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84-463: The area northeast of the bridge is available for weddings for up to 20 people. No ceremonies are allowed on the bridge. 37°44′12.941″N 119°36′0.418″W  /  37.73692806°N 119.60011611°W  / 37.73692806; -119.60011611 This Yosemite -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Yosemite Yosemite National Park ( / j oʊ ˈ s ɛ m ɪ t i / yoh- SEM -ih-tee )

168-534: 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 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,

252-478: 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

336-662: 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

420-480: 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

504-594: 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

588-639: A fire and placed in the basket to cook the mixture, which was then consumed either as a mush or baked into a flatbread. National Park Service naturalist, Will Neely created a list of the plants commonly used by the Ahwahnechee. Black oak , sugar pine , western juniper , canyon live oak , interior live oak , foothill pine , buckeye , pinyon pine nuts provided acorns and seeds for food. Other plants provided smaller seeds. Mariposa tulip , golden brodiaea , common camas , squaw root , and Bolander's yampah provided edible bulbs and roots. Greens eaten by

672-955: 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 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

756-528: 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

840-427: A mortar and pestle. Once they had been sufficiently ground down to a fine powder, the acorn flour was put into a shallow depression at the edge of the river. This depression was lined with leaves to keep the acorn powder from being lost in the sand. The flour was then rinsed to remove toxins, making it palatable. Once rinsed and edible, the flour was placed into willow cooking baskets with fresh water. Rocks were heated in

924-481: A range of animals, particularly deer. Some Ahwahnechee tribal names for areas around Yosemite Valley include the following: Nine Ahwahnechee villages in Yosemite Valley housed 450 Indigenous residents when Euro-American settlers first arrived. These villages were Awani, Hokokwito, Kumaini, Lesamaiti, Macheto, Notomidula, Sakaya, and Wahak. The principal village, and by extension the whole Yosemite Valley,

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1008-436: A search was made but no more Indians were found there or in the valley at all. The soldiers returned to the meeting place but Chief Teneiya and the part of the tribe that was already in their custody escaped and returned to the mountains. That May, a second expedition of militia traveled north to capture the old chief and his band once and for all. Only a few warriors, among them two of Chief Teneiya's sons, were found. The chief

1092-411: A settler named James D. Savage set up a mining camp down below the valley, and spent most of his time mining for gold and trading with the few other white men in the area. He took several Indian wives and developed influential relations with the nearby Native people. Later that year, Savage's camp and post were attacked by the Ahwahnechee. Savage had moved into the Ahwahnechee land and effectively disrupted

1176-644: 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 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

1260-538: 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 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

1344-464: A sturdy and durable shelter. An o-chum had two openings: an entrance at front and smokehole at its pinnacle A small fire was built in the colder months for warmth. A family of about six could live in an o-chum. Pelts of small animals made bedding. Hides of bear or deer were used as mattresses. The blanket was - like the bedding - made from the skins of the smaller animals, cut into strips, and woven together for extra warmth. Another sort of building that

1428-480: 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

1512-557: 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 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,

1596-683: 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 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

1680-439: 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 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

1764-410: 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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1848-456: 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

1932-468: The California wildrose , meadow goldenrod , mule ears , pearly everlasting , and the California laurel . The tribe used soap plant and meadow rue to make soap. They used fibers from Mountain dogbane , showy milkweed , wild grape , and soap plant for cordage. Baskets were woven from splints of American dogwood , big-leaf maple , buckbrush , deer brush , willow , and California hazelnut Additional bracken fern would add black colors to

2016-663: 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

2100-769: 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

2184-539: The North American Plate led to the creation of an island arc of volcanoes on the west coast of proto-North America between the late Devonian and Permian periods. Material accreted onto the western edge of North America, and mountains were raised to the east in Nevada. Ahwahnechee The Ahwahnechee , Awani , or Awalache were an Indigenous people of California who historically lived in

2268-476: The Southern Sierra Miwok language . The Awani lived in Yosemite Valley for centuries. It is believed that they may have lived in the area for as long as 7,000 years. According to NPS historians , they were primarily Southern Miwok, with related Miwok tribes living North and South and West. They routinely traded with both Paiute and Mono tribes across the mountains to the east, and intermarried with those people. European-American contact began after 1833. In 1850

2352-619: 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

2436-550: 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 was Totuya, or Maria Lebrado. She was

2520-523: The Yosemite Valley . They were a band of Miwok people , specifically Southern Sierra Miwok . The Awani people's heritage can be found all over Yosemite National Park . The name Awani was also the name of their primary village. The anglicizations of their name from the 19th century have included Ahwahnechee (by Hittell in 1868), Awalache (by Johnston in 1851), Awallache (by McKee in 1851), and Awanee (by Powers in 1874). They spoke

2604-709: The Ahwahnechee included broad-leaved lupine , common monkey flower , nude buckwheat , California thistle , miner's lettuce , sorrel , clover , umbrella plant , crimson columbine , and alum root . Strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, thimbleberry , wild grape , gooseberry , currant, blue elderberry , western choke cherry , Sierra plum , and greenleaf manzanita provided berries and fruits. The Ahwahnechee brewed drinks from whiteleaf manzanita and western juniper . Commonly used medicine plants included Yerba santa , yarrow , giant hyssop , Brewer's angelica , sagebrush , showy milkweed , mountain dogbane , balsamroot , California barberry , fleabane , mint, knotweed ,

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2688-604: 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 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

2772-528: 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

2856-570: 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 the only tribe that lived within the park boundaries, but other tribes lived in surrounding areas. Together they formed

2940-508: The Awani often used was a sweat house. These structures were somewhat similar to the o-chum, only with a rounded roof, as opposed to a pointed roof, and covered with mud. Young hunters used sweat houses before they went on a trip, to rid their bodies of the human smell that could betray their presence to the prey. Sweats also provided the men with a way to relax and cleanse themselves for religious and health purposes. The Awani historically hunted

3024-585: 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

3108-530: 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 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

3192-554: The Native people to sign treaties. Six tribes made agreements with the government to accept reservation land further down into the foothills. One of the tribes that refused to meet was the Ahwahnechees. When the soldiers, led by Savage, moved towards their camp to force them out, their chief, Teneiya, finally appeared alone and attempted to conceal the location and number of his people. Major Savage told Teneiya that he would travel to

3276-561: 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

3360-558: 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 the U-shaped Yosemite Valley . European American settlers first entered the valley in 1851. Other travelers entered earlier, but James D. Savage

3444-888: 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

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3528-518: 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 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

3612-418: 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 the changed environment by entering the tourism industry through employment and small businesses, manufacturing and selling goods and providing services. In 1953,

3696-643: 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

3780-438: 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

3864-470: The basket and redbud would provide red. The tribe made bows from incense-cedar , and Pacific dogwood . They built homes from Incense-cedar. The Awani people historically camped at the bottom of the valley, in small houses known as o-chum . These small homes were built with pine for the framing and supports, using the wood in a tipi -like structure with a diameter of about 12 feet. To insulate their homes, they covered pine poles with cedar bark to create

3948-536: 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

4032-786: 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

4116-425: 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

4200-696: 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

4284-519: 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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4368-514: 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,

4452-780: 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 ,

4536-738: 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

4620-654: The lives of every Ahwahnechee. The Ahwahnechee raided his supplies, and killed two of his men. This, in turn, sparked the Mariposa Indian War of 1850 to 1851. In 1851, during the Mariposa War , California State Militia troops of the Mariposa Battalion burned Ahwahnechee villages and took their food stores. The state militia with Savage as their major and the Indian Commissioners from Washington were called out to either convince or force

4704-426: 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

4788-569: 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

4872-590: 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

4956-425: The negotiations. The Major took some men with him to the north through the mountains and came upon the valley. This was the first entry into Yosemite Valley by any white men. Camping that night the men debated what to call the valley they had just discovered. They agreed upon the name that the white men had already called the tribe, Yosemite. The date was March 25, 1851. Once they reached the village of Teneiya's people

5040-439: 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

5124-632: 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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5208-527: 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

5292-542: 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

5376-525: The park in 1851, 1906, 1929, and 1969. Jay Johnson of the Mariposa Indian Council identifies as an Ahwahnechee descendent. The Ahwahneechee burned undergrowth in the Valley to protect the oak trees. Acorns were a central staple of their diet, Black oak acorns providing almost 60% of it. The acorns were laid on a slab of rock in the sun to dry. Then they were ground up in small holes atop big granite slabs known as grinding rocks, like

5460-464: 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

5544-562: 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

5628-411: 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 the area in 1849, causing competition for resources between gold miners and residents. About 70 years before the Gold Rush, the indigenous population

5712-478: 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 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

5796-422: 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

5880-399: 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

5964-433: The valley to find his people. Chief Teneiya said that he would go back and return with his tribe. When the chief appeared again Savage noticed that there were very few of the Native people present. He asked the chief where the rest of his people were, and Teneiya denied having any more people than were there at the moment. Savage was convinced that if he found the rest of the tribe he could persuade them to come with him back to

6048-430: 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 ,

6132-670: 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

6216-479: 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 ,

6300-656: 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

6384-525: The year and then returned to their native valley taking with them horses stolen from the hospitable Monos who soon followed seeking revenge, killing Chief Teneiya and all but eight of the young braves and taking all the women and children captive. Chief Teneiya (d. 1853) was a leader in Yosemite Valley. His father was Ahwahnechee. He led his band away from Yosemite to settle with Paiutes in eastern California. Tenaya has descendants living today. The U.S. federal government evicted Yosemite Native people from

6468-602: 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

6552-648: Was Awani. The Ahwahnee Hotel and Ahwahneechee Village, a recreated 19th-century tribal village in Yosemite Valley, are both named for the tribe, as are the Ahwahnee Heritage Days, Ahwahnee, California , and Ahwahnee Estates, California . Contemporary groups connected to the Ahwahneechee include the American Indian Council of Mariposa County, Inc. (or Southern Sierra Miwuk Nation), the Mono Lake Kootzaduka'a, and

6636-506: 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 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

6720-519: 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 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

6804-417: Was eventually brought in to find that his sons had been shot for trying to escape. Within a few days the chief also tried to escape by jumping into the river. With the recapture of Chief Teneiya the rest of the band was easily found and brought to the Fresno reservation in the foothills where they stayed long enough to regain their strength and petitioned for their freedom to return to their mountain home. This

6888-459: Was granted and they returned to their secluded valley of "Ahwahnee". In 1852, a Mariposa expedition of US federal troops heard a report that Ahwahnechee Indians killed two European-American miners at Bridalveil Meadows. Soldiers were again dispatched and the troops executed five Ahwahnechee men. Later, the tribe fled over the mountains to shelter with a neighboring people, the Mono tribe. They stayed

6972-498: 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

7056-509: 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

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