National Park Spotlight:
Yosemite National Park

Few non-Indians knew of the existence of Yosemite Valley prior to 1851. It was at this point that the discovery of gold in the Sierra foothills brought thousands of gold seekers to the area.  In 1889, conservationist John Muir and editor Robert Underwood Johnson found the high country overrun with flocks of domestic sheep. Muir wrote of the devastation that these 'hoofed locusts' wrought upon the land as early as 1869. As they camped together in Tuolumne Meadows, Muir and Johnson decided to do something about it. Johnson used his influence on key citizens and politicians back East to help preserve the region. His resolve became as strong as Muir's. Together, they planned a campaign to make the high country surrounding Yosemite Valley into a national park.

On October 1, 1890, the U.S. Congress set aside more than 1,500 square miles of 'reserved forest lands' soon to be known as Yosemite National Park. It included the area surrounding Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. A meeting between President Roosevelt and John Muir in 1903 and the effective lobbying of railroad magnate Edward H. Harriman finally caused Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to cede from the state of California's control and be included with Yosemite National Park in 1906.

Today, Yosemite National Park includes some 1,200 square miles of the central Sierra Nevada. Yosemite elevation ranges from 2,000 feet to more than 13,000 feet above sea level. Major attractions here include alpine wilderness, three groves of Giant Sequoia trees and the crown jewel--the glacially-carved Yosemite Valley complete with world famous waterfalls, cliffs and one-of-a-kind rock formations.

Yosemite attendance has been averaging over 4,000,000 visitors a year. Most come in June, July and August with weekends seeing the biggest numbers of visitors. Fewer folks visit in December, January and February.  The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round and, in fact, many prefer the scenery and less crowded conditions that the off-season offers.