How well do you know Yosemite?
Yosemite's granite cliffs, waterfalls and giant sequoias have inspired visitors for generations. Six questions, from easy to hard, with explanations.
Did you know?
- Half Dome's summit can be reached by a strenuous hike that ends with a climb up steel cables. Because of its popularity, hikers need a permit, awarded through a lottery.
- Giant sequoias are among the largest living things on Earth by volume. Their thick, fire-resistant bark helps them survive wildfires, and heat from fire helps release seeds from their cones.
- Tunnel View, near the park's southern entrance, offers a classic panorama of El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall and Half Dome in one scene. It is one of the most photographed viewpoints in the national park system.
A valley carved by ice
Yosemite Valley was shaped by glaciers that carved and polished the granite over hundreds of thousands of years, leaving sheer cliffs and hanging valleys from which waterfalls now pour. Beyond the famous valley, the park includes high alpine meadows, lakes and ancient sequoia groves, and it is one of the most visited national parks in the country.
Granite giants
Yosemite's cliffs are made of granite that formed deep underground from cooling magma. Over time, uplift and erosion exposed it, and glaciers sculpted the rock into domes and walls. Half Dome's sheer face and El Capitan's vast wall are among the most recognizable rock formations in the world.
A climbing capital
Since the 1950s, Yosemite has been a center of rock climbing. Climbers developed new techniques and equipment on its big walls, and routes such as The Nose on El Capitan became legendary. Today climbers from around the world come to test themselves on its granite.
Waterfalls through the seasons
Yosemite's waterfalls are fed mainly by melting snow, so they are strongest in late spring and early summer. By late summer, some falls slow to a trickle or dry up entirely. Visiting in May or June offers the most powerful views of Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall.
Protecting the valley
Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were first set aside for protection in 1864, before Yosemite became a national park in 1890. The park has since worked to reduce traffic, restore meadows and protect wildlife, balancing access with conservation for millions of annual visitors.
Photography and art
Photographer Ansel Adams made Yosemite famous with dramatic black-and-white images of its cliffs and skies. His work helped raise support for protecting wild places, and his photographs are still among the most celebrated landscape images ever made.