of
springtime visits to
in California
in
the SW USA
Yosemite
National Park
stretches across the western slopes
of the Sierra
Nevada mountain
chain
in California.
Yosemite NP is visited by over 3.5 million people each
year
but most visitors only see Yosemite Valley.
Designated a
World Heritage Site
Yosemite is recognized
for
its spectacular granite cliffs,
waterfalls, clear streams, Giant
Sequoia groves
and biological diversity.
Most of the park is
designated as wilderness.
Although not the first designated national
park in the USA,
Yosemite
was a focal point in the development of
national parks
largely due to the work of people such as John Muir.