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75-1052: Helmcken Falls is the fourth highest waterfall in Canada, measured by total straight drop without a break. Higher Canadian waterfalls are Hunlen Falls in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park , Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park , and Della Falls in Strathcona Provincial Park , all in British Columbia. There are six other waterfalls on the Murtle River, upstream from Helmcken Falls. The others are The Mushbowl, Dawson Falls , Majerus Falls , Horseshoe Falls , Meadow Falls and McDougall Falls . Only Helmcken, The Mushbowl and Dawson can be reached by road. Majerus, Horseshoe and McDougall Falls are accessed by trails. Meadow Falls

150-614: A Chilcotin Chief named Hana-lin, who used to fish below the falls in the autumn with a fish trap, and trap game nearby. In the 1930s it was sometimes called Mystery Falls and before that occasionally called Bella Coola Falls . Hunlen Falls drops 260 m (850 ft) at a 90 degree pitch from the north end of Turner Lake via Hunlen Creek into the Atnarko River , a tributary of the Bella Coola River . Erosion of

225-478: A state park , and a board of commissioners was established two years later. Galen Clark was appointed by the commission as the Grant's first guardian, but neither Clark nor the commissioners had the authority to evict homesteaders (which included Hutchings). The issue was not settled until 1872 when the homesteader land holdings were invalidated by the U.S. Supreme Court. Clark and the commissioners were ousted in

300-662: A 20-year concession to the Desmond Park Service Company. It bought out or built hotels, stores, camps, a dairy, a garage, and other park facilities. The Hotel Del Portal was completed in 1908 by a subsidiary of the Yosemite Valley Railroad . It was located at El Portal, California just outside of Yosemite. The Curry Company started in 1899, led by David and Jennie Curry to provide concessions. They founded Camp Curry, now Curry Village . Park service administrators felt that limiting

375-492: A blending of culture that helped preserve their presence in Yosemite after early American settlements and urban development threatened their survival. Vegetation and game in the region were similar to modern times; acorns were a dietary staple, as well as other seeds and plants, salmon and deer. The 1848–1855 California Gold Rush was a major event impacting the native population. It drew more than 90,000 European Americans to

450-480: A cliff near Glacier Point at night. In 1984, preservationists persuaded Congress to designate 677,600 acres (274,200 ha), or about 89 percent of the park, as the Yosemite Wilderness. As a wilderness area , it would be preserved in its natural state with humans being only temporary visitors. In 2016, The Trust for Public Land (TPL) purchased Ackerson Meadow, a 400-acre tract (160 ha) on

525-594: A dispute that reached the Supreme Court in 1880. The two Supreme Court decisions affecting management of the Yosemite Grant are considered precedents in land management law. Hutchings became the new park guardian. Tourist access to the park improved, and conditions in the Valley became more hospitable. Tourism significantly increased after the first transcontinental railroad was completed in 1869, while

600-528: A more resistant rock, resulting in larger spaces between joints and fractures. Pillars and columns, such as Washington Column and Lost Arrow , are generated by cross joints. Erosion acting on master joints is responsible for shaping valleys and later canyons. The single most erosive force over the last few million years has been large alpine glaciers , which turned the previously V-shaped river-cut valleys into U-shaped glacial-cut canyons (such as Yosemite Valley and Hetch Hetchy Valley). Exfoliation (caused by

675-480: A tourist photo attraction. Carriages and automobiles traversed the road that passed through the tree. The tree was permanently weakened by the tunnel, and it fell in 1969 under a heavy load of snow. It was estimated to have been 2,100 years old. Yosemite's first concession was established in 1884 when John Degnan and his wife established a bakery and store. In 1916, the National Park Service granted

750-615: Is managed by the National Park Service and covers 759,620 acres (1,187 sq mi; 3,074 km ) in four counties  – centered in Tuolumne and Mariposa , extending north and east to Mono and south to Madera . Designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, Yosemite is internationally recognized for its granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, groves of giant sequoia , lakes, mountains, meadows, glaciers, and biological diversity . Almost 95 percent of

825-466: Is nearly 37 inches (940 mm), falling on 67 days. The wettest year was 1983 with 66.06 inches (1,678 mm) and the driest year was 1976 with 14.84 inches (377 mm). The most precipitation in one month was 29.61 inches (752 mm) in December 1955 and the most in one day was 6.92 inches (176 mm) on December 23, 1955. Average annual snowfall is 39.4 inches (1.00 m). The snowiest winter

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900-500: Is plowed and sanded in winter and volunteers maintain the trails. Snow tires are essential and tire chains are recommended as a safety precaution. A network of cross-country ski trails starts near Dawson Falls, but there has been no grooming since the winter of 2011–2012. Helmcken Falls has some of the world's highest graded ice climbs , most notably, Spray On (W10, 2010), Wolverine (W11, 2011), Interstellar Spice (W12, 2016), and Mission to Mars (W13, 2020). Helmcken has been called

975-456: Is seeking tribal sovereignty and federal recognition. The National Park Service created policies to protect sacred sites and allow Native People to return to their homelands and use National Park resources. In 1855, entrepreneur James Mason Hutchings , artist Thomas Ayres and two others were the first tourists to visit. Hutchings and Ayres were responsible for much of Yosemite's earliest publicity, writing articles and special issues about

1050-479: Is very difficult to view, except by air. The Canadian Pacific Railway surveyors in the 1870s passed to the north and made no mention of seeing the falls. Credit for discovering Helmcken Falls goes to Robert Henry Lee (1859–1935), a land surveyor working for the British Columbia government. In 1911, Lee was awarded a four-year contract to survey lands in the North Thompson and Clearwater Valleys. By 1913, he

1125-663: The Clark Range , the Cathedral Range , and the Kuna Crest . The Sierra Crest and the Pacific Crest Trail run through Yosemite. Mount Dana and Mount Gibbs are peaks of red metamorphic rock. Granite peaks include Mount Conness , Cathedral Peak , and Matterhorn Peak . Mount Lyell is the highest point in the park, standing at 13,120 feet (4,000 m). The Lyell Glacier is the largest glacier in

1200-687: The Mariposa War , was part of the California genocide , which was the systemic killing of indigenous peoples throughout the State between the 1840s and 1870s. It started in December 1850 when California funded a state militia to drive Native people from contested territory to suppress Native American resistance to the European American influx. Yosemite tribes often stole from settlers and miners, sometimes killing them, in retribution for

1275-769: The Merced and the Tuolumne , begin within Yosemite's borders and flow westward through the Sierra foothills into the Central Valley of California . Almost all of the landforms are cut from the granitic rock of the Sierra Nevada Batholith (a batholith is a large mass of intrusive igneous rock that formed deep below the surface). About five percent of the park's landforms (mostly in its eastern margin near Mount Dana ) are metamorphosed volcanic and sedimentary rocks . These roof pendants once formed

1350-619: The Wawona Hotel was built to serve tourists visiting Mariposa Grove. As tourism increased, so did the number of trails and hotels to build on it. The Wawona Tree , also known as the Tunnel Tree , was a giant sequoia that grew in the Mariposa Grove . It was 234 feet (71 m) tall, and was 90 ft (27 m) in circumference. When a carriage-wide tunnel was cut through the tree in 1881, it became even more popular as

1425-523: The Yosemite of ice climbing . Hunlen Falls Hunlen Falls is a waterfall located at the mouth of Turner Lake in the Pacific Ranges of British Columbia , Canada . With an estimated height of 260 m (850 ft), it is tied with Takakkaw Falls in Yoho National Park for having the fourth tallest single drop of any waterfall in Canada. The falls were named in 1947 after

1500-589: The Ahwahneechee. NPS in the early 20th century criticized and restricted the expression of indigenous culture and behavior. For example, park officials penalized Natives for playing games and drinking during the Indian Field Days of 1924. In 1929, Park Superintendent Charles G. Thomson concluded that the Indian village was aesthetically unpleasant and was limiting white settler development and ordered

1575-650: The Emergency Conservation Committee (ECC), successfully lobbied Congress to purchase about 8,000 acres (3,200 ha) of old-growth sugar pines on the perimeter of Yosemite National Park that were to be logged. By 1968, traffic congestion and parking in Yosemite Valley during the summer months has become a concern. NPS reduced artificial inducements to visit the park, such as the Firefall , in which red-hot embers were pushed off

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1650-557: The Mono Lake Paiute tribe. Accounts from this battalion were the first well-documented reports of European Americans entering Yosemite Valley. Attached to Savage's unit was Doctor Lafayette Bunnell , who later wrote about his awestruck impressions of the valley in The Discovery of the Yosemite . Bunnell is credited with naming Yosemite Valley, based on his interviews with Chief Tenaya. Bunnell wrote that Chief Tenaya

1725-782: The Park (all Park employees and their families) to a government housing area for park employees and destroyed the village as part of a fire-fighting exercise. A reconstructed "Indian Village of Ahwahnee" sits behind the Yosemite Museum , located next to the Yosemite Valley Visitor Center. By the late 19th century, the population of all native inhabitants in Yosemite was difficult to determine, estimates ranged from thirty to several hundred. The Ahwahneechee people and their descendants were hard to identify. The last full-blooded Ahwahneechee died in 1931. Her name

1800-561: The Sierra Club opposed the project, while others, including Gifford Pinchot , supported it. In 1913, the O'Shaughnessy Dam was approved via passage of the Raker Act . In 1918, Clare Marie Hodges was hired as the first female Park Ranger in Yosemite. Following Hodges in 1921, Enid Michael was hired as a seasonal Park Ranger and continued to serve in that position for 20 years. In 1937, conservationist Rosalie Edge , head of

1875-476: The U-shaped Yosemite Valley . European American settlers first entered the valley in 1851. Other travelers entered earlier, but James D. Savage is credited with discovering the area that became Yosemite National Park. Native Americans had inhabited the region for nearly 4,000 years, although humans may have first visited as long as 8,000 to 10,000 years ago. Yosemite was critical to

1950-888: The Wawona Entrance (elevation 5,130 feet or 1,560 metres), mean daily temperature ranges from 36 to 67 °F (2 to 19 °C). At the lower elevations below 5,000 feet (1,500 m), temperatures are hotter; the mean daily high temperature at Yosemite Valley (elevation 3,966 feet or 1,209 metres) varies from 46 to 90 °F (8 to 32 °C). At elevations above 8,000 feet (2,400 m), the hot, dry summer temperatures are moderated by frequent summer thunderstorms, along with snow that can persist into July. The combination of dry vegetation, low relative humidity, and thunderstorms results in frequent lightning-caused fires as well. At park headquarters (elevation 4,018 ft or 1,225 m), January averages 38.0 °F (3.3 °C), while July averages 73.3 °F (22.9 °C). In summer

2025-643: The Yosemite's high-country. The newly created national park came under the jurisdiction of the United States Army's Troop I of the 4th Cavalry on May 19, 1891, which set up camp in Wawona with Captain Abram Epperson Wood as acting superintendent. By the late 1890s, sheep grazing was no longer a problem, and the Army made other improvements. However, the cavalry could not intervene to ease

2100-461: The area in 1849, causing competition for resources between gold miners and residents. About 70 years before the Gold Rush, the indigenous population was estimated to be 300,000, quickly dropping to 150,000, and just ten years later, only about 50,000 remained. The reasons for such a decline included disease, birth rate decreases, starvation, and conflict. The conflict in Yosemite, which is known as

2175-438: The area. The 38th United States Congress passed legislation that was signed by President Abraham Lincoln on June 30, 1864, creating the Yosemite Grant. This is the first time land was set aside specifically for preservation and public use by the U.S. government, and set a precedent for the 1872 creation of Yellowstone national park, the nation's first. Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove were ceded to California as

2250-536: The camp to be burned down. In 1969, many Native residents left in search of work as a result of the decline in tourism. NPS demolished their empty houses, evicted the remaining residents, and destroyed the entire village. This was the last Indigenous settlement within the park. In 1903, a dam in Hetch Hetchy Valley in the northwestern region of the park was proposed. Its purpose was to provide water and hydroelectric power to San Francisco . Muir and

2325-493: The canyon below Hunlen Falls has created an alluvial fan into the Atnarko Valley. There is no road to Hunlen Falls. The easiest access is by float plane from Nimpo Lake, about a 20-minute flight. Planes land on Turner Lake above Hunlen Falls and the walk on a good trail takes about 30 minutes to the unfenced viewpoint on the east rim of the canyon. There is a hiking trail to Hunlen Falls, starting from Highway #20 at

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2400-424: The changed environment by entering the tourism industry through employment and small businesses, manufacturing and selling goods and providing services. In 1953, the National Park Service banned all non-employee Natives from residing in the Park and evicted the non-employees who had residence. In 1969, with only a few families left in the Park, the National Park Service evicted the remaining Native people living within

2475-471: The cliffs at Hunlen Falls. The south end of Lonesome Lake was the site of the pioneer homestead of Ralph Edwards , known as "The Birches", which was occupied from 1912 into the 1970s. His life was made famous by the book Crusoe of Lonesome Lake . In July 2004 lightning struck the ridge between Turner and Lonesome Lake, igniting what has become known as the Atnarko fire which burned into August. It burned

2550-598: The command of Boling, the battalion captured 35 Ahwahneechee, including Chief Tenaya, and marched them to the reservation. Most were allowed to eventually leave and the rest escaped. Tenaya and others fled across the Sierra Nevada and settled with the Mono Lake Paiutes . Tenaya and some of his companions were ultimately killed in 1853 either over stealing horses or a gambling conflict. The survivors of Tenaya's group and other Ahwahneechee were absorbed into

2625-786: The crest of the Sierra in the park and have carved river canyons 3,000 to 4,000 feet (910 to 1,220 m) deep. The Tuolumne River drains the entire northern portion of the park, an area of approximately 680 square miles (1,800 km ). The Merced River begins in the park's southern peaks, primarily the Cathedral and Clark Ranges, and drains an area of approximately 511 square miles (1,320 km ). Hydrologic processes, including glaciation , flooding, and fluvial geomorphic response, have been fundamental in creating park landforms. The park contains approximately 3,200 lakes (greater than 100 m ), two reservoirs , and 1,700 miles (2,700 km) of streams. Wetlands flourish in valley bottoms throughout

2700-432: The development of the concept of national parks. Galen Clark and others lobbied to protect Yosemite Valley from development, ultimately leading to President Abraham Lincoln 's signing of the Yosemite Grant of 1864 that declared Yosemite as federally preserved land. In 1890, John Muir led a successful movement to motivate Congress to establish Yosemite Valley and its surrounding areas as a National Park. This helped pave

2775-532: The extermination/domestication of their people, and loss of their lands and resources. The War and formation of the Mariposa Battalion was partially the result of a single incident involving James Savage , a Fresno trader whose trading post was attacked in December, 1850. After the incident, Savage rallied other miners and gained the support of local officials to pursue a war against the Natives. He

2850-491: The falls. Most tourists see Helmcken Falls in summer. A winter visit is worthwhile because the ice cone at the base often grows to 50 m tall and sometimes even higher in very cold snowy winters. It has occasionally been seen reaching halfway up the falls. The best time to view the ice cone is from late January to the end of February. The cone collapses inward sometime during March and some remnants are still visible in June. The road

2925-425: The federal government. In 1906, Roosevelt signed a bill that shifted control. The National Park Service (NPS) was formed in 1916, and Yosemite was transferred to that agency's jurisdiction. Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, Tioga Pass Road , and campgrounds at Tenaya and Merced lakes were also completed in 1916. Automobiles started to enter the park in ever-increasing numbers following the opening of all-weather highways to

3000-553: The foot of the Bella Coola Hill. Starting from Highway #20 the Tote Rd offers 4x4 access to the trailhead. The trail is approximately 16 km (10 mi) long. The trail to Turner Lake is cleared and maintained by BC Parks and volunteers. Lonesome Lake is about 2 km (1.2 mi) to the east of Turner Lake, running parallel to it. It is an S-shaped lake nearly 12 km (7.5 mi) in length and visible from

3075-519: The importance of putting the area under federal protection. One such guest was Robert Underwood Johnson , editor of Century Magazine . Muir and Johnson lobbied Congress for the Act that created Yosemite National Park on October 1, 1890. The State of California, however, retained control of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove. Muir's writings raised awareness about the damage caused by sheep grazing, and he actively campaigned to virtually eliminate grazing from

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3150-583: The indigenous presence to be one of Yosemite's greatest attractions. Wawona was an early Indian encampment for Nuchu and Ahwahneechee people who were captured and relocated to a reservation on the Fresno River by Savage and the Mariposa Battalion in March 1851. Galen Clark discovered the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoia in Wawona in 1857. He had simple lodgings and roads built. In 1879,

3225-780: The land is being transformed back into a healthy meadow. Yosemite National Park is located in the central Sierra Nevada. Three wilderness areas are adjacent to Yosemite: the Ansel Adams Wilderness to the southeast, the Hoover Wilderness to the northeast, and the Emigrant Wilderness to the north. The 1,189 sq mi (3,080 km ) park contains thousands of lakes and ponds, 1,600 miles (2,600 km) of streams, 800 miles (1,300 km) of hiking trails, and 350 miles (560 km) of roads. Two federally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers ,

3300-738: The largest in the Sierra Nevada) and covers 160 acres (65 ha). None of the Yosemite glaciers are a remnant of the Ice Age alpine glaciers responsible for sculpting the Yosemite landscape. Instead, they were formed during one of the neoglacial episodes that have occurred since the thawing of the Ice Age (such as the Little Ice Age ). Many Yosemite glaciers have disappeared, such as the Black Mountain Glacier that

3375-426: The long horseback ride to reach the area was a deterrent. Three stagecoach roads were built in the mid-1870s to provide better access for the growing number of visitors. John Muir was a Scottish-born American naturalist and explorer. Muir's leadership ensured that many National Parks were left untouched, including Yosemite. Muir wrote articles popularizing the area and increasing scientific interest in it. Muir

3450-569: The long, hot summers). Because of orographic lift , precipitation increases with elevation up to 8,000 feet (2,400 m) where it slowly decreases to the crest. Precipitation amounts vary from 36 inches (910 mm) at 4,000 feet (1,200 m) elevation to 50 inches (1,300 mm) at 8,600 feet (2,600 m). Snow does not typically accumulate until November in the high country. It deepens into March or early April. Mean daily temperatures range from 25 °F (−4 °C) to 53 °F (12 °C) at Tuolumne Meadows at 8,600 feet (2,600 m). At

3525-688: The main viewpoint follows the rim of Helmcken Canyon to an overlook of the meeting of the Murtle and Clearwater Rivers, about 250 m (820 ft) below. Gatling Gorge trail: Gatling Gorge is the narrowest point of the Clearwater River, about 20 m (66 ft) across. It is at the head of Helmcken Canyon, upstream from the confluence with the Murtle River. A trail from the main Helmcken Falls viewpoint accesses this gorge and takes about 1.5 hours each way. Helmcken Falls drops over

3600-590: The most prominent of the valley waterfalls is Bridalveil Fall . Wapama Falls in Hetch Hetchy Valley is another notable waterfall. Hundreds of ephemeral waterfalls become active in the park after heavy rains or melting snowpack. Park glaciers are relatively small and occupy areas that are in almost permanent shade, such as north- and northeast-facing cirques . Lyell Glacier is the largest glacier in Yosemite (the Palisades Glaciers are

3675-766: The name that the Miwok gave to the Ahwahneechee People, the resident indigenous tribe. Previously, the region had been called "Ahwahnee" ("big mouth") by its only indigenous inhabitants, the Ahwahneechee. The term Yosemite in Miwok is easily confused with a similar term for "grizzly bear", and is still a common misconception. The indigenous natives of Yosemite called themselves the Ahwahneechee , meaning "dwellers" in Ahwahnee. The Ahwahneechee People were

3750-439: The nights are much cooler than the days. An average of 45.5 days have highs of 90 °F (32 °C) or higher and an average of 105.6 nights with freezing temperatures. Freezing temperatures have been recorded in every month of the year. The record high temperature was 112 °F (44 °C) on July 22 and July 24, 1915, while the record low temperature was −7 °F (−22 °C) on January 1, 2009. Average annual precipitation

3825-632: The number of concessionaires in the park would be more financially sound. The Curry Company and its rival, the Yosemite National Park Company, were forced to merge in 1925 to form the Yosemite Park & Curry Company (YP&CC). The company built the Ahwahnee Hotel in 1926–27. Concerned by the impact of commercial interests, citizens including Galen Clark and Senator John Conness advocated protection for

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3900-843: The only tribe that lived within the park boundaries, but other tribes lived in surrounding areas. Together they formed a larger Indigenous population in California, called the Southern Sierra Miwok. They are related to the Northern Paiute and Mono tribes. Other tribes like the Central Sierra Miwoks and the Yokuts , who both lived in the San Joaquin Valley and central California, visited Yosemite to trade and intermarry. This resulted in

3975-404: The park and one of the few remaining in the Sierra. The park has three groves of ancient giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) trees; the Mariposa Grove (200 trees), the Tuolumne Grove (25 trees), and the Merced Grove (20 trees). This species grows larger in volume than any other and is one of the tallest and longest-lived. The Tuolumne and Merced River systems originate along

4050-402: The park feature spectacular cascades, especially during April, May, and June (as the snow melts). Located in Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Falls is the fourth tallest waterfall in North America at 2,425 feet (739 m) according to the World Waterfall Database. Also in the valley is the much lower volume Ribbon Falls , which has the highest single vertical drop, 1,612 feet (491 m). Perhaps

4125-504: The park is designated wilderness . Yosemite is one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada . Its geology is characterized by granite and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and tilted to form its unique slopes, which increased the steepness of stream and river beds, forming deep, narrow canyons. About one million years ago glaciers formed at higher elevations. They moved downslope, cutting and sculpting

4200-464: The park, and are often hydrologically linked to nearby lakes and rivers through seasonal flooding and groundwater. Meadow habitats, distributed at elevations from 3,000 to 11,000 feet (910 to 3,350 m) in the park, are generally wetlands, as are the riparian habitats found on the banks of Yosemite's watercourses. Yosemite is famous for its high concentration of waterfalls in a small area. Numerous sheer drops, glacial steps and hanging valleys in

4275-462: The park. The Yosemite Museum was founded in 1926 through the efforts of Ansel Franklin Hall . In the 1920s, the museum featured Native Americans practicing traditional crafts, and many Southern Sierra Miwok continued to live in Yosemite Valley until they were evicted from the park in the 1960s. Although the NPS helped create a museum that included Native American culture, its early actions and organizational values were dismissive of Yosemite Natives and

4350-417: The rim of the canyon provides a panorama of the falls and canyon. Brink Trail: A 4-km long trail starts near Dawson Falls and follows the south bank of the Murtle River to the brink of Helmcken Falls. This walk takes about 1 1 ⁄ 4 hours each way. There are no fences at the end of this trail so caution is important, especially with children and pets. Helmcken Canyon: A 30-minute walk west from

4425-422: The roof over the underlying granitic magma. Erosion acting upon different types of uplift-generated joint and fracture systems is responsible for producing the valleys, canyons, domes , and other features. These joints and fracture systems do not move, and are therefore not faults . Spacing between joints is controlled by the amount of silica in the granite and granodiorite rocks; more silica tends to form

4500-434: The southern side of Turner Lake up to the falls, as well as destroying a number of residences including the Edwards and Turner homesteads. Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( / j oʊ ˈ s ɛ m ɪ t i / yoh- SEM -ih-tee ) is a national park of the United States in California . It is bordered on the southeast by Sierra National Forest and on the northwest by Stanislaus National Forest . The park

4575-399: The tendency of crystals in plutonic rocks to expand at the surface) acting on granitic rock with widely spaced joints is responsible for producing domes such as Half Dome and North Dome and inset arches like Royal Arches. Yosemite Valley represents only one percent of the park area. The Tunnel View gives a view of the valley. El Capitan is a prominent granite cliff that looms over

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4650-430: The valley, and is a rock climbing favorite because of its sheer size, diverse climbing routes, and year-round accessibility. Granite domes such as Sentinel Dome and Half Dome rise 3,000 and 4,800 feet (910 and 1,460 m), respectively, above the valley floor. The park contains dozens of other granite domes . The high country of Yosemite contains other important features such as Tuolumne Meadows , Dana Meadows ,

4725-607: The valley. Ayres' style was detailed with exaggerated angularity. His works and written accounts were distributed nationally, and an exhibition of his drawings was held in New York City. Hutchings' publicity efforts between 1855 and 1860 increased tourism to Yosemite. Natives supported the growing tourism industry by working as laborers or maids. Later, they performed dances for tourists, acted as guides, and sold handcrafted goods, notably woven baskets. The Indian village and its peoples fascinated visitors, especially James Hutchings who advocated for Yosemite tourism. He and others considered

4800-443: The waterfall was instead to be called Helmcken Falls. This name honoured John Sebastian Helmcken , a physician with the Hudson's Bay Company who arrived in Victoria in 1850. He helped bring British Columbia into Canadian Confederation in 1871. Dr. Helmcken died in 1920 at the age of 95, but never actually saw the falls himself. A short paved side road from the main Wells Gray Park road leads to Helmcken Falls. A viewing platform on

4875-447: The way for the National Park System . Yosemite draws about four million visitors annually. Most visitors spend the majority of their time in the valley's seven square miles (18 km ). The park set a visitation record in 2016, surpassing five million visitors for the first time. In 2023, the park saw nearly four million visitors. The word Yosemite (derived from yohhe'meti, "they are killers" in Miwok ) historically referred to

4950-479: The western edge of the park for $ 2.3 million. Ackerson Meadow was originally included in the proposed 1890 park boundary, but never acquired by the federal government. The purchase and donation of the meadow was made possible through a cooperative effort by TPL, NPS, and Yosemite Conservancy. On September 7, 2016, NPS accepted the donation of the land, making the meadow the largest addition to Yosemite since 1949. With extensive erosion from years of cattle ranching ,

5025-418: The western escarpment of the Murtle Plateau. This huge lava deposit in the Wells Gray-Clearwater volcanic field was erupted from nearby fissures starting 200,000 years ago and filled the wide valley of the Clearwater River. Layer upon layer of fresh lava created the plateau, then enormous floods eroded the lava at the close of the last ice age , about 10,000 years ago. These floods created Helmcken Canyon below

5100-587: The worsening conditions. From 1899 to 1913, cavalry regiments of the Western Department, including the all Black 9th Cavalry (known as the "Buffalo Soldiers") and the 1st Cavalry , stationed two troops at Yosemite. Muir and his Sierra Club continued to lobby the government and influential people for the creation of a unified Yosemite National Park. In May 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt camped with Muir near Glacier Point for three days. On that trip, Muir convinced Roosevelt to take control of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove away from California and return it to

5175-425: Was 1948–1949 with 176.5 inches (4.48 m). The most snow in one month was 175.0 inches (4.45 m) in January 1993. The location of the park was a passive continental margin during the Precambrian and early Paleozoic . Sediment was derived from continental sources and was deposited in shallow water. These rocks became deformed and metamorphosed. Heat generated from the Farallon Plate subducting below

5250-551: Was Totuya, or Maria Lebrado. She was the granddaughter of Chief Tenaya and one of many forced out of her ancestral homelands. The Ahwahneechee live through the memory of their descendants, their fellow Yosemite Natives, and through the Yosemite exhibit in the Smithsonian and the Yosemite Museum. As a method of self-preservation and resilience, the Indigenous people of California proposed treaties in 1851 and 1852 that would have established land reservations for them, but Congress refused to ratify them. The Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation

5325-437: Was appointed United States Army Major and leader of the Mariposa Battalion in the beginning of 1851. He and Captain John Boling were responsible for pursuing the Ahwahneechee people, led by Chief Tenaya and driving them west, and out of Yosemite. In March 1851 under Savage's command, the Mariposa Battalion captured about 70 Ahwahneechee and planned to take them to a reservation in Fresno, but they escaped. Later in May, under

5400-498: Was marked in 1871 and had gone by the mid-1980s. Yosemite's final two glaciers – the Lyell and Maclure glaciers – have receded over the last 100 years and are expected to disappear as a result of climate change. Yosemite has a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen climate classification Csa ), meaning most precipitation falls during the mild winter, and the other seasons are nearly dry (less than three percent of precipitation falls during

5475-509: Was one of the first to theorize that the major landforms in Yosemite Valley were created by alpine glaciers, bucking established scientists such as Josiah Whitney . Muir wrote scientific papers on the area's biology. Landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted emphasized the importance of conservation of Yosemite Valley. Overgrazing of meadows (especially by sheep), logging of giant sequoia, and other damage led Muir to become an advocate for further protection. Muir convinced prominent guests of

5550-445: Was the founder of the Ahwahnee colony. Bunnell falsely believed that the word "Yosemite" meant "full-grown grizzly bear". After the Mariposa War , Native Americans continued to live in the Yosemite area in reduced numbers. The remaining Yosemite Ahwahneechee tribe members there were forced to relocate to a village constructed in 1851 by the state government. They learned to live within this camp and their limited rights, adapting to

5625-461: Was working south of the Murtle River laying out lots for homesteaders. On July 24, 1913, he walked west along the Murtle River from his remote camp and reached the top of the waterfall. He was so impressed that he wrote a letter to Sir Richard McBride , Premier of British Columbia, requesting that the falls be named "McBride Falls". Three weeks later, Lee received a reply from the Premier stating that

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