Yosemite National
Park is a national park located largely in Mariposa and Tuolumne Counties, California,
United States.
The park covers an area of 761,266 acres or 1,189 square miles (3,081 km²) and
reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada
mountain chain. Yosemite is visited by over 3.5 million people each year, with
most visitors only seeing the seven square miles (18 km²) of Yosemite
Valley. Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is
internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls,
clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. About 89%
of the park is designated wilderness. It was also the first park set aside by
the U.S.
federal government. Although not the first designated national park, Yosemite was a focal point in the development of the
national park idea, largely owing to the work of people like John Muir.
Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of
plants and animals. The park has an elevation range from 2,000 to 13,114 feet
(600 to 4,000 m) and contains five major vegetation zones: chaparral/oak
woodland, lower montane, upper montane, subalpine, and alpine. Of California's 7,000 plant species, about 50% occur in the
Sierra Nevada and more than 20% within Yosemite.
There is suitable habitat or documentation for more than 160 rare plants in the
park, with rare local geologic formations and unique soils characterizing the
restricted ranges many of these plants occupy.
The geology of the Yosemite area is
characterized by granitic rocks and remnants of older rock. About 10 million
years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and
then tilted to form its relatively gentle western slopes and the more dramatic
eastern slopes. The uplift increased the steepness of stream and river beds,
resulting in formation of deep, narrow canyons. About 1 million years ago, snow
and ice accumulated, forming glaciers at the higher alpine meadows that moved
down the river valleys. Ice thickness in Yosemite Valley
may have reached 4,000 feet (1200 m) during the early glacial episode. The
downslope movement of the ice masses cut and sculpted the U-shaped valley that
attracts so many visitors to its scenic vistas today.
If you want go Yosemite National Park
here some direction:
Commercial Airports Near Yosemite
Fresno-Yosemite International (FAT)
Drive north on Highway 41 to Yosemite. Allow about 1.5 hours to the park's South Entrance or 2.5 hours to Yosemite Valley.
Merced Airport (MCE)Drive east on Highway 140 to Yosemite. Allow about two hours to Yosemite Valley.
Modesto City-County Airport (MOD)
Drive east on Highway 120 to Yosemite (or head south on Highway 99 to Merced, then take Highway 140 into Yosemite). Allow about 1.5 hours to the park's Big Oak Flat or Arch Rock Entrance or about two hours to Yosemite Valley.
Commercial Airports in the Bay Area
San Francisco International (SFO)
Drive on Highway 580 east to Highway 205 east to Highway 120 east to Yosemite (you can also take Highway 99 south to Merced, then Highway 140 into Yosemite). Allow about four hours to the park's Big Oak Flat or Arch Rock Entrance or five hours to Yosemite Valley.
Oakland International (OAK)
Drive on Highway 580 east to Highway 205 east to Highway 120 east to Yosemite (you can also take Highway 99 south to Merced, then Highway 140 into Yosemite). Allow about four hours to the park's Big Oak Flat or Arch Rock Entrance or five hours to Yosemite Valley.
San José International (SJC)
Drive on Highway 880 north to 580 east to Highway 205 east to Highway 120 east to Yosemite (you can also take Highway 99 south to Merced, then Highway 140 into Yosemite). Allow about four hours to the park's Big Oak Flat or Arch Rock Entrance or five hours to Yosemite Valley.
Commercial Airports North or East of Yosemite
Sacramento International (SMF)
Drive south on Highway 99 to either Highway 120 or Highway 140 east to Yosemite. Allow about four hours to Yosemite Valley.
Mammoth Yosemite Airport (MMH)
Late May/June through October/November, depending on conditions
Drive north on US 395 to Highway 120 west into Yosemite. Allow about an hour to Tioga Pass Entrance or 2.5 hours to Yosemite Valley. ( Check on the status of the Tioga Road.)
All year
Drive north on US 395 to Highway 88, then take Highway 88 west to its junction with Highway 99. Once on Highway 99, drive south to either Highway 120 or Highway 140 east into Yosemite. Allow about seven hours to Yosemite Valley.
Reno/Tahoe International (RNO)
Late May/June through October/November, depending on conditions
Drive south on US 395 to Highway 120 west into Yosemite. Allow about 3.5 hours to Tioga Pass Entrance or five hours to Yosemite Valley. ( Check on the status of the Tioga Road.)
All year
Drive west on Highway 80 to Highway 99 south to either Highway 120 or Highway 140 east into Yosemite. Allow about eight hours to Yosemite Valley.
Driving Directions
Please note that GPS units do not always provide accurate directions to or within Yosemite. Yosemite covers 1,200 square miles and does not have a single address. We do not recommend using GPS units for directions in and around Yosemite.
From the west and north
San Francisco/Bay areaDistance: 195 mi / 314 km
Time:4-5 hours
Take I-580 east to I-205 east to Highway 120 east (Manteca) or Highway 140 east (Merced) into Yosemite National Park.
Sacramento
Distance: 176 mi / 283 km
Time: 4 hours
Take Highway 99 south to Highway 120 east (Manteca) or Highway 140 east (Merced) into Yosemite National Park.
Reno & Lake Tahoe
Approximately June through October, conditions permitting
Distance: 218 mi / 351 km (Reno)
Time: 5 hours
Take US 395 south to Lee Vining; take Highway 120 west into Yosemite National Park (open late May/June through October, depending on conditions).
All year
Distance: 315 mi / 507 km (Reno)
Time: 8 hours
Take I-80 or I-50 west to Sacramento; take Highway 99 south to Highway 120 east (Manteca) or Highway 140 east (Merced) into Yosemite National Park.
From the south
Los Angeles area
Distance: 313 mi / 504 km
Time: 6 hours
Take I-5 north (or I-405 north to I-5) to Highway 99 north to Highway 41 north (Fresno) into Yosemite National Park.
San Diego area
Distance: 441 mi / 710 km
Time: 8 hours
Take I-5 north to Highway 99 to Highway 41 north (Fresno) into Yosemite National Park.
Las Vegas
June through October, conditions permitting
Distance: 350 mi / 560 km
Time: 6-7 hours
Take I-15 south to Barstow; Highway 58 west to the junction with US 395; go north on US 395 to near Lee Vining; take Highway 120 west into Yosemite National Park (open late May/early June through October, depending on conditions).
November through May
Distance: 495 mi / 797 km
Time: 8-10 hours
Take I-15 south to Barstow; Highway 58 west to Bakersfield; take Highway 99 north to Fresno. In Fresno, take Highway 41 north into Yosemite National Park.
Death Valley National Park
June through October
Distance: 270 mi / 435 km
Time: 5 hours Take Highway 190 west to US 395. Take US 395 north to Lee Vining; take Highway 120 east into Yosemite National Park (open late May/early June through October, depending on conditions).
November through May
Distance: 450 mi / 720 km
Time: 9 hours
Take Highway 190 west to US 395; take US 395 south to its junction with Highway 14. Take Highway 14 south to Mojave. In Mojave, take Highway 58 to Bakersfield. From Bakersfield, head north on Highway 99 to Fresno. In Fresno, take Highway 41 north into Yosemite National Park.
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Bus service is available to Yosemite Valley from cities throughout California (and the rest of the United States).
- Amtrak provides a combination of train and bus service to Yosemite Valley.
- Greyhound provides bus service to Merced, where you can transfer to YARTS to continue to Yosemite Valley.
Yosemite Area Regional Transportation System (YARTS) buses also provide service from communities along Highway 140 between Merced and Yosemite (including Mariposa, Midpines, and El Portal). During summer, service is also available from east of Yosemite, via Highway 120 (including Lee Vining, June Lake, and Mammoth Lakes).
If you arrive in Yosemite Valley by bus, access to other areas of the park is possible, as follows:
- Yosemite Valley (free shuttle service around eastern Yosemite Valley)
- Glacier Point (late May/June through October via fee-based tour)
- Badger Pass (mid December through March via free shuttle)
- Wawona (summer only; very limited shuttle service available from Wawona to Yosemite Valley in the morning and from Yosemite Valley to Wawona in the afternoon)
- Tioga Road/Tuolumne Meadows (July and August, along with weekends in June and September, via fee-based tour andYARTS Highway 120 East bus)
- Tuolumne Meadows (summer only; free shuttle service in the Tuolumne Meadows area)
- Hetch Hetchy Valley (no public transportation)
- Hodgdon Meadow (no public transportation)
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