THE YOSEMITE VALLEY

The Yosemite Valley is known for its breathtaking sheer walls and valley floor. The Valley's evolution began when alpine glaciers permeated through the canyon of the Merced River. Ice carved through the granite leaving such intriguing rock formations as El Capitan and Cathedral Rocks. The Valley is home to a variety of wildlife and the most majestic waterfalls of the world. The beauty of Yosemite is unsurpassed and is a favorite of nature lovers and photographers.

DESTINATIONS

Tioga Pass at approximately 9945 feet above sea level, is the highest automobile pass in the Sierra Nevada. To the west of the pass lies the Yosemite High Country with places like Tuolumne Meadows and Clouds Rest. East of the pass you quickly drop several thousand feet down to Lee Vining and Mono Lake. Tioga Road is closed most of the year, it's open only from the late Spring until the first major snowstorm in Autumn.

Yosemite Valley is a half-mile deep depression carved by glaciers during the last ice age, which now has soaring 3,000 foot high granite domes and many awesome waterfalls, including the third and seventh highest in the world. The area received National Park status in 1880, as a result of the efforts of the pioneering Scottish naturalist John Muir, and has grown in popularity ever since.

Mariposa Grove is the largest, and most developed, of three sequoia groves in Yosemite National Park. It lies at the southern end of the park, along Wawona Road, and contains 250 Big Trees. The Grove contains some of the most famous trees in the world.

Glacier Point In summer, you can drive from the valley floor to the 3,200-foot high Glacier Point, which offers the park's most stunning panoramic vistas, including views of the High Sierra to the north and west that are beyond breathtaking.