Maps
Derived from Climbing in Yosemite at Guillaume and Jennifer Dargaud's website.
See more map links below.
Yosemite National Park was established on 01 October 1890, and is the Nation's third oldest national park. Yosemite National Park is a showcase of spectacular geological features, including the greatest concentration of granite domes in the world and the largest exposed granite monolith in the world.
Yosemite National Park is a showcase of spectacular geological features, including the greatest concentration of granite domes in the world and the largest exposed granite monolith in the world.
Most people think of Yosemite Valley with granite monoliths like Half Dome and numerous waterfalls.
The valley is surrounded by Yosemite National Park, a 1,200 square mile park containing deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more.
The Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center on Hwy 120 (Tioga Rd.) 10 miles west of the 9,945 ft Tioga Pass, has information on day hikes and wilderness permits.
Yosemite was the birthplace of the idea of the Sierra Club. There is a famous picture of Sierra Club founder, John Muir and Presedent Theodore Roosevelt at Glacier Point in 1903.
It is the sixth most visited National Park with 4 million visitors a year.
Geology:
400-365 Million years ago (MYA) magma which cooled underground (Igneous rock) formed the granite.
155-300 MYA the North American continental plate drifted away from the super-continent of Pangea and moved westward. It collided with a Pacific Island chain in an area which is now the Sierra Nevada.
163-143 MYA compression caused uplifting of the Sierra Nevada to about 3/4 of present height.
As the mountains rose, the land tilted and the westward flowing Merced River accelerated, carving deep, v-shaped river canyons. Later, massive glaciers flowed down the canyons.
2 million to 20,000 yrs. ago colder temperatures slowed melting and eventually glaciers formed and began to carve away at the v-shaped canyons, transforming them into u-shaped valleys. Tributary streams did not carve their canyons as deep as Merced Canyon. Glaciers sheared off these canyons leaving them as "hanging valleys." Tributary creeks, which had once joined the main stream at the same elevation, now plummeted off of shear cliffs, giving birth to the park's famed waterfalls. Eventually, sediment washed down out of the high country, filled in Lake Yosemite to form the present valley floor.
Sightseeing:
Photography:
Ansel Adams photographs have done much for the parks notoriety.
Popular Photo Ops:
Viewpoints (nps.gov/yose/)
Monoliths - Half Dome, El Capitan
Waterfalls - See below
Giant Sequoia Groves: Mariposa, Merced, Tuolumne Grove
Glacier Point:
High Country: Off hwy 120 (Tioga Rd.), Olmsted Point, ...
Photographing Yosemite Digital Field Guide - iPhone app
Great Photo Locations and Directions in Yosemite National Park - Locations
Cliff Stone's Blog: Photographing Yosemite - How to find Great Locations for your Shots
Fine Art Nature Photography by Spears McAllester
There are many photography workshops available, see:
Yosemite Landscape Photography Workshops
Yosemite Photo Walk - Yosemite Photo Tour : Yosemite Park
Waterfalls in the Valley:
Yosemite Falls is the second highest waterfall in the world at 2,425 ft, if you count all three sections. Only Angel Fall (3,300 ft) in Venezuela is higher.
Places
