Yosemite National Park

The Crown Jewel of the Sierra Nevada

There are over 3.5 million visitors yearly that come to take in the awe-inspiring panorama of Yosemite National Park. The California National Park of the High Sierras is one of the best places to camp, kayak, sightsee, rock climb, hike, or just sit back, relax and take in the amazing views. Yosemite is known for its huge granite peaks, clear, cool rivers, gigantic cascading waterfalls and abundant wildlife.

Photo left of Yosemite by Randy Lemoine, licensed under Creative Commons 2.0.

Yosemite was famously protected by the work of people in the late 1800's like John Muir. Muir realized its unmatched beauty and strived to protect the land of Yosemite from development, encroachment, overuse, overgrazing, and logging. Thanks in part to Muir's work, Yosemite was designated a National Park in 1890.

Depending on the season and elevation of the area of the park, temperatures range dramatically, even during summer. High peaks can be in the 50's, while the low valley can hit 90°F in the summer. Winters are generally mild and controlled by the Pacific Coast air currents, which are only about 100 miles from the park. The chances of seeing precipitation in the park are usually slim. It remains very dry year-round.

Yosemite is one of America's favorite National Parks.

The Valley of Yosemite is something you will never forget. After trekking through the beginning of the park to the Valley viewpoint, you can see the entire panorama displayed before you...Half Dome, Glacier Point, El Capitan, and the Merced River.

Please also visit...

Yosemite National Park Sightseeing

Lassen Volcanic National Park

Point Reyes National Seashore

Death Valley National Park

California Sightseeing

Here are the distances from locations to Yosemite National Park drive time. Traffic time not included!

• San Diego to Yosemite National Park: 430 mi – about 7 hours 15 mins
• Los Angeles to Yosemite National Park: 310 mi – about 5 hours 19 mins
• San Francisco to Yosemite National Park: 189 mi – about 3 hours 58 mins
• Fresno to Yosemite National Park: 92.6 mi – about 2 hours 1 min
• Portland, Oregon to Yosemite National Park: 741 mi – about 12 hours 22 mins
• Seattle, Washington to Yosemite National Park: 914 mi – about 15 hours 9 mins
• Las Vegas, Nevada to Yosemite National Park: 416 mi – about 7 hours 50 mins
• Phoenix, Arizona to Yosemite National Park: 680 mi – about 10 hours 43 mins
• Salt Lake City, Utah to Yosemite National Park: 615 mi – about 10 hours 53 mins
• Lake Tahoe, California to Yosemite National Park: 216 mi – about 4 hours 55 mins
• Giant Seqouia National Park to Yosemite National Park: 155 mi – about 3 hours 2 mins

Also, be sure to visit Wallpaper by Design, who provided some of these amazing images of Yosemite. Check them out!

Have you been to Yosemite? Would you like to share your experience? Be sure to tell us all about it!