• View of Half Dome and Washington Column in Yosemite Valley

    Yosemite

    National Park California

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  • Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome Response Continues at Yosemite National Park

    The recent diagnosis of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) in several park visitors has prompted Yosemite National Park to scale up public health response and outreach. More »

Not just a great Valley...

but a shrine to human foresight, strength of granite, power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra.

Yosemite National Park, one of the first wilderness parks in the United States, is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.

Did You Know?

Vernal and Nevada Falls

In Yosemite Valley, dropping over 594-foot Nevada Fall and then 317-foot Vernal Fall, the Merced River creates what is known as the “Giant Staircase.” Such exemplary stair-step river morphology is characterized by a large variability in river movement and flow, from quiet pools to the dramatic drops of the waterfalls themselves.