Yosemite National Park Essay

Yosemite National Park is a national park located in Northern California. The park goes across three counties which include Madera, Tuolumne, and Mariposa. This park covers over 700,000 acres of land. It is known for reaching the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. This park is very popular millions of people visit every year. I will be talking about Yosemite’s climate, geography, wildlife, history, and activities one can do at the park.
Yosemite is rich in history. Let me start off by saying the land that the park lays on was once inhabited by Native Americans. This group was known as the Ahwahneechees tribe. During the California Gold Rush this tribe went into a battle known as the Mariposa War. The European-Americans managed to kick them off the land. They were moved to a reservation in Fresno, California. Dr. Lafayette Bunnell documented this battle and
called it The Discovery of Yosemite. He is the one to blame for the name of Yosemite. One of the biggest influences of creating this park was John Muir. John Muir convinced a fellow friend named Robert Johnson to become advocates to protect the park. They both influenced congress for the act that created the park on October 1st, of 1890. The park opened in 1933.
Most of the landforms located in the park are formed by granite rock. This granite rock is known to come from the Sierra Nevada Batholith. A batholith is known as large igneous intrusive rock that forms from cooled down magma deep from the Earth’s crust. The Sierra Nevada Batholith is very large. There are amazing features to be witnessed in the park. As you enter the park this area is known as Yosemite Valley. This is a very small area of the park. Most visitors arrive and stay in this area. This area contains the Tunnel View. The Tunnel View is very iconic. It is very well documented by visitors. El Capitan is a very popular cliff in Yosemite. Granite domes are another feature hear at the park. Granite domes are hills made up of granite. The two domes at the park are Sentinel Dome and Half Dome. These domes range from 3,000-5,000 feet above the valley floor. Yosemite is also known for its meadows. They are known as the Tuolumne Meadows and Dana Meadows. These meadows are basically open land displaying the beauty of the park. The park also contains three mountain ranges. They are known as Clark Range Cathedral Range, and Kuna Crest. Yosemite also has a town of water. The park contains four amazing falls. They include Yosemite Falls, Ribbon Falls, Bridalveil Fall, and Verna Fall. Yosemite Falls is the highest fall in North America. This includes some of the more popular features at the park.
Yosemite has a Mediterranean climate. This means that during the summer it is very dry and during the winter there is mild precipitation. The climate is very weird hear at the park. Due to the fact that every region has a different elevation it creates different temperatures. In higher regions you can catch some rain in the hot summer. During the winter the park can sometimes be closed due to bad conditions. It snows heavily occasionally. At the end of the day the climate is very unpredictable.
Yosemite National park is very diverse.
The park has more than one form of habitat. On the Westside of the park the habitat is dominated by forests, pines, cedar, fir, and few sequoia trees. You can find an assortment of wildlife in this region of the park. Due to its mild low-elevation climate and arrangement of habitats and of course the different plant types. In this area you can find black bears, coyotes, raccoons, woodpeckers, bobcats, otters, cougars, and foxes. When you reach a higher elevation the park becomes a forest of fir and pine trees. In this area you find less wildlife. The reason for this is because of the high elevation. The wildlife you can find in this area includes lizards, squirrels, and different bird species. The higher areas which include smaller trees that become scarce. This area is exposed by granite. The climate becomes harsh at this elevation. But, you can find some wildlife out there. They include jackrabbits, marmots, pikas, and a few different bird species. The park has some meadow areas where you can find bighorn sheep. The sheep can mostly be seen near Tioga
Pass.
Yosemite National Park is known for the many activities you can do. One of the most popular things you can do at the park is hiking. There is over 800 miles of trails that are available to visitors. You can take an easy stroll, hike up a mountain, or go for a multi-day backpack trip. Rock climbing is huge at the park. Most rock climbing is during the dry season of course. The most famous rock to climb at the park is El Capitan. There are rock climbing classes offered for those who want to learn. There isn’t a day the park closes. So, there are winter activities one can do if they visit during winter season. The park is mostly known for skiing. Some visitors choose to go snowshoeing. Snowshoeing are like racquets on the bottom of your feet and you can go for a walk in the snow and enjoy all the white that surrounds you. You can also rent a bike during the spring through fall season. Sadly, there’s only 12 miles of bike paths in the park.
These are the many things I experienced at Yosemite National Park. I hope my field trip report encourages more people to visit the park. If you love the outdoors this is the place for you. You can’t get a breath of fresh air anywhere else. You will leave happy and amazed. Mother natures beauty goes unnoticed. Don’t miss out on visiting the park. It is open 24 hours a day 365 days per year. No reservations are required to visit. So, what are you waiting for?