Thomas Ayres]], and two others were the first tourists to visit.<ref name="GeologyNP326">{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=326}}</ref> Hutchings and Ayres were responsible for much of Yosemite's earliest publicity, writing articles and [[Hutchings' Illustrated California Magazine|special issues]] about the valley.{{sfn|Wuerthner|1994|p=20}} Ayres' style was detailed with exaggerated angularity. His works and written accounts were distributed nationally, and an exhibition of his drawings was held in New York City. Hutchings' publicity efforts between 1855 and 1860 increased tourism to Yosemite.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA96/RAILROAD/yosemite.html|title=Discovery and Invention in the Yosemite|work=The Role of Railroads in Protecting, Promoting, and Selling Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks|first=J.S.|last=Johns|publisher=University of Virginia|year=1996|access-date=August 20, 2010|archive-date=March 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200437/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA96/RAILROAD/yosemite.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Natives supported the growing tourism industry by working as laborers or maids. Later, they performed dances for tourists, acted as guides, and sold handcrafted goods, notably woven baskets.<ref name="Spence" /> The Indian village and its peoples fascinated visitors, especially James Hutchings, who advocated for Yosemite tourism. He and others considered the indigenous presence to be one of Yosemite's greatest attractions.<ref name="Spence" />

[[Wawona, California|Wawona]] was an early Indian encampment for Nuchu and Ahwahneechee people who were captured and relocated to a reservation on the Fresno River by Savage and the Mariposa Battalion in March 1851.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sargent |first=Shirley |date=1961 |title=Wawona's Yesterdays |url=https://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/wawonas_yesterdays/indians.html |access-date=April 14, 2022 |archive-date=June 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220617221051/http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/wawonas_yesterdays/indians.html |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Galen Clark]] discovered the [[Mariposa Grove]] of [[giant sequoia]] in Wawona in 1857. He had simple lodgings and roads built. In 1879, the [[Wawona Hotel]] was built to serve tourists visiting Mariposa Grove.<ref>{{cite book |title=Wawona Hotel Complex Cultural Landscape Report, Yosemite National Park |date=August 2012 |publisher=Mundus Bishop for National Park Service |pages=15}}</ref> As tourism increased, so did the number of trails and hotels to build on it.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Schaffer |first1=Jeffrey |title=Yosemite National Park: A complete hiker's guide |date=June 2006 |publisher=Wilderness Press |location=Berkeley, CA |isbn=0899973833 |page=11 |edition=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4fSi0EjFHoC |access-date=31 August 2021 |archive-date=June 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230627231037/https://books.google.com/books?id=Z4fSi0EjFHoC |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Wawona Tree]], also known as the [[Tunnel tree|Tunnel Tree]], was a [[Sequoiadendron giganteum|giant sequoia]] that grew in the [[Mariposa Grove]]. It was {{convert|234|ft|m}} tall, and was {{convert|90|ft|m|abbr=on}} in circumference. When a carriage-wide tunnel was cut through the tree in 1881, it became even more popular as a tourist photo attraction. Carriages and automobiles traversed the road that passed through the tree. The tree was permanently weakened by the tunnel, and it fell in 1969 under a heavy load of snow. It was estimated to have been 2,100 years old.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Myth of the Tree You Can Drive Through |url=https://www.nps.gov/seki/faqtunnel.htm |website=nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=26 August 2021 |archive-date=August 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210827150438/https://www.nps.gov/seki/faqtunnel.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Yosemite's first concession was established in 1884 when John Degnan and his wife established a bakery and store.{{sfn|NPS|1989|p=58}} In 1916, the National Park Service granted a 20-year concession to the Desmond Park Service Company. It bought out or built hotels, stores, camps, a dairy, a garage, and other park facilities.{{sfn|Greene|1987|p=360}} The [[Hotel Del Portal]] was completed in 1908 by a subsidiary of the [[Yosemite Valley Railroad]]. It was located at [[El Portal, California]] just outside of Yosemite.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Yosemite Valley Railroad|last=Radanovich|first=Leroy|publisher=Arcadia Publishing Incorporated|year=2010|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0BqfELO5QsQC|page=|isbn=9781439640333|access-date=2021-12-27|archive-date=April 9, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230409043107/https://books.google.com/books?id=0BqfELO5QsQC|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Greene|1987|pp=362, 364}}

The Curry Company started in 1899, led by David and Jennie Curry, to provide concessions. They founded Camp Curry, now [[Curry Village, California|Curry Village]].{{sfn|Wuerthner|1994|p=40}}

Park service administrators felt that limiting the number of concessionaires in the park would be more financially sound. The Curry Company and its rival, the Yosemite National Park Company, were forced to merge in 1925 to form the [[Yosemite_Park_and_Curry_Company|Yosemite Park & Curry Company]] (YP&CC).{{sfn|Greene|1987|p=387}} The company built the [[Ahwahnee Hotel]] in 1926–27.<ref>{{cite journal|author=Gene Rose |title=The Ahwahnee: Yosemite Grandeur |journal=Skiing Heritage Journal |url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_x1gEAAAAMBAJ|date=March 2003|publisher=International Skiing History Association|pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_x1gEAAAAMBAJ/page/n20 21]|issn=1082-2895}}</ref>

===Yosemite Grant===
{{multiple image
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| total_width       = 420
| image1 =Eadweard Muybridge - Pi-Wi-Ack (Shower of Stars), Vernal Fall, 400 Feet, Valley of Yosemite - Google Art Project.jpg
| image2 = Willard Worden, Yosemite Falls, c1910.webp
| footer = [[Eadweard Muybridge]], [[Vernal Fall]], 1872; [[Willard Worden]], [[Yosemite Falls]], c. 1910.
}}
Concerned by the impact of commercial interests, citizens, including [[Galen Clark]] and Senator [[John Conness]], advocated protection for the area.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Yosemite: The Story of an Idea |author=Huth, Hans |journal=Sierra Club Bulletin |publisher=Sierra Club |issue=33 |pages=63–76 |url=http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_story_of_an_idea.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508220101/http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_story_of_an_idea.html |archive-date=May 8, 2012 |date=March 1948 |access-date=April 20, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[38th United States Congress]] passed legislation that was signed by [[President of the United States|President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]] on June 30, 1864, creating the Yosemite Grant.<ref name="Schaffer48">{{harvnb|Schaffer|1999|p=48}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=http://constitution.org/uslaw/sal/013_statutes_at_large.pdf|page=325|chapter=Thirty-Eighth Congress, Session I, Chap. 184 (June 30, 1864): An Act authorizing a Grant to the State of California of the "Yo-Semite Valley" and of the Land embracing the "Mariposa Big Tree Grove"|title=[[United States Statutes at Large|The Statutes At Large]], Treaties, and Proclamations of the United States of America from December 1863, to December 1865|editor=[[George P. Sanger|Sanger, George P.]]|volume=13|location=Boston|publisher=Little, Brown and Company|year=1866|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111116010746/http://constitution.org/uslaw/sal/013_statutes_at_large.pdf|archive-date=November 16, 2011}}</ref> This is the first time land was set aside specifically for preservation and public use by the U.S. government, and set a precedent for the 1872 creation of [[Yellowstone National Park|Yellowstone]] national park, the nation's first.<ref name = "historyculture">{{cite web | title = History & Culture | publisher = United States National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/historyculture/index.htm | access-date = January 27, 2007 | archive-date = May 2, 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070502182407/http://www.nps.gov/yose/historyculture/index.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> Yosemite Valley and the [[Mariposa Grove]] were ceded to [[California]] as a [[state park]], and a board of commissioners was established two years later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.150.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27539|title=Yosemite "State Park"|website=www.150.parks.ca.gov|access-date=April 30, 2021|archive-date=October 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201016155602/http://www.150.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=27539|url-status=live}}</ref>

Galen Clark was appointed by the commission as Grant's first guardian, but neither Clark nor the commissioners had the authority to evict [[Homestead Act|homesteaders]] (which included Hutchings).<ref name="Schaffer48"/> The issue was not settled until 1872, when the homesteader land holdings were invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court.<ref>''Hutchings v. Low'' {{ussc|82|77|1872}}</ref> Clark and the commissioners were ousted in a dispute that reached the Supreme Court in 1880.<ref>''Ashburner v. California'' {{ussc|103|575|1880}}</ref> The two Supreme Court decisions affecting management of the Yosemite Grant are considered precedents in land management law.<ref>{{cite book |first=Alfred |last=Runte |year=1990 |title=Yosemite : The Embattled Wilderness |url=https://archive.org/details/yosemiteembattle00runt |url-access=registration |location=Lincoln |publisher=University of Nebraska Press |isbn=0803289413 |pages=34–35, 50}}</ref> Hutchings became the new park guardian.<ref name="Schaffer49"/>

Tourist access to the park improved, and conditions in the Valley became more hospitable. Tourism significantly increased after the [[first transcontinental railroad]] was completed in 1869, while the long horseback ride to reach the area was a deterrent.<ref name="Schaffer48"/> Three [[stagecoach]] roads were built in the mid-1870s to provide better access for the growing number of visitors.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/olmsted/report.html|title=Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove: A Preliminary Report|year=1865|first=Frederick|last=Law Olmsted|access-date=September 1, 2021|archive-date=May 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210529082917/http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/olmsted/report.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[John Muir]] was a Scottish-born American naturalist and explorer. Muir's leadership ensured that many National Parks were left untouched, including Yosemite.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/historical/muir/|work=The National Parks: America's Best Idea|title=People&nbsp;– John Muir|publisher=PBS|access-date=September 18, 2017|archive-date=September 23, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170923104845/http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/historical/muir/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Muir wrote articles popularizing the area and increasing scientific interest in it. Muir was one of the first to theorize that the major landforms in Yosemite Valley were created by alpine glaciers, bucking established scientists such as [[Josiah Whitney]].<ref name="Schaffer49">{{harvnb|Schaffer|1999|p=49}}</ref> Muir wrote scientific papers on the area's biology. Landscape architect [[Frederick Law Olmsted]] emphasized the importance of conservation of Yosemite Valley.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Olmsted |first1=Frederick Law |title=Olmsted Report on Management of Yosemite, 1865 |url=https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/anps/anps_1b.htm |website=National Park Service |access-date=1 September 2021 |archive-date=August 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210812125501/https://www.nps.gov/parkhistory/online_books/anps/anps_1b.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Increased protection efforts===
{{multiple image
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 | header_align = center
 | header       =
 | image1       = Galen Clark in the Big Tree Grove.jpeg
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 | caption1     = Early settler, [[Galen Clark]]
 | image2       = Muir and Roosevelt restored.jpg
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 | caption2     = [[Theodore Roosevelt]] and [[John Muir]] on Glacier Point
 }}

[[Overgrazing]] of meadows (especially by sheep), logging of giant sequoia, and other damage led Muir to become an advocate for further protection. Muir convinced prominent guests of the importance of putting the area under federal protection. One such guest was [[Robert Underwood Johnson]], editor of ''[[Century Magazine]]''. Muir and Johnson lobbied Congress for the Act that created Yosemite National Park on October 1, 1890.<ref name="Schaffer50">{{harvnb|Schaffer|1999|p=50}}</ref> The State of California, however, retained control of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove. Muir's writings raised awareness about the damage caused by sheep grazing, and he actively campaigned to virtually eliminate grazing from Yosemite's high country.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yosemite |url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/muir.htm |website=nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=1 September 2021 |archive-date=September 3, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210903062250/https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/muir.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

The newly created national park came under the jurisdiction of the United States Army's Troop I of the [[4th Cavalry Regiment (United States)|4th Cavalry]] on May 19, 1891, which set up camp in Wawona with Captain [[Abram Wood|Abram Epperson Wood]] as acting superintendent.<ref name="Schaffer50"/> By the late 1890s, sheep grazing was no longer a problem, and the Army made other improvements. However, the cavalry could not intervene to ease the worsening conditions. From 1899 to 1913, cavalry regiments of the Western Department, including the all Black [[9th Cavalry Regiment (United States)|9th Cavalry]] (known as the "Buffalo Soldiers") and the [[1st Cavalry Regiment (United States)|1st Cavalry]], stationed two troops at Yosemite.

[[File:View of Tutocanula Pass Yosemite California by Carleton Watkins.jpg|thumb|[[Bridalveil Fall]] and [[El Capitan]], by [[Carleton Watkins]] ({{circa|1880}})]]
Muir and his [[Sierra Club]] continued to lobby the government and influential people for the creation of a unified Yosemite National Park. In May 1903, President [[Theodore Roosevelt]] camped with Muir near [[Glacier Point]] for three days. On that trip, Muir convinced Roosevelt to take control of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove away from California and return it to the federal government. In 1906, Roosevelt signed a bill that shifted control.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/jomu/learn/historyculture/people.htm#onthisPage-2|title=John Muir and President Roosevelt|work=John Muir National Historic Site, California|publisher=National Park Service|access-date=2021-08-31|archive-date=August 19, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819190816/https://www.nps.gov/jomu/learn/historyculture/people.htm#onthisPage-2|url-status=live}}</ref>

===National Park Service===
The [[National Park Service]] (NPS) was formed in 1916, and Yosemite was transferred to that agency's jurisdiction. Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, [[Tioga Pass Road]], and campgrounds at Tenaya and Merced lakes were also completed in 1916.<ref name="Schaffer52">{{harvnb|Schaffer|1999|p=52}}</ref> Automobiles started to enter the park in ever-increasing numbers following the opening of all-weather highways to the park. The Yosemite Museum was founded in 1926 through the efforts of [[Ansel Franklin Hall]].{{sfn|NPS|1989|p=117}} In the 1920s, the museum featured Native Americans practicing traditional crafts, and many Southern Sierra Miwok continued to live in Yosemite Valley until they were evicted from the park in the 1960s.<ref>{{cite news |last=George |first=Carmen |title=American Indians share their Yosemite story |url=http://www.fresnobee.com/news/special-reports/yosemite-at-150/article19521750.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170722135414/http://www.fresnobee.com/news/special-reports/yosemite-at-150/article19521750.html |archive-date=July 22, 2017 |access-date=July 12, 2017 |work=The Fresno Bee}}</ref> Although the NPS helped create a museum that included Native American culture, its early actions and organizational values were dismissive of Yosemite Natives and the Ahwahneechee.<ref name=":1" /> NPS in the early 20th century criticized and restricted the expression of indigenous culture and behavior. For example, park officials penalized Natives for playing games and drinking during the Indian Field Days of 1924.<ref name="Spence" /> In 1929, Park Superintendent Charles G. Thomson concluded that the Indian village was aesthetically unpleasant and was limiting white settler development and ordered the camp to be burned down.<ref name=":1" /> In 1969, many Native residents left in search of work as a result of the decline in tourism. NPS demolished their empty houses, evicted the remaining residents, and destroyed the entire village.<ref name=":1" /> This was the last Indigenous settlement within the park.<ref name=":1" /><ref name="miwuk" />

In 1903, a dam in [[Hetch Hetchy Valley]] in the northwestern region of the park was proposed. Its purpose was to provide water and [[hydroelectric power]] to [[San Francisco, California|San Francisco]]. Muir and the Sierra Club opposed the project, while others, including [[Gifford Pinchot]], supported it.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Moseley |first=W. G. |year=2009 |title=Beyond Knee-Jerk Environmental Thinking: Teaching Geographic Perspectives on Conservation, Preservation and the Hetch Hetchy Valley Controversy |journal=Journal of Geography in Higher Education |volume=33 |issue=3 |pages=433–51 |doi=10.1080/03098260902982492 |s2cid=143538071 }}</ref> In 1913, the [[O'Shaughnessy Dam (California)|O'Shaughnessy Dam]] was approved via passage of the [[Raker Act]].<ref name="Schaffer51">{{harvnb|Schaffer|1999|p=51}}</ref>

In 1918, [[Clare Marie Hodges]] was hired as the first female Park Ranger in Yosemite.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web
 |title        = Women of Yosemite
 |url          = https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/women.htm
 |access-date  = 2023-04-18
 |year         = 2022
 |publisher    = National Park Service
 |archive-date = March 30, 2023
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20230330045408/https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/historyculture/women.htm
 |url-status   = live
}}</ref> Following Hodges in 1921, [[Enid Michael]] was hired as a seasonal Park Ranger<ref name=":6" /> and continued to serve in that position for 20 years.<ref name=":6" />
[[File:O'Shaughnessy Dam.jpg|thumb|left|[[O'Shaughnessy Dam (California)|O'Shaughnessy Dam]] in [[Hetch Hetchy]] Valley]]

In 1937, conservationist [[Rosalie Edge]], head of the Emergency Conservation Committee (ECC), successfully lobbied Congress to purchase about {{convert|8,000| acres}} of old-growth sugar pines on the perimeter of Yosemite National Park that were to be logged.<ref>{{cite book |last=Furmansky |first=Dyana Z. |year=2009 |title=Rosalie Edge, Hawk of Mercy: The Activist Who Saved Nature from the Conservationists |url=https://archive.org/details/rosalieedgehawko00zasl |url-access=registration |publisher=University of Georgia Press |isbn=978-0820336763 |pages = 200–07}}</ref>

By 1968, [[traffic congestion]] and parking in Yosemite Valley during the summer months had become a concern.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Dolan |first=Jack |date=2025-01-30 |title=As Trump cuts federal jobs, even national parks are on the chopping block |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-01-30/national-parks-on-chopping-block-as-trump-cuts-federal-jobs |access-date=2025-02-01 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> NPS reduced artificial inducements to visit the park, such as the ''[[Yosemite Firefall|Firefall]]'', in which red-hot embers were pushed off a cliff near Glacier Point at night.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/benchmarks-january-25-1968-last-firefall-yosemite-tradition-flames-out/|magazine=Earth Magazine|title=Benchmarks: January 25, 1968: The last firefall: A Yosemite tradition flames out|first=Sara E|last=Pratt|date=December 14, 2017|access-date=December 2, 2023|archive-date=October 25, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231025083407/https://www.earthmagazine.org/article/benchmarks-january-25-1968-last-firefall-yosemite-tradition-flames-out/|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 1984, preservationists persuaded Congress to designate {{convert|677600|acre}}, or about 89 percent of the park, as the Yosemite Wilderness. As a [[wilderness area]], it would be preserved in its natural state with humans being only temporary visitors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nps.gov/legal/parklaws/1/laws1-volume1-appendix.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203175920/http://www.nps.gov/legal/parklaws/1/laws1-volume1-appendix.pdf |archive-date=February 3, 2012 |title=California Wilderness Act of 1984 - 98th U.S. Congress |access-date=May 8, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2016, [[The Trust for Public Land]] (TPL) purchased Ackerson Meadow, a {{convert|400|acre||adj=mid| tract}} on the western edge of the park for $2.3&nbsp;million. Ackerson Meadow was originally included in the proposed 1890 park boundary, but never acquired by the federal government. The purchase and donation of the meadow was made possible through a cooperative effort by TPL, NPS, and Yosemite Conservancy. On September 7, 2016, NPS accepted the donation of the land, making the meadow the largest addition to Yosemite since 1949.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/news/ackersonaddition.htm|title=Ackerson Meadow Gifted to Yosemite National Park|author=National Park Service|access-date=September 8, 2016|archive-date=September 20, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160920195915/https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/news/ackersonaddition.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> With extensive erosion from years of cattle ranching, the land is being transformed back into a healthy meadow.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rogers |first=Paul |date=2024-08-23 |title=Yosemite National Park: Crews restore damaged landscape back to conditions not seen in 150 years |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2024/08/23/yosemite-national-park-crews-restore-damaged-landscape-back-to-conditions-not-seen-in-150-years/ |access-date=2024-08-24 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2025, laid-off National Park Service workers displayed a giant [[Flag of the United States#Flying a U.S. flag upside down|upside down American flag]] as a "distress signal" at El Capitan to protest layoffs recently made by the [[Second presidency of Donald Trump|Trump administration]].<ref>{{Cite web |last1=McIntyre |first1=Iain |last2=Commons Librarian |date=2025-03-12 |title=Where to Fight Back: Lessons from US Anti-Coup Actions |url=https://commonslibrary.org/where-to-fight-back-lessons-from-us-anti-coup-actions/ |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=The Commons Social Change Library |language=en-AU}}</ref>

==Geography==
Yosemite National Park is located in the central Sierra Nevada. Three wilderness areas are adjacent to Yosemite: the [[Ansel Adams Wilderness]] to the southeast, the [[Hoover Wilderness]] to the northeast, and the [[Emigrant Wilderness]] to the north.

The {{convert|1189|mi2|km2|abbr=on}} park contains thousands of lakes and ponds, {{convert|1600|mi|km}} of streams, {{convert|800|mi|km}} of hiking trails, and {{convert|350|mi|km}} of roads.<ref name="nature">{{cite web | title =Nature & Science | publisher =United States National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | url =https://home.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/index.htm | access-date =January 27, 2007 | archive-date =April 22, 2007 | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20070422072242/http://www.nps.gov/yose/naturescience/index.htm | url-status =live }}</ref> Two federally designated [[Wild and Scenic River]]s, the [[Merced River|Merced]] and the [[Tuolumne River|Tuolumne]], begin within Yosemite's borders and flow westward through the Sierra foothills into the [[California Central Valley|Central Valley of California]].

===Rocks and erosion===
[[File:Yosemite Valley - El Capitan from Central Pillar of Frenzy - 2.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|[[El Capitan]], a granite monolith on Yosemite Valley's northern escarpment]]
Almost all of the landforms are cut from the granitic rock of the [[Sierra Nevada Batholith]] (a [[batholith]] is a large mass of intrusive [[igneous rock]] that formed deep below the surface).<ref name="GeologyNP329">{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=329}}</ref> About five percent of the park's landforms (mostly in its eastern margin near [[Mount Dana]]) are [[metamorphic rock|metamorphosed]] [[volcanic rock|volcanic]] and [[sedimentary rock]]s.<ref name="landforms">{{cite web | publisher = United States National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | url = http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/geo_landforms.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090514004436/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/geo_landforms.htm | archive-date = May 14, 2009 | title = Geology: The Making of the Landscape | date = December 22, 2004 | access-date =January 27, 2007 }}</ref> These [[roof pendants]] once formed the roof over the underlying granitic magma.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=United States Geological Survey |url=http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/geology/publications/pp/160/sec2a.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022231626/http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/geology/publications/pp/160/sec2a.htm |archive-date=October 22, 2012 |title=Geological Survey Professional Paper 160: Geologic History of the Yosemite Valley&nbsp;– The Sierra Block |date=November 28, 2006 |access-date=January 27, 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Erosion]] acting upon different types of uplift-generated joint and fracture systems is responsible for producing the valleys, canyons, [[dome (geology)|domes]], and other features. These joints and fracture systems do not move, and are therefore not [[fault (geology)|faults]].<ref name="GeologyNP331">{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=331}}</ref> Spacing between joints is controlled by the amount of [[silica]] in the granite and [[granodiorite]] rocks; more silica tends to form a more resistant rock, resulting in larger spaces between joints and fractures.<ref name="GeologyUSP220">{{harvnb|Kiver|Harris|1999|p=220}}</ref>

Pillars and columns, such as [[Washington Column (Yosemite)|Washington Column]] and [[Lost Arrow Spire|Lost Arrow]], are generated by cross joints. Erosion acting on master joints is responsible for shaping valleys and later canyons.<ref name="GeologyUSP220"/> The single most erosive force over the last few million years has been large alpine [[glaciers]], which turned the previously V-shaped river-cut valleys into U-shaped glacial-cut canyons (such as Yosemite Valley and Hetch Hetchy Valley). [[Exfoliation (geology)|Exfoliation]] (caused by the tendency of [[crystal]]s in [[pluton]]ic rocks to expand at the surface) acting on granitic rock with widely spaced joints is responsible for producing domes such as [[Half Dome]] and [[North Dome]] and inset arches like Royal Arches.<ref name="GeologyNP332"/>

===Popular features===
[[File:The spiny crown of Cathedral Peak, Yosemite National Park, California.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Cathedral Peak (California)|Cathedral Peak]]]]
Yosemite Valley represents only one percent of the park area. The [[Tunnel View]] gives a view of the valley. [[El Capitan]] is a prominent granite cliff that looms over the valley, and is a rock climbing favorite because of its sheer size, diverse climbing routes, and year-round accessibility. [[Granite dome]]s such as [[Sentinel Dome]] and [[Half Dome]] rise {{convert|3000|and|4800|ft|m}}, respectively, above the valley floor. The park contains dozens of other [[Granite Domes of Yosemite National Park|granite domes]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cross |first1=Robert |title=Mountain majesty Yosemite: The California national park is home to some of the country's most scenic natural wonders. |url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-05-26-1996147114-story.html |access-date=7 September 2021 |work=The Baltimore Sun |date=26 May 1996 |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006075550/https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/bs-xpm-1996-05-26-1996147114-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

The high country of Yosemite contains other important features such as [[Tuolumne Meadows]], [[Dana Meadows (California)|Dana Meadows]], the [[Clark Range (California)|Clark Range]], the [[Cathedral Range]], and the [[Kuna Crest]]. The [[Sierra Crest]] and the [[Pacific Crest Trail]] run through Yosemite. Mount Dana and [[Mount Gibbs]] are peaks of red metamorphic rock. Granite peaks include [[Mount Conness]], [[Cathedral Peak]], and [[Matterhorn Peak]]. [[Mount Lyell (California)|Mount Lyell]] is the highest point in the park, standing at {{convert|13,120|ft|m}}. The [[Lyell Glacier]] is the largest glacier in the park and one of the few remaining in the Sierra.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Yosemite National Park's Largest Glacier Stagnant – Yosemite National Park (U.S. National Park Service)|url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/news/lyellglacier.htm|access-date=2021-05-06|website=www.nps.gov|language=en|archive-date=May 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506185923/https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/news/lyellglacier.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The park has three groves of ancient giant sequoia (''[[Sequoiadendron giganteum]]'') trees; the [[Mariposa Grove]] (200 trees), the [[Tuolumne Grove]] (25 trees), and the [[Merced Grove]] (20 trees).<ref name="GeologyNP340"/> This species grows larger in volume than any other and is one of the tallest and longest-lived.<ref name="Kiver227">{{harvnb|Kiver|Harris|1999|p=227}}</ref>

===Water and ice===
[[File:Valley View Yosemite August 2013 002.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Merced River]] flowing through [[Yosemite Valley]], a [[U-shaped valley]]]]
The [[Tuolumne County, California|Tuolumne]] and [[Merced River]] systems originate along the crest of the Sierra in the park and have carved river canyons {{convert|3000|to|4000|ft|m}} deep. The Tuolumne River drains the entire northern portion of the park, an area of approximately {{convert|680|mi2|km2}}. The Merced River begins in the park's southern peaks, primarily the Cathedral and Clark Ranges, and drains an area of approximately {{convert|511|mi2|km2}}.<ref name = "water overview">{{cite web | title = Water Overview | url = http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/water.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070107180730/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/water.htm|archive-date=January 7, 2007 | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | date = December 22, 2004 | access-date = January 27, 2007 }}</ref>

Hydrologic processes, including [[glaciation]], flooding, and fluvial geomorphic response, have been fundamental in creating park landforms.<ref name = "water overview"/> The park contains approximately 3,200 lakes (greater than 100 m<sup>2</sup>), two [[reservoir (water)|reservoirs]], and {{convert|1700|mi|km}} of streams.<ref name = "hydrology">{{cite web | title = Hydrology and Watersheds | url = http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wtr_hydrology.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100728075552/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wtr_hydrology.htm | archive-date = July 28, 2010 | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | date = December 22, 2004 | access-date = January 27, 2007 }}</ref> [[Wetland]]s flourish in valley bottoms throughout the park, and are often hydrologically linked to nearby lakes and rivers through seasonal flooding and groundwater. Meadow habitats, distributed at elevations from {{convert|3000|to|11000|ft|m}} in the park, are generally wetlands, as are the [[riparian]] habitats found on the banks of Yosemite's watercourses.<ref name = "wetland vegetation">{{cite web | title = Wetland Vegetation | url = http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/veg_wetlands.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100419080619/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/veg_wetlands.htm | archive-date = April 19, 2010 | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | date = December 22, 2004 | access-date = January 27, 2007 }}</ref>

[[File:Bridalveil Fall and valley.JPG|thumb|[[Bridalveil Fall]] flows from a U-shaped hanging valley that was created by a tributary glacier.]]
Yosemite is famous for its [[List of waterfalls in Yosemite National Park|high concentration of waterfalls]] in a small area. Numerous sheer drops, glacial steps, and [[hanging valley]]s in the park feature spectacular cascades, especially during April, May, and June (as the snow melts). Located in Yosemite Valley, [[Yosemite Falls]] is the fourth tallest waterfall in North America at {{convert|2425|ft|m}} according to the World Waterfall Database.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tallest and Largest Waterfalls at the World Waterfall Database |url=https://www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com/tallest-waterfalls/total-height |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=www.worldwaterfalldatabase.com |language=en |archive-date=October 23, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081023160017/http://www.world-waterfalls.com/database.php?s=N&t=H&orderby=height&sortLimit=300 |url-status=live }}</ref>  Also in the valley is the much lower volume [[Ribbon Fall]]s, which has the highest single vertical drop, {{convert|1612|ft|m}}.<ref name="Kiver227"/> Perhaps the most prominent of the valley waterfalls is [[Bridalveil Fall (Yosemite)|Bridalveil Fall]]. [[Horsetail Fall (Yosemite)|Horsetail Fall]] flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan. This small waterfall usually flows only during winter and is easy to miss. On rare occasions during mid- to late February, it can glow orange when backlit by sunset. This unique lighting effect happens only on evenings with a clear sky. Minor haze or cloudiness can spoil the effect. Although entirely natural, the phenomenon is reminiscent of the human-caused Firefall that historically occurred from Glacier Point. Wapama Falls in [[Hetch Hetchy]] Valley is another notable waterfall. Hundreds of [[ephemeral]] waterfalls become active in the park after heavy rains or melting snowpack.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Krieger |first1=Lisa |title=Waterfalls are roaring this spring at Yosemite |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/05/17/waterfalls-are-roaring-this-spring-at-yosemite-and-here-are-the-best-right-now/ |access-date=9 September 2021 |work=San Jose Mercury News |date=17 May 2019 |archive-date=September 9, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210909172152/https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/05/17/waterfalls-are-roaring-this-spring-at-yosemite-and-here-are-the-best-right-now/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Park [[glacier]]s are relatively small and occupy areas that are in almost permanent shade, such as north- and northeast-facing [[cirque (landform)|cirques]]. [[Lyell Glacier]] is the largest glacier in Yosemite (the Palisades Glaciers are the largest in the Sierra Nevada) and covers {{convert|160|acre}}.<ref name="GeologyUSP228">{{harvnb|Kiver|Harris|1999|p=228}}</ref> None of the Yosemite glaciers are a remnant of the [[Last Glacial Period|Ice Age]] alpine glaciers responsible for sculpting the Yosemite landscape. Instead, they were formed during one of the [[neoglacial]] episodes that have occurred since the thawing of the Ice Age (such as the [[Little Ice Age]]).<ref name="GeologyNP340">{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=340}}</ref> Many Yosemite glaciers have disappeared, such as the Black Mountain Glacier that was marked in 1871 and had gone by the mid-1980s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sahagun |first1=Louis |title=Yosemite's largest ice mass is melting fast |url=https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2013-oct-01-la-me-glaciers-20131002-story.html |access-date=14 September 2021 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=1 October 2013 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914181402/https://www.latimes.com/local/la-xpm-2013-oct-01-la-me-glaciers-20131002-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Yosemite's final two glaciers – the Lyell and Maclure glaciers – have receded over the last 100 years and are expected to disappear as a result of climate change.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yosemite – Nature – Geology – Glaciers |url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/glaciers.htm |website=nps.gov |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=14 September 2021 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914175346/https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/nature/glaciers.htm |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Liberatore |title=Glaciers in Yosemite |url=https://www.myyosemitepark.com/things-to-do/natural-wonders/mountains-landscapes/when-glaciers-ruled/ |access-date=14 September 2021 |publisher=Yosemite National Park trips |date=15 March 2013 |archive-date=September 14, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210914175033/https://www.myyosemitepark.com/things-to-do/natural-wonders/mountains-landscapes/when-glaciers-ruled/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Climate===
[[File:El Capitan at fall.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Yosemite in [[autumn]]]]
Yosemite has a [[Mediterranean climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Csa''), meaning most precipitation falls during the mild winter, and the other seasons are nearly dry (less than three percent of precipitation falls during the long, hot summers). Because of [[orographic lift]], precipitation increases with elevation up to {{convert|8000|ft|m}} where it slowly decreases to the crest. Precipitation amounts vary from {{convert|36|in|mm}} at {{convert|4000|ft|m}} elevation to {{convert|50|in|mm}} at {{convert|8600|ft|m}}. Snow does not typically accumulate until November in the high country. It deepens into March or early April.<ref name="climate">{{cite web | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | url = http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wtr_climate.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070101113353/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wtr_climate.htm|archive-date=January 1, 2007 | title = Climate | date = December 22, 2004 | access-date = January 27, 2007 }}</ref>

Mean daily temperatures range from {{convert|25|°F|0}} to {{convert|53|°F|0}} at Tuolumne Meadows at {{convert|8600|ft|m}}. At the Wawona Entrance (elevation {{convert|5130|ft|m|disp=or}}), mean daily temperature ranges from {{convert|36|to|67|°F|°C}}. At the lower elevations below {{convert|5000|ft|m}}, temperatures are hotter; the mean daily high temperature at Yosemite Valley (elevation {{convert|3966|ft|m|disp=or}}) varies from {{convert|46|to|90|°F|°C}}. At elevations above {{convert|8000|ft|m}}, the hot, dry summer temperatures are moderated by frequent summer thunderstorms, along with snow that can persist into July. The combination of dry vegetation, low relative humidity, and thunderstorms results in frequent lightning-caused [[wildfire|fires]] as well.<ref name="climate"/>

At park headquarters (elevation {{convert|4018|ft|disp=or|abbr=on}}), January averages {{convert|38.0|°F|1}}, while July averages {{convert|73.3|°F|1}}. In summer, the nights are much cooler than the days. An average of 45.5 days have highs of {{convert|90|°F|0}} or higher and an average of 105.6 nights with freezing temperatures. Freezing temperatures have been recorded in every month of the year. The record high temperature was {{convert|112|°F|0}} on July 22 and July 24, 1915, while the record low temperature was {{convert|-7|°F|0}} on January 1, 2009. Average annual precipitation is nearly {{convert|37|in|0}}, falling on 67 days. The wettest year was 1983 with {{convert|66.06|in|mm}} and the driest year was 1976 with {{convert|14.84|in|mm}}. The most precipitation in one month was {{convert|29.61|in|mm}} in December 1955, and the most in one day was {{convert|6.92|in|mm}} on December 23, 1955. Average annual snowfall is {{convert|39.4|in|m}}. The snowiest winter was 1948–1949 with {{convert|176.5|in|m}}. The most snow in one month was {{convert|175.0|in|m}} in January 1993.

In addition to the typical weather patterns, Yosemite is also impacted by the [[Mono winds]], which are strong, dry winds that blow down the Sierra Nevada slopes, especially during the late fall through spring.<ref name="nps-jan21">{{Cite web|title=January 2021 Windstorm Damage in Yosemite National Park|url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/learn/news/january-2021-windstorm.htm|website=National Park Service|access-date=April 16, 2025}}{{dead link|date=June 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> 

{{Weather box
|location = Yosemite Park Headquarters, California, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1905–present
|single line = Y
|collapsed = Y
|width=100%
|Jan record high F = 72
|Feb record high F = 82
|Mar record high F = 90
|Apr record high F = 96
|May record high F = 99
|Jun record high F = 103
|Jul record high F = 112
|Aug record high F = 110
|Sep record high F = 108
|Oct record high F = 98
|Nov record high F = 86
|Dec record high F = 73
|year record high F = 
|Jan avg record high F = 58.7
|Feb avg record high F = 64.2
|Mar avg record high F = 70.4
|Apr avg record high F = 77.0
|May avg record high F = 83.3
|Jun avg record high F = 91.3
|Jul avg record high F = 97.4
|Aug avg record high F = 97.5
|Sep avg record high F = 93.7
|Oct avg record high F = 85.1
|Nov avg record high F = 70.9
|Dec avg record high F = 59.3
|year avg record high F = 99.1
| Jan high F = 47.5
| Feb high F = 51.2
| Mar high F = 56.7
| Apr high F = 63.1
| May high F = 70.5
| Jun high F = 80.5
| Jul high F = 89.2
| Aug high F = 89.0
| Sep high F = 83.0
| Oct high F = 70.9
| Nov high F = 56.0
| Dec high F = 45.9
|year high F = 67.0
|Jan mean F = 38.0
|Feb mean F = 40.7
|Mar mean F = 45.1
|Apr mean F = 50.4
|May mean F = 57.5
|Jun mean F = 65.8
|Jul mean F = 73.3
|Aug mean F = 72.9
|Sep mean F = 67.2
|Oct mean F = 56.1
|Nov mean F = 44.3
|Dec mean F = 36.8
|year mean F = 54.0
| Jan low F = 28.5
| Feb low F = 30.2
| Mar low F = 33.5
| Apr low F = 37.6
| May low F = 44.5
| Jun low F = 51.0
| Jul low F = 57.4
| Aug low F = 56.8
| Sep low F = 51.4
| Oct low F = 41.3
| Nov low F = 32.5
| Dec low F = 27.8
|year low F = 41.0
|Jan avg record low F = 19.2
|Feb avg record low F = 22.0
|Mar avg record low F = 25.2
|Apr avg record low F = 28.4
|May avg record low F = 35.2
|Jun avg record low F = 40.8
|Jul avg record low F = 49.8
|Aug avg record low F = 48.9
|Sep avg record low F = 42.0
|Oct avg record low F = 31.6
|Nov avg record low F = 25.4
|Dec avg record low F = 20.7
|year avg record low F = 15.7
|Jan record low F = -7
|Feb record low F = 1
|Mar record low F = 9
|Apr record low F = 12
|May record low F = 15
|Jun record low F = 22
|Jul record low F = 32
|Aug record low F = 32
|Sep record low F = 24
|Oct record low F = 19
|Nov record low F = 10
|Dec record low F = -1
|year record low F =
|precipitation colour = green
| Jan precipitation inch = 6.98
| Feb precipitation inch = 6.49
| Mar precipitation inch = 5.47
| Apr precipitation inch = 3.17
| May precipitation inch = 1.92
| Jun precipitation inch = 0.46
| Jul precipitation inch = 0.29
| Aug precipitation inch = 0.16
| Sep precipitation inch = 0.40
| Oct precipitation inch = 1.56
| Nov precipitation inch = 4.05
| Dec precipitation inch = 5.60
|year precipitation inch = 36.55
| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
| Jan precipitation days = 8.9
| Feb precipitation days = 9.0
| Mar precipitation days = 11.0
| Apr precipitation days = 7.2
| May precipitation days = 6.4
| Jun precipitation days = 2.2
| Jul precipitation days = 1.1
| Aug precipitation days = 0.9
| Sep precipitation days = 2.0
| Oct precipitation days = 3.5
| Nov precipitation days = 5.9
| Dec precipitation days = 8.5
| year precipitation days = 66.6
|Jan snow inch = 16.8
|Feb snow inch = 4.2
|Mar snow inch = 5.2
|Apr snow inch = 0.8
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 3.4
|Dec snow inch = 5.1
|year snow inch =
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 2.5
|Feb snow days = 1.4
|Mar snow days = 1.5
|Apr snow days = 0.4
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.5
|Dec snow days = 1.5
|year snow days = 
|Jan light = 10.0
|Feb light = 11.0
|Mar light = 12.0
|Apr light = 13.0
|May light = 14.0
|Jun light = 15.0
|Jul light = 14.0
|Aug light = 14.0
|Sep light = 12.0
|Oct light = 11.0
|Nov light = 10.0
|Dec light = 10.0
|year light = 12.0
|Jan uv = 2
|Feb uv = 4
|Mar uv = 6
|Apr uv = 7
|May uv = 9
|Jun uv = 10
|Jul uv = 11
|Aug uv = 10
|Sep uv = 8
|Oct uv = 5
|Nov uv = 3
|Dec uv = 2
|source 1 = NOAA (snow/snow days 1981&ndash;2010)<ref>{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=hnx
| title = NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = June 8, 2021
| archive-date = May 11, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210511112537/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=hnx
| url-status = live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00049855&format=pdf
| title = Summary of Monthly Normals 1991–2020
| publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
| access-date = June 8, 2021
| archive-date = June 9, 2021
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210609001602/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00049855&format=pdf
| url-status = live
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly&stations=USC00049855&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Yosemite Park Headquarters, CA (1981&ndash;2010)
|access-date = May 27, 2023
|archive-date = May 27, 2023
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230527180047/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly&stations=USC00049855&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL
|url-status = live
}}</ref>
|source 2 = Weather Atlas<ref name="Weather Atlas">{{cite web |url=https://www.weather-us.com/en/california-usa/yosemite-national-park-climate |title=Yosemite National Park, California, USA – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data |publisher=Weather Atlas |access-date=26 January 2019 |archive-date=September 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190929020825/https://www.weather-us.com/en/california-usa/yosemite-national-park-climate |url-status=live }}</ref>}}

{{Clear}}
{{Yosemite ImageMap}}

==Geology==
{{Main|Geology of the Yosemite area}}
[[File:Map of Yosemite National Park.svg|thumb|upright=1.3|Generalized geologic map of the Yosemite area (based on a [[United States Geological Survey|USGS]] image)]]
===Tectonic and volcanic activity===
{{See also|Tioga Pass caldera}}
The location of the park was a [[passive continental margin]] during the [[Precambrian]] and early [[Paleozoic]].<ref name="GeologyNP328"/> Sediment was derived from continental sources and was deposited in shallow water. These rocks became deformed and metamorphosed.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Review of Late Jurassic-early Miocene sedimentation and plate-tectonic evolution of northern California: illuminating example of an accretionary margin |first=WG |last=Ernst |journal=Chin. J. Geochem. |year=2015 |volume=34 |issue=2 |pages=123–42 |doi=10.1007/s11631-015-0042-x |bibcode=2015Geoch..34..123E |s2cid=55662231 |url=http://english.gyig.cas.cn/pu/papers_CJG/201505/P020150515379493168537.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200321144527/http://english.gyig.cas.cn/pu/papers_CJG/201505/P020150515379493168537.pdf |archive-date=2020-03-21 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite conference|title=Paleotectonic and paleogeographic significance of the Calaveras Complex, western Sierra Nevada, California|last1=Schweickert|first1=Richard A|last2=Saleeby|first2=Jason B|last3=Tobisch|first3=Othmar T|last4=Wright|first4=William H. III|year=1977|conference=Paleozoic paleogeography of the western United States : Pacific Coast Paleogeography Symposium I|publisher=Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists|location=Los Angeles, California|pages=381–94|url=https://authors.library.caltech.edu/53867/|access-date=November 3, 2020|archive-date=September 17, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200917180152/https://authors.library.caltech.edu/53867/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Heat generated from the [[Farallon Plate]] [[subduction|subducting]] below the [[North American Plate]] led to the creation of an [[island arc]] of volcanoes on the west coast of proto-North America between the late [[Devonian]] and [[Permian]] periods.<ref name="GeologyNP328">{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=328}}</ref> Material accreted onto the western edge of North America, and mountains were raised to the east in Nevada.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yosemite National Park Geologic Resources Inventory Report|url=http://npshistory.com/publications/yose/nrr-2012-560.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190109062212/http://npshistory.com/publications/yose/nrr-2012-560.pdf |archive-date=2019-01-09 |url-status=live|publisher=National Park Service|id=Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/GRD/NRR—2012/560|pages=43–44}}</ref>

The first phase of regional [[intrusion (geology)|plutonism]] started 210&nbsp;million years ago in the late Triassic and continued throughout the Jurassic to about 150&nbsp;million years before present ([[Before Present|BP]]), which led to the creation of the [[Sierra Nevada Batholith]].<ref name="GeologyNP329"/> The resulting rocks were mostly granitic in composition and lay about {{convert|6|mi|km}} below the surface.<ref name="GeologyNP337">{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=337}}</ref> Around the same time, the [[Nevadan orogeny]] built the Nevadan mountain range (also called the Ancestral Sierra Nevada) to a height of {{convert|15000|ft|m}}.

The second major pluton emplacement phase lasted from about 120&nbsp;million to 80&nbsp;million years ago during the [[Cretaceous]].<ref name="GeologyNP329"/> This was part of the [[Sevier orogeny]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Yonkee|first1=W. Adolph|last2=Weil|first2=Arlo Brandon|date=2015-11-01|title=Tectonic evolution of the Sevier and Laramide belts within the North American Cordillera orogenic system|journal=Earth-Science Reviews|language=en|volume=150|pages=531–93|doi=10.1016/j.earscirev.2015.08.001|bibcode=2015ESRv..150..531Y|issn=0012-8252|doi-access=free}}</ref>

Starting 20&nbsp;million years ago (in the [[Cenozoic]]) and lasting until 5&nbsp;million years ago, a now-extinct extension of [[Cascade Range]] volcanoes erupted, bringing large amounts of igneous material to the area. These igneous deposits blanketed the region north of the Yosemite region. Volcanic activity persisted past 5&nbsp;million years BP east of the current park borders in the Mono Lake and [[Long Valley Caldera|Long Valley]] areas.<ref>{{cite book|title = Geology of the Sierra Nevada|last = Hill|first = Mary|location = Berkeley, California|publisher = University of California Press|year = 2006|page=270}}</ref>

===Uplift and erosion===
[[File:Half Dome from Glacier Point, Yosemite NP - Diliff.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|[[Exfoliation joint]]s cause erosion in granitic rocks, creating many [[Granite dome|domes]] including [[Half Dome]].]]
Starting 10&nbsp;million years ago, vertical movement along the Sierra fault started to uplift the Sierra Nevada. Subsequent tilting of the Sierra block and the resulting accelerated uplift of the Sierra Nevada increased the [[gradient]] of western-flowing streams.<ref name="GeologyNP339">{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=339}}</ref> The streams consequently ran faster and thus cut their valleys more quickly. Additional uplift occurred when major faults developed to the east, forming [[Owens Valley]] from [[Basin and Range Province|Basin and Range]]-associated extensional forces. Sierra uplift accelerated again about two million years ago during the [[Pleistocene]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Konigsmark |first1=Ted |title=Geologic Trips, Sierra Nevada |year=2002 |publisher=GeoPress |isbn=0966131657 |page=234 |url=http://www.geologictrips.com/sn/snttyv.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120515201942/http://www.geologictrips.com/sn/snttyv.pdf |archive-date=2012-05-15 |url-status=live |access-date=22 September 2021}}</ref>

The uplifting and increased erosion exposed granitic rocks to surface pressures, resulting in exfoliation (responsible for the rounded shape of the many domes in the park) and mass wasting following the numerous fracture joint planes (cracks, especially vertical ones) in the now solidified plutons.<ref name="GeologyNP332">{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=332}}</ref> [[Pleistocene]] glaciers further accelerated this process, while glacial meltwater transported the resulting [[scree|talus]] and [[till]] from valley floors.<ref name=Huber>{{cite book|first=N. King|last=Huber|title=The Geologic Story of Yosemite National Park|location=Washington|publisher=Government Printing Office|year=1987|id=USGS Bulletin 1595|chapter=Final Evolution of the Landscape|chapter-url=https://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/geologic_story_of_yosemite/final_evolution.html|access-date=July 5, 2022|archive-date=March 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331161402/http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/geologic_story_of_yosemite/final_evolution.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Numerous vertical joint planes controlled where and how fast erosion took place. Most of these long, linear, and very deep cracks trend northeast or northwest and form parallel, often regularly spaced sets.<ref name=Huber/>

===Glacial sculpting===
[[File:Glacially polished granite.jpg|thumbnail|Glacially polished granite [[cirque]] in upper [[Tenaya Canyon]]]]
A series of glaciations further modified the region starting about 2 to 3&nbsp;million years ago and ending sometime around 10,000 BP. At least four major glaciations occurred in the Sierra, locally called the Sherwin (also called the pre-Tahoe), Tahoe, Tenaya, and Tioga.<ref name="GeologyNP339"/> The Sherwin glaciers were the largest, filling Yosemite and other valleys, while later stages produced much smaller glaciers. A Sherwin-age glacier was almost surely responsible for the major excavation and shaping of Yosemite Valley and other canyons in the area.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Volcanoes of the Eastern Sierra Nevada|url=https://sierra.sitehost.iu.edu/papers/2012/klapperich.html|access-date=2021-06-28|website=sierra.sitehost.iu.edu|archive-date=June 28, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210628032933/https://sierra.sitehost.iu.edu/papers/2012/klapperich.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

Glacial systems reached depths of up to {{convert|4000|ft|m}} and left their marks. The longest glacier ran down the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River for {{convert|60|mi|km}}, passing well beyond Hetch Hetchy Valley. Merced Glacier flowed out of Yosemite Valley and into the Merced River Gorge. Lee Vining Glacier carved Lee Vining Canyon and emptied into Lake Russel (the much-enlarged ice age version of Mono Lake). Only the highest peaks, such as Mount Dana and Mount Conness, were not covered by glaciers. Retreating glaciers often left recessional [[moraine]]s that impounded lakes such as the {{convert|5.5|mi|km|0}} long Lake Yosemite (a shallow lake that periodically covered much of the floor of Yosemite Valley).<ref name="GeologyNP333">{{harvnb|Harris|1998|p=333}}</ref>

==Ecology==
{{Further|Ecology of the Sierra Nevada|List of plants of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)}}

===Habitats===
[[File:Mule deer in Yosemite Valley.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Mule deer]] in Yosemite Valley]]
The park has an elevation range from {{convert|2127|to|13114|ft|m}} and contains five major [[life zone|vegetation zones]]: [[chaparral]] and [[oak]] woodland, [[Sierra Nevada lower montane forest|lower montane forest]], upper [[Montane ecosystems#Montane forests|montane forest]], [[Sierra Nevada subalpine zone|subalpine zone]], and [[alpine tundra|alpine]]. Of California's 7,000 plant species, approximately 50% occur in the Sierra Nevada, and more than 20% within the park. The park contains suitable habitat for more than 160 rare plants, with rare local [[geology|geologic]] formations and unique [[soil]]s characterizing the restricted ranges many of these plants occupy.<ref name="naturehistory" />

With its scrubby sun-baked [[chaparral]], stately groves of pine, fir, and sequoia, and expanses of alpine woodlands and meadows, Yosemite National Park preserves a Sierra landscape as it prevailed before Euro-American settlement.<ref name="snepLateSuccessional">{{Cite book
 | first1 = Jerry F.
 | last1 = Franklin
 | first2 = Jo Ann
 | last2 = Fites-Kaufmann
 | chapter = 21: Assessment of Late-Successional Forests of the Sierra Nevada
 | year = 1996
 | pages = 627–71
 | title = Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project. Final Report to Congress. Status of the Sierra Nevada
 | volume = II: Assessments and Scientific Basis for Management Options
 | publisher = Centers for Water and Wildland Resources, University of California
 | chapter-url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-43/VOL_II/VII_C21.PDF
 | isbn = 1887673016
 | access-date = December 10, 2014
 | archive-date = May 13, 2019
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190513155027/https://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-43/VOL_II/VII_C21.PDF
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> In contrast to surrounding lands, which have been significantly altered by logging, the park contains some {{cvt|352.36|mi2}} of [[old-growth forest]].<ref name="1993OldGrowthEstimates">{{Cite journal
 | last1 = Bolsinger
 | first1 = Charles L.
 | last2 = Waddell
 | first2 = Karen L.
 | year = 1993
 | title = Area of old-growth forests in California, Oregon, and Washington
 | url = http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb197.pdf
 | publisher = [[United States Forest Service]], Pacific Northwest Research Station
 | journal = Resource Bulletin
 | issue = 197
 | id = PNW-RB-197
 | access-date = February 10, 2009
 | archive-date = October 23, 2020
 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201023223431/https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb197.pdf
 | url-status = live
 }}</ref> Taken together, the park's varied [[habitat (ecology)|habitats]] support over 250 species of [[vertebrate]]s, which include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.<ref name="wildlife">{{NPS| title = Wildlife Overview | url = http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wildlife.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127153544/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wildlife.htm|archive-date=January 27, 2007 | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite Park Service | date = December 22, 2004 }}</ref>

Yosemite's western boundary has habitats dominated by [[mixed coniferous forest]]s of [[ponderosa pine]], [[sugar pine]], [[incense cedar]], [[white fir]], [[Douglas fir]], and a few stands of giant sequoia, interspersed by areas of [[California black oak|black oak]] and [[Live oak|canyon live oak]]. These habitats support relatively high wildlife diversity. Wildlife include [[American black bear|black bear]], [[coyote]], [[raccoon]], [[Kingsnake|mountain kingsnake]], [[Gilbert's skink]], [[white-headed woodpecker]], [[bobcat]], [[North American river otter|river otter]], [[gray fox]], [[red fox]], [[brown creeper]], two species of skunk, [[North American cougar|cougar]], [[spotted owl]], and bats.<ref name="wildlife"/>

At higher elevations, the coniferous forests become purer stands of [[Fir|red fir]], [[western white pine]], [[Jeffrey pine]], [[lodgepole pine]], and the occasional [[foxtail pine]]. Fewer wildlife species tend to be found in these habitats because of their higher elevation and lower complexity. Animals include [[golden-mantled ground squirrel]], [[chickaree]], [[Fisher (animal)|fisher]], [[Steller's jay]], water ouzel, [[hermit thrush]], and [[American goshawk]]. Reptiles are not common, but include [[rubber boa]], [[western fence lizard]], and [[northern alligator lizard]].<ref name = "wildlife"/>

[[File:Marmota flaviventris (Yellow Bellied Marmot), Yosemite NP - Diliff.jpg|thumb|left|[[Yellow-bellied marmot|Marmot]] in [[Tuolumne Meadows]]]]
As the landscape rises, trees become smaller and more sparse, with stands broken by areas of exposed granite. These include lodgepole pine, [[whitebark pine]], and [[mountain hemlock]] that, at highest elevations, give way to vast expanses of granite as the treeline is reached. The climate in these habitats is harsh, and the growing season is short, but species such as [[American pika|pika]], [[yellow-bellied marmot]], white-tailed [[jackrabbit]], [[Clark's nutcracker]], and [[black rosy finch]] are adapted to these conditions. Treeless alpine habitats are favored by [[Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep]]. This species is found in the Yosemite area only around Tioga Pass, where a small, reintroduced population exists.<ref name = "wildlife"/>

At a variety of elevations, meadows provide important habitat. Animals come to feed on the green [[Poaceae|grasses]] and use the flowing and standing water found in many meadows. Predators follow these animals. The interface between meadow and forest is favored by many animal species because of the proximity of open areas for foraging and cover for protection. Species that are highly dependent upon meadow habitat include [[great grey owl]], [[willow flycatcher]], [[Yosemite toad]], and [[mountain beaver]].<ref name = "wildlife"/>

===Management issues===
[[File:YosemiteBlackBearTagged wb.jpg|thumb|A [[American black bear|black bear]] with an ear tag in Yosemite Valley]]
The black bears of Yosemite were once famous for breaking into parked cars to steal food. They were an encouraged tourist sight for many years at the park's garbage dumps, where they congregated to eat garbage, and tourists gathered to photograph them. Increasing bear/human encounters and increasing property damage led to an aggressive campaign to discourage bears from interacting with people and their stuff. The open-air dumps were closed; trash receptacles were replaced with [[bear-resistant food storage container|bear-proof]] receptacles; campgrounds were equipped with bear-proof food lockers so that people would not leave food in their vehicles. Because bears who show aggression towards people usually are destroyed, park personnel have come up with innovative ways to lead bears to associate humans and their property with experiences such as getting hit with a [[rubber bullet]]. {{as of|2001}}, about 30 bears a year were captured and [[ear tag|ear-tagged]] and their [[DNA]] sampled so that, when bear damage occurs, rangers can ascertain which bear was causing the problem.<ref>{{cite magazine | url= http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/04/0423_wirebears.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20010430063837/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/04/0423_wirebears.html | url-status= dead | archive-date= April 30, 2001 | title= DNA to Help Identify "Problem" Bears at Yosemite | magazine= National Geographic | date = April 23, 2001 | access-date=January 4, 2007}}</ref>{{update inline|date=November 2020}}

Despite the richness of high-quality habitats in Yosemite, the [[brown bear]], [[California condor]], and [[least Bell's vireo]] have become extinct in the park within historical time,<ref name = "snepTerrestrialVertebrates">{{Cite book | first = David M. | last = Graber | chapter = 25: Status of Terrestrial Vertebrates | year = 1996 | pages = 709–34 | title = Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project. Final Report to Congress. Status of the Sierra Nevada Volume II: Assessments and Scientific Basis for Management Options | publisher = Centers for Water and Wildland Resources, University of California | url = https://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-43/VOL_II/VII_C25.PDF | isbn = 1887673016 | access-date = December 10, 2014 | archive-date = June 20, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200620143941/https://pubs.usgs.gov/dds/dds-43/VOL_II/VII_C25.PDF | url-status = live }}</ref> and another 37 species currently have special status under either California or federal [[endangered species]] legislation. The most serious current threats include loss of a natural fire regime, [[exotic species]], air pollution, [[habitat fragmentation]], and climate change. On a more local basis, factors such as [[road kill]] and the availability of human food have affected some wildlife species.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Stephens |first=Tim |title=Yosemite bears and human food: Study reveals changing diets over past century |url=https://news.ucsc.edu/2014/03/yosemite-bears.html |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=UC Santa Cruz News |date=March 3, 2014 |language=en |archive-date=June 18, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220618204900/https://news.ucsc.edu/2014/03/yosemite-bears.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Hughes |first=Trevor |title=National park visitors leave roadkill in their wake |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/27/national-park-road-kill/2587753/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=USA TODAY |language=en-US |archive-date=June 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220627011811/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/07/27/national-park-road-kill/2587753/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Yellow star thistle.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.6|The [[Centaurea solstitialis|yellow star thistle]] competes with Yosemite's native plants.<ref name = "exotic"/>]]
Yosemite National Park has documented the presence of more than 130 non-native plant species within park boundaries. They were introduced into Yosemite following the migration of early [[European colonization of the Americas|Euro-American]] settlers in the late 1850s. Natural and human-caused disturbances, such as wildland fires and construction activities, have contributed to a rapid increase in the spread of non-native plants. Some of these species invade and displace the native plant communities, impacting park resources. Non-native plants can bring about significant ecosystem changes by altering native plant communities and the processes that support them. Some non-native species may cause an increase in fire frequency or increase the available soil nitrogen that allows other non-native plants to establish. Many non-native species, such as [[Centaurea solstitialis|yellow star thistle]] (''Centaurea solstitialis''), can produce a long [[tap root]] that allows them to out-compete the native plants for available water.<ref name = "exotic">{{cite web | url= http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/veg_exotics.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102234435/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/veg_exotics.htm|archive-date=January 2, 2007 | title= Exotic Plants | date = December 22, 2004| publisher= National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | access-date= January 4, 2007 }}</ref>

Bull thistle (''[[Cirsium vulgare]]''), common mullein (''[[Verbascum thapsus]]''), and Klamath weed (''[[Hypericum perforatum]]'') have been identified as noxious [[pest (organism)|pests]] in Yosemite since the 1940s. More recently recognized species are yellow star thistle (''Centaurea solstitialis''), sweet clover (''[[Melilot]]'' spp.), Himalayan blackberry (''[[Rubus armeniacus]]''), cut-leaved blackberry (''[[Rubus laciniatus]]'') and large periwinkle (''[[Vinca major]]'').<ref name = "exotic"/>

Increasing [[ozone]] pollution causes tissue damage to sequoia trees, making them more vulnerable to insect infestation and disease. Since the [[conifer cone|cones]] of these trees require fire-touched soil to [[germination|germinate]], historic [[Wildfire#Suppression|fire suppression]] has reduced their ability to reproduce. Planned [[prescribed fire]]s may help the germination issue.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Giant Sequoias and Fire – Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (U.S. National Park Service)|url=https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/giant-sequoias-and-fire.htm|access-date=2021-04-08|website=www.nps.gov|language=en|archive-date=August 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210824004759/https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/nature/giant-sequoias-and-fire.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Wildfires ===
[[File:Yosemite Meadow fire, 9-7-2014.jpg|thumb|The [[Meadow Fire]] burns in Little Yosemite Valley, 2014]]
Indigenous residents intentionally set small fires in the early 1860s and before to clear the ground of brush as part of their farming practices.<ref name="Spence" /> These fires are comparable to contemporary practices such as [[controlled burn]]s that are done by the U.S. Forest Service and others. Although it was not their primary reason, Yosemite Natives helped preserve biodiversity and resilience by lighting these small fires. Native Americans used fire as an early [[wildlife management]] tool to keep certain lands clear, resulting in more food for large animals and decreasing the chance of large forest fires, which now devastate forest ecosystems.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Johnson |first=Eric Michael |title=How John Muir's Brand of Conservation Led to the Decline of Yosemite |url=https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/primate-diaries/how-john-muir-s-brand-of-conservation-led-to-the-decline-of-yosemite/ |access-date=2022-04-21 |website=Scientific American Blog Network |language=en |archive-date=May 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220522193645/https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/primate-diaries/how-john-muir-s-brand-of-conservation-led-to-the-decline-of-yosemite/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Some early uncontrolled forest fires were set accidentally by the militia group led by Major John Savage when the group burned down the Ahwahneechee camp in an attempt to expel them. The house fires eventually spread to a large section of the forest, and the militia group ended up having to abandon their raid to save their own camp from the conflagration.<ref name=":5" />

Forest fires clear the park of dead vegetation, making way for new growth.<ref name="Evergreen Magazine">{{cite web | url= http://evergreenmagazine.com/magazine/article/Are_there_good_forest_fires_.html | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140315012328/http://evergreenmagazine.com/magazine/article/Are_there_good_forest_fires_.html | archive-date= 2014-03-15 | title= Are There Good Forest Fires? | date = Summer 2002| publisher= Evergreen Magazine | access-date= 14 March 2014 }}</ref> Small fires damage the income generated by tourism. During late July and early August 2018, the Valley and other sections of the park, temporarily closed due to the [[Ferguson Fire]] at its western boundary.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article215400735.html|title=Yosemite Valley will close due to fire. 'Get yourself out of here,' official says|work=fresnobee|access-date=2018-07-24|archive-date=July 24, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180724213643/https://www.fresnobee.com/news/local/article215400735.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The closing was the largest in almost thirty years.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/yosemite-national-park-fire.html |title=Yosemite National Park Evacuated Amid Threat From Fire |newspaper=The New York Times |date=July 25, 2018 |access-date=2018-07-30 |last1=Branch |first1=John |last2=Medina |first2=Jennifer |last3=Fountain |first3=Henry |archive-date=July 30, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180730140726/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/25/us/yosemite-national-park-fire.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Activities==
[[File:Tunnel tree at Yosemite National Park 20220524 145321 copy.jpg|thumb|upright|Tunnel tree at Yosemite National Park in May 2022]]
[[File:Yosemite Shuttle bus with Half Dome behind, May 2022.JPG|thumb|left|Yosemite Valley Shuttle System bus, a free [[Public transport bus service|bus service]]]]

===Public access===
Yosemite National Park is open year-round, though certain roads close during snowy months, usually from November through May or June.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Operating Hours & Seasons|work=Yosemite National Park|publisher=U.S. National Park Service|url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hours.htm|access-date=2023-12-02|language=en|archive-date=December 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202200909/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hours.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Certain trails also close during winter, including The 4-Mile Trail and part of The Mist Trail.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Yosemite in Winter |url=https://www.yosemitehikes.com/yosemite-info/yosemite-in-winter.htm |access-date=2023-12-02 |website=www.yosemitehikes.com |archive-date=October 29, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231029030722/https://www.yosemitehikes.com/yosemite-info/yosemite-in-winter.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

Traffic congestion in the valley is heavy during the peak summer season (June to August), and a free [[public transport|shuttle bus system]] operates in the valley. Parking in the valley during the summer is often full.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bus.htm | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | title = Bus | date = May 27, 2009 | access-date = May 8, 2010 | archive-date = October 24, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201024201830/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bus.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> [[Amtrak]] and the [[Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System]] (YARTS) provide public transit into Yosemite from four gateway communities: Merced, Fresno, Sonora, and Mammoth Lakes/Lee Vining. The Merced route provides service year-round.<ref>{{Cite web |title=YARTS - Public Transit to Yosemite |url=https://yarts.com/ |access-date=2025-03-12 |website=YARTS - Public Transit to Yosemite |language=en-US}}</ref>  

The natural and cultural history of Yosemite Valley is presented at the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center, the adjoining Yosemite Museum, and the Nature Center at Happy Isles. The parks' two [[National Historic Landmark]]s are the [[Sierra Club]]'s [[LeConte Memorial Lodge]] (Yosemite's first public visitor center), and the Ahwahnee Hotel. Camp 4 is on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{cite web |title = Camp 4 Listed With National Register of Historic Places
 | work = NPS Press Release | publisher =National Park Service | date = February 27, 2003 |url = http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/news/2003/camp0227.htm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070316120511/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/news/2003/camp0227.htm |archive-date = 2007-03-16 |access-date = December 14, 2008 }}</ref>

===Hiking===
[[File:Half dome cables big (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Hikers line the [[Half Dome]] cables on a busy summer day in 2008]]
Over {{convert|800|mi|km}} of trails are available to hikers<ref name="naturehistory"/>—everything from an easy stroll to a challenging mountain hike, or [[backpacking (wilderness)|backpacking trips]]. The popular Half Dome hike to the summit of [[Half Dome]] requires a permit whenever the cables are up (usually from [[Memorial Day]] weekend to [[Columbus Day]]).<ref>{{Cite web|title=Half Dome Day Hike|work=Yosemite National Park|publisher=U.S. National Park Service|url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm|access-date=2023-01-02|archive-date=October 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181030101332/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> A maximum of 300 hikers, selected by lottery, are permitted to advance beyond the base of the subdome each day, including 225 day hikers and 75 backpackers.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Half Dome Permits for Day Hikers|work=Yosemite National Park|publisher=U.S. National Park Service|url=https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm|access-date=2023-01-02|archive-date=November 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181118095956/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

The park can be divided into five sections—Yosemite Valley, Wawona/Mariposa Grove/Glacier Point, Tuolumne Meadows, Hetch Hetchy, and [[Crane Flat Campground|Crane Flat]]/White Wolf.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.yosemitehikes.com/hikes.htm|title = Yosemite Hikes|first = Russ|last = Cary|access-date = May 27, 2009|archive-date = November 14, 2020|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201114062806/https://www.yosemitehikes.com/hikes.htm|url-status = live}}</ref> Numerous books describe park trails, while the National Park Service provides free information.

Between late spring and early fall, much of the park can be accessed for backpacking trips. All overnight trips into the back country require a wilderness permit<ref name = "permits"/> and most require approved bear-resistant food storage.<ref name = "food storage">{{cite web | publisher = National Park Service: National Park Service | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bears.htm | title = Bear and food storage | date = February 10, 2010 | access-date = May 8, 2010 | archive-date = November 11, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201111191930/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/bears.htm | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Driving===
{{Further|List of Yosemite destinations}}
While some locations in Yosemite are accessible only on foot, other locations can be reached via road. The most famous road is [[California_State_Route_120|Tioga Road]].<ref name = "auto touring">{{cite web | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | title = Auto Touring | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/touring.htm | date = December 22, 2004 | access-date = January 27, 2007 | archive-date = October 28, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201028214728/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/touring.htm | url-status = live }}</ref>

Bicycles are allowed on the roads, but only {{convert|12|mi|km}} of paved off-road trails are available in Yosemite Valley itself; mountain biking is not allowed.<ref name="bike">{{cite web | title = Biking | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/biking.htm | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | date = March 2007 | access-date = March 23, 2007 | archive-date = November 11, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201111223459/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/biking.htm | url-status = live }}</ref>

===Climbing===
[[File:Tom Frost - Ryan Frost in Narrows - 1996.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Climbing the Narrows in [[Sentinel Rock]]]]
Rock climbing is an important part of Yosemite.<ref name="climbing">{{cite web | title = Climbing | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/climbing.htm | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | date = December 11, 2008 | access-date = May 8, 2010 | archive-date = October 29, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201029191818/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/climbing.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> In particular the valley is surrounded by summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan. [[Camp 4 (Yosemite)|Camp 4]] is a walk-in campground in the Valley that was instrumental in the development of rock climbing as a sport, and is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name = "camp4">{{cite press release | title = Camp 4 Listed With National Register of Historic Places | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | date = February 27, 2003 | url = http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/news/2003/camp0227.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070316120511/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/news/2003/camp0227.htm | archive-date = 2007-03-16 | access-date = January 27, 2007 }}</ref> Climbers can generally be spotted in the snow-free months on anything from ten-foot-high (3&nbsp;m) boulders to the {{convert|3300|ft|km|adj=on}} face of El Capitan. Classes on rock climbing are offered there.

[[Tuolumne Meadows]] is well known for [[Hiking, rock climbing, and mountain climbing around Tuolumne Meadows|rock and mountain climbing]].

===Winter activities===
[[File:Yosemite Winter Hiking.jpg|thumb|A ranger-guided [[snowshoe]] walk in the park]]
Away from the Valley, the park is snowed in during the winter months, with many roads closed. [[Downhill skiing]] is available at the [[Badger Pass Ski Area]]—the oldest downhill skiing area in California, operating from mid-December through early April.<ref name="skiing">{{cite web | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wintersports.htm | title = Skiing | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | date = September 21, 2006 | access-date = January 27, 2007 | archive-date = December 4, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201204132654/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wintersports.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> Much of the park is open to [[cross-country skiing]] and [[snowshoe]]ing, and backcountry ski huts are available.<ref name = "TuolumneWinter">{{cite web | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | title = Tuolumne Meadows Winter Conditions Update | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tm.htm | access-date = January 27, 2007 | archive-date = October 21, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201021224249/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/tm.htm | url-status = live }}</ref><ref name="winter">{{cite web | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | title = Winter Wilderness Travel | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildwinter.htm | date = March 2, 2010 | access-date = May 8, 2010 | archive-date = November 12, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201112010734/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildwinter.htm | url-status = live }}</ref> Wilderness permits are required for backcountry overnight ski trips.<ref name = "permits">{{cite web | title = Wilderness Permits | publisher = National Park Service: Yosemite National Park | url = https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm | date = February 12, 2010 | access-date = May 8, 2010 | archive-date = December 15, 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201215221816/https://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm | url-status = live }}</ref>

The [[Ahwahnee_Hotel#Bracebridge_tradition|Bracebridge dinner]] is an annual holiday event, held since 1927 at the Ahwahnee Hotel, inspired by [[Washington Irving]]'s descriptions of Squire Bracebridge and English [[Christmas]] traditions of the 18th century in his ''Sketch Book''. Between 1929 and 1973, the show was organized by [[Ansel Adams]].<ref name="Bracebridge">{{cite web|title=History |work=The Bracebridge Dinner at Yosemite |url=http://www.bracebridgedinners.com/history.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120312225909/http://www.bracebridgedinners.com/history.html |archive-date=March 12, 2012 |access-date=May 8, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Other===
Yosemite has 13 official campgrounds.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://spkcamping.com/camping-in-yosemite-national-park/ | title = Yosemite camping | work = Camping gear and accessories | date = January 15, 2023 | access-date = January 16, 2023 | archive-date = January 16, 2023 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230116110719/https://spkcamping.com/camping-in-yosemite-national-park/ | url-status = live | author1 = Dddougal }}</ref>

Bicycle rentals are available from spring through fall. Over {{convert|12|mi|km}} of paved bike paths are available in Yosemite Valley. In addition, bicyclists can ride on roads. Helmets are required for children under 18 years of age. Off-trail riding and [[mountain biking]] are not permitted in the park.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/pphtml/planyourvisit.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090221050244/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/pphtml/planyourvisit.html|archive-date=February 21, 2009|title=Plan Your Visit|work=Yosemite National Park|publisher=U.S. National Park Service}}</ref>

Water activities are plentiful during warmer months. Rafting can be done through the valley on the Merced River from late May to July.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Brown |first1=Ann Marie |title=Moon Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon Hiking, Camping, Waterfalls & Big Trees |date=2015 |publisher=Avalon Publishing |isbn=9781640494459|at=Rafting}}</ref> Swimming pools are available at Yosemite Lodge and Curry Village.


==In popular culture==
[[File:Yogi Bear with "don't feed the bears" message - NARA - 286013.tif|thumb|upright|A [[Yogi Bear]] sign advising young visitors not to feed the bears at Yosemite National Park.]]
The opening scenes of ''[[Star Trek V: The Final Frontier]]'' (1989) were filmed in Yosemite National Park. Films such as ''[[The Last of the Mohicans (1920 American film)|The Last of the Mohicans]]'' (1920) and ''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]'' (1994) have also been shot there.<ref>Maddrey, Joseph (2016). ''The Quick, the Dead and the Revived: The Many Lives of the Western Film''. McFarland. p. 175. {{ISBN|978-1476625492}}.</ref> The 2014 documentary ''[[Valley Uprising]]'' is centered around Yosemite Valley and its history with an emphasis on climbing culture.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Mortimer|first1=Peter|title=Valley Uprising|date=2014-09-01|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3784160/|type=Documentary|others=Peter Sarsgaard, Alex Honnold, Yvon Chouinard, Royal Robbins|publisher=Sender Films, Big UP Productions|access-date=2021-04-26|last2=Rosen|first2=Nick|last3=Lowell|first3=Josh|archive-date=June 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190613102243/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3784160/|url-status=live}}</ref> The Academy Award-winning 2018 documentary ''[[Free Solo]]'' was filmed in Yosemite.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Catsoulis|first=Jeannette|date=September 27, 2018|title=Review: In 'Free Solo,' Braving El Capitan With Only Fingers and Toes|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/27/movies/free-solo-review-alex-honnold-el-capitan.html|access-date=2020-09-04|archive-date=April 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421222107/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/27/movies/free-solo-review-alex-honnold-el-capitan.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The 2018 [[Travis Scott]] album [[Astroworld (album)|Astroworld]]'s twelfth song is titled "[[Yosemite (Travis Scott song)|Yosemite]]". ''[[The Dawn Wall]],'' a 2017 documentary, was filmed there.<ref>{{Citation|last1=Lowell|first1=Josh|title=The Dawn Wall|date=2018-07-17|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286916/|type=Documentary, Biography, Sport|others=John Branch, Tommy Caldwell, Kevin Jorgeson|publisher=Red Bull Media House, Sender Films|access-date=2021-04-26|last2=Mortimer|first2=Peter|archive-date=April 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421222117/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7286916/|url-status=live}}</ref> The park is a playable map in the park management simulation game, [[Jurassic World Evolution 2]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://gamingtrend.com/reviews/jurassic-world-evolution-2-review-its-everything-its-predecessor-was-and-more/|title=Jurassic World Evolution 2 review — It's everything its predecessor was…and more|first=Holly|last=Hudspeth|work=[[GamingTrend]]|date=November 5, 2021|access-date=March 16, 2025}}</ref> [[Untamed (TV series)|''Untamed'']], a 2025 drama murder mystery series, though set almost entirely in Yosemite, was filmed in the Canadian province of British Columbia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Where was 'Untamed' filmed? The unexpected locations behind Netflix's Eric Bana mystery |url=https://www.timeout.com/news/where-was-untamed-filmed-the-unexpected-locations-behind-netflixs-eric-bana-mystery-071725}}</ref>

==See also==
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[1996 Yosemite Valley landslide]]
* [[Bibliography of the Sierra Nevada]]
* [[Buffalo Soldier#Park Rangers|Buffalo Soldiers (park rangers)]]
* [[Cathedral Peak Granodiorite]]
* [[Chinquapin, California]]
* [[List of birds of Yosemite National Park]]
* [[List of national parks of the United States]]
* [[List of plants of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|List of plants of the Sierra Nevada]]
* [[National parks in California]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Yosemite National Park]]
* [[Protected areas of the Sierra Nevada]]
* [[Yosemite Sam]] – Warner Bros. theatrical cartoon character
* [[Yosemite West, California]], a community inside the gates of the park
* [[Yosemite Valley Railroad]], a short-line railroad that replaced stagecoach travel to the park
}}

==Citations==
{{clear right}}
{{reflist}}

==General references==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Berkowitz|first=Paul D.|title=Legacy of the Yosemite Mafia: Noble Cause Corruption in the National Park Service|publisher=Trine Day Publishing|location=Walterville, Oregon|year=2017|isbn=978-1-63424-126-7}}
* Diamant, Rolf, and Carr, Ethan (2022). ''Olmsted and Yosemite: Civil War, Abolition, and The National Park Idea''. Amherst, Massachusetts: Library of American Landscape History {{ISBN|9781952620348}} [http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=61060  Online review of this book.]
* {{Cite book|title = Yosemite: the Park and its Resources|last = Greene|first = Linda Wedel|publisher = U.S. Department of the Interior / National Park Service|year = 1987|url = http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_resources/yosemite_resources.pdf|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110606144808/http://www.yosemite.ca.us/library/yosemite_resources/yosemite_resources.pdf|archive-date = 2011-06-06}}
* {{cite book|last=Harris|first=Ann G.|title=Geology of National Parks|edition=Fifth|location=Kendall, Iowa|publisher=Hunt Publishing|year=1998|isbn=0787253537}}
* {{cite book|last1=Kiver|first1=Eugene P.|first2=David V.|last2=Harris|title=Geology of U.S. Parklands|edition=Fifth|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|location=New York|year=1999|isbn= 0471332186}}
* Muir, John. "[https://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=cent;cc=cent;rgn=full%20text;idno=cent0040-5;didno=cent0040-5;view=image;seq=0666;node=cent0040-5%3A2 Features of the Proposed Yosemite National Park] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170917105738/http://ebooks.library.cornell.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=cent;cc=cent;rgn=full%20text;idno=cent0040-5;didno=cent0040-5;view=image;seq=0666;node=cent0040-5%3A2 |date=September 17, 2017 }}" ''The Century; a popular quarterly'' (Sept. 1890) 40#5
* {{cite book|last=Schaffer|first=Jeffrey P.|title=Yosemite National Park: A Natural History Guide to Yosemite and Its Trails|publisher=Wilderness Press|location=Berkeley|year=1999|isbn=0899972446}}
* {{cite book|last=Wuerthner|first=George|title=Yosemite: A Visitor's Companion|publisher=Stackpole Books|year=1994|isbn=0811725987|url=https://archive.org/details/yosemitevisitors00wuer}}  
* {{cite book|title=Yosemite: Official National Park Service Handbook|volume=138|publisher=Division of Publications, National Park Service|year=1989|ref={{harvid|NPS|1989}}}}
* {{NPS}}
** {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wtr_climate.htm|title=Climate|date=December 22, 2004|access-date=January 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070101113353/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wtr_climate.htm|archive-date=January 1, 2007|publisher=National Park Service}}
** {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/veg_exotics.htm|title=Exotic Vegetation|date=December 22, 2004|access-date=January 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070102234435/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/veg_exotics.htm|archive-date=January 2, 2007|publisher=National Park Service}}
** {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/nature.htm|title=Nature & History|date=October 13, 2006|access-date=January 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070125062753/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/nature.htm|archive-date=January 25, 2007|publisher=National Park Service}}
** {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/water.htm|title=Water Overview|date=December 22, 2004|access-date=January 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070107180730/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/water.htm|archive-date=January 7, 2007|publisher=National Park Service}}
** {{cite web|url=http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wildlife.htm|title=Wildlife Overview|date=December 22, 2004|access-date=January 27, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070127153544/http://www.nps.gov/archive/yose/nature/wildlife.htm|archive-date=January 27, 2007|publisher=National Park Service}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
{{Spoken Wikipedia|date=2005-06-18|Yosemite_National_Park_(Part_1).ogg|Yosemite National Park (Part 2).oga}}
* {{Official website|https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm}} of the [https://www.nps.gov/index.htm National Park Service]
* {{Cite web |date=2019-03-18 |title=Providing for Yosemite's Future — Yosemite Conservancy |url=https://yosemite.org/ |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=yosemite.org |language=en-US}}
* {{Cite web |title=The Role of the Railroads in Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks |url=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA96/RAILROAD/home.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19971108063855/http://xroads.virginia.edu/~MA96/RAILROAD/home.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 8, 1997 |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=xroads.virginia.edu}} from American Studies at the University of Virginia
* [https://vimeo.com/35396305 Project Yosemite | Yosemite HD | Motion Timelapse Video]
* {{Cite web |url=http://thehive.modbee.com/?q=node%2F153 |title=Historic Yosemite Indian Chiefs – with photos |access-date=April 6, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060521032840/http://thehive.modbee.com/?q=node%2F153 |archive-date=May 21, 2006 |url-status=dead}}
* {{Cite web |title=Edith Irvine's Historic Photographs of Yosemite National Park|url=https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/EdithIrvine/search/searchterm/yosemite%20national%20park%20(calif.)/field/subjec/mode/all/conn/and/order/title/ad/asc |access-date=2023-06-28 |website=contentdm.lib.byu.edu}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20181024200910/https://www.projectyose.com/ Project Yosemite timelapse photography]
* {{Cite book |last=Muir |first=John |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.19229 |title=My first summer in the Sierra |date=1911 |publisher=Houghton Mifflin |location=Boston, Mass|doi=10.5962/bhl.title.19229 }} {{cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/my_first_summer_in_the_sierra_ap_0906_librivox/ |title=Audio recording |website=LibriVox.org|date=June 3, 2009 }}
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