Yosemite National Park was established on October 1, 1890. The park is in central California in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. It covers 759,620 acres of land. The national park was originally inhabited by the American indigenous people. Yosemite is known for its immense biodiversity and scooping valley. Ninety-five percent of the park is designated wilderness with beautiful lakes, waterfalls, and full giant sequoia trees. Yosemite has great cliffs and mountains created by glaciers 1 million years ago. Yosemite was also America’s third national park.

In 1851, European American settlers discovered the Yosemite Valley, with James D. Savage being credited for the discovery. Although, Indigenous tribes have lived in the valley for about 4000 years. During the 1849 gold rush, thousands of miners came to live on the land. This led to economic exploitation of the land. Conservationists convinced President Abraham Lincoln to protect the land. Yosemite’s protection was the first time the US government stepped in to safeguard land for public enjoyment. It was the foundation for the national and state park system.

It wasn’t until 1890 that Yosemite become a national park. John Muir and Robert Underwood Johnson, environmentalist and magazine editor, lobbied to give the large area national park status. It was only the meadows surrounding the valley that were national park though. The valley and groves didn’t become a part of the park until 1906.

Today Yosemite National Park is visited by over 3 million tourists. It has beautiful trails to hike and places to camp under the stars. You can get guided tours of the valley or learn about the hundreds of species living on the land. Yosemite is one of the best places to visit in the fall with its colorful forests and clear skies.