California Vacations: Yosemite National Park
Located in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range, Yosemite National Park is a world renowned natural wonder. The breathtaking Yosemite national park encompasses over 1,150 square miles and offers visitors an unusual tranquility unlike busy cities just hours away. Yosemite ranges in altitude from 2,000 feet to more than 13,000 feet above sea level.
Yosemite National Park is a setting so spectacular that people travel from all over the nation to witness it in person. Over millions of years, earthquakes and glaciers have created this idyllic national park. From towering cliffs, beautiful waterfalls and lakes, there is no other park like Yosemite in the world.
Yosemite continues to be a “crown jewel” of U.S. national parks and receives over 3.5 million visitors per year. The word of its grandeur spreads and the parks popularity grows, which presents the challenge of maintaining its pristine environment while allowing for the enjoyment of its visitors.
Although the park is open year-round, the weather does tend to vary greatly depending on the season and elevation. It’s best to avoid the extremes of winter, unless you are an avid outdoors enthusiast and come prepared. For winter enthusiasts, visit Yosemite’s Badger Pass Ski Area, which is located at 7,000 feet or at Tuolumne Meadows, located at 8,500 feet.
There is no shortage of activities in Yosemite and the park offers fun for adults and children. During the winter, the park offers skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, snow-tubing and ice skating. Most outdoor winter activities offer child and adult lessons. Beautiful Yosemite Bridal Veil Falls
During Spring and Summer the park enjoys comfortable sunny days and reasonable temperatures in the evenings. Summer is the best time to enjoy rock climbing, hiking, biking and water rafting. In addition you can take mule and horseback riding guided tours through certain sections of the park, as well as guided hiking and nature walks.
There are several places to stay in Yosemite and you may choose to stay in more than one lodge if you want to explore different parts of this expansive park. The Ahwahnee Hotel is a 4-Star Hotel has been host to political figures including queens and presidents and is situated near Yosemite Falls and Glacier Point. Other accommodations in the park are more rustic, yet perfectly suited for lodging in Yosemite.
