Yosemite National Park is one of the oldest natural reserves in the United States. Due to its unique pristine nature (95% of the park is wilderness), it has been protected by UNESCO since 1984. It is home to the highest waterfall in North America and 1,300 kilometers of hiking trails located on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California.

The park is home to 400 species of animals, including black bears, wolves, deer, and lynx.

Yosemite Attractions
Yosemite Valley accounts for only 1% of the park’s total area, but it is where most tourists head. The most popular site in the park is the 2,307-meter-high granite cliff of El Capitan, clearly visible from anywhere in the valley.

The upper reaches of the park include picturesque Dana Meadows, Tuolumne Meadows, Kuna Ridge, and the Clark and Cathedral Mountain ranges. The most popular hiking trails are the Sierra Crest and Pacific Crest, which run through Yosemite Park along the mountain ridge.

The park boasts three groves of ancient giant sequoia trees: Tuolumne Grove (25 trees), Mariposa Grove (200 trees), and Merced Grove (20 trees). The giant sequoia is the largest and one of the tallest and longest-lived trees in the world. Tourists also frequently visit the numerous waterfalls: Yosemite Falls (739 m), Snow Creek (652 m), and Wapama Falls (520 m). The most picturesque is Bridalveil Falls (190 m), clearly visible from the adjacent road.

The park has approximately 1,300 km of hiking trails and 560 km of roads. Here you can enjoy rock climbing, rafting, fishing, horseback riding, cycling, skiing, and snowshoeing. There are shops and restaurants within the park.