Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park in California's Sierra Nevada protects 1,169 square miles of dramatic granite landscape, ancient sequoia groves, and glacially carved valleys that have defined American ideas of wilderness since the park's establishment in 1890. Yosemite Valley, a seven-mile-long glacial trough, is the park's heartland: vertical granite walls rise 3,000 to 4,000 feet from the valley floor, with El Capitan on the north — the world's largest exposed granite monolith — and Half Dome rising 4,737 feet at the eastern end. Waterfalls are a seasonal spectacle: Yosemite Falls, one of the tallest in North America at 2,425 feet total drop, and Bridalveil Fall, visible from the valley road on approach, peak in May and June when snowmelt from the high country is at its greatest. The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in the park's south holds over 500 mature sequoias, including the Grizzly Giant estimated at 1,900 years old. Hiking ranges from the paved, accessible Mirror Lake Loop on the valley floor to the strenuous Half Dome hike, which requires a permit obtained by lottery and involves cables on the final ascent. Glacier Point, reachable by road in summer (or by a strenuous trail year-round), overlooks the valley from 3,200 feet above and provides one of the park's most celebrated panoramas: Half Dome, the valley, Vernal and Nevada Falls, and distant High Sierra peaks all in one view. Tunnel View at the western end of the valley is the classic full-valley shot with El Capitan and Half Dome framed by the road tunnel portal. Summer (June–August) is peak season; a reservation system limits day-use vehicle entry. Spring and autumn see waterfalls and fall color respectively, with far lighter traffic.