You’ve heard of Yosemite National Park before but have you seen it like this?
These 18 stunning pictures of Yosemite National Park will blow you away.
You’re about to discover parts of Yosemite that you didn’t even know existed.
tanyaspillane/flickr
Updated 2/9/2020 – The best part of Yosemite National Park is its size.
You can visit the park dozens of times and see a new section on every trip!
You can spend one trip enjoying the wildlife and another trip.
You could even spend some time camping, if you want to spend nights in the park.
The park itself is a hundred and twenty five years old as of 2015, which means plenty of people have been able to enjoy it.
The mountains are gorgeous, and there are so many different hiking opportunities.
It even makes a good place for family reunions, because people can take up a bunch of different camp sites.
If you haven’t been, make sure to put it on your list!
To celebrate the park and its 125 years of history, here are some great photos from the past years.
Hopefully you’ll see something that you enjoy!
18 Stunning Pictures of Yosemite National Park That Will Blow You Away
1.) Yosemite National Park Creation
The official version of Yosemite was set up by Congress in 1890.
Congress chose to set aside 1500 square miles of land, and this area became the first national park.
This land covered several famous mountains, waterfalls, and of course plenty of open space for camping.
Thanks, Congress!
2.) Summer Vacations
After the park started to become famous, people began visiting from around the world.
Here’s a couple from the 1900s on their vacation.
Even then, it was a popular place to visit.
Today, people still camp there during the summers.
It’s a lovely place to enjoy mountain scenery.
3.) Did you know this?
During World War II, part of the park was actually made into a hospital.
It was popular for soldiers returning from the war.
The peace and quiet helped them recuperate.
It was also a far prettier place for a hospital than most cities.
4.) Third Most Visited
Out of all the national parks in the United States, Yosemite is the third most visited.
The park draws in visitors from around the world!
There are mountains to explore.
You can play in streams.
There are forests everywhere.
Animals are around, if you’re quick enough to spot them!
5.) Check Out the Deer!
There are plenty of animals inside the park.
People aren’t allowed to hunt inside Yosemite.
That means you can find animals during every season!
Deer are all over the park, and it’s cute to see the fawns in the spring.
As long as you’re quiet, you should be able to find plenty of wildlife.
6.) Sequoia Trees
Another famous feature of the park is its giant sequoia trees.
These trees live for thousands of years.
If you want to see a piece of ancient history, check these trees out.
As long as you’re careful, you can come right up beside them.
Make sure to let them grow, and leave them for other visitors to enjoy.
7.) Vernal Falls
Another famous feature of the park is its waterfalls.
Vernal Falls is one of the most famous waterfalls.
Its water cascades down so loudly that you can hear it from far away.
If you visit at the proper time of day, you can even see rainbows through the mist.
Don’t forget to stop by!
8.) Hike the Trails
There’s more to do inside the park than just looking around.
There are hundreds of miles of hiking trails.
You can go on some of the more popular paths…
…or you can enjoy less traveled paths in the backcountry.
As long as you bring a buddy, you’ll be able to stay safe.
9.) Time the Hiking Trip
Because there are so many great features to see in the park, it can get pretty crowded.
There’s a limit on the visitors who can camp at once.
Make sure to pick the right time of year if you plan to stay overnight.
The off seasons when schools are in session can help cut back on the overcrowding.
10.) El Capitan
You might have heard of this rock feature before.
It’s famous for being tough on rock climbers, and there have been a bunch of records set with it.
While everyday people might not plan to climb it, you might be able to see a few brave people trying to reach the top.
Keep your eyes peeled.
11.) Half Dome
Here’s another awesome feature, especially for people who love rock climbing.
This granite formation tempts rock climbers from around the world.
If you don’t want to go straight up, take the steps.
You’ll be able to reach the top in a safer way.
The view is worth the tough climb!
12.) Millions of Visitors
During the course of a year, about four million people visit Yosemite.
That’s a crazy number for a park!
There are so many different things to see, especially in terms of mountains and hiking.
This park is popular for a reason, and the crowds are right! Join them and visit soon.
13.) 800 Miles
When you’re tired of camping, strike out and do some hiking.
Across the whole park, there are about 800 miles of different trails.
Some are good for day trips.
Others take days.
If you wanted to spend weeks hiking in this park, you could!
If not, try for an afternoon hike.
14.) Check Out Yosemite’s Lakes
Even though people know Yosemite for its mountains, there’s a lot more to this park.
There are thousands of lakes and ponds around the park.
You can go explore the big lakes, and you can have fun trying to track down the little ponds.
Just make sure to take a buddy so you don’t get lost.
15.) The Size Of Yosemite
All in all, Yosemite covers about as much land as the state of Rhode Island!
That’s a huge amount of space for a national park.
Thanks to efforts by wilderness lovers, pioneers like John Muir, and Congress, this area remains protected.
That means it’ll stay a safe haven for animals…
…and that no one will touch the awesome mountains.
16.) The Locations At Yosemite National Park
People always hear “California” and think of Hollywood.
Instead, Yosemite should come to mind!
This park takes up a large section of California, and it covers much of the Sierra Nevada mountains.
The next time you head to the West Coast, make sure to stop by and explore the park.
17.) Many Scenes At Yosemite National Park
There’s more than just mountains in this park.
There are plenty of tranquil valleys when you don’t want to climb.
You can enjoy the beautiful rivers and ponds.
The forests hold plenty of animals, and everything has been preserved.
There are so many awesome places to see!
18.) Yosemite is Picture Perfect
No matter where you go inside Yosemite, there will be a great background for your photos.
The combination of mountains, valleys, and forests makes for a great trip.
No matter what kind of scenery you enjoy, you’ll be able to find it here.
Look at more pictures and plan your trip soon!
The Next Step
Yosemite National Park is one of the most popular parks in the United States.
It’s easy to see why when you look at everything that the park has to offer.
If you like camping, you’ll have an amazing time at this park.
If you’d rather go on a few hikes, there’s space for that activity.
You can even come with the whole family and rent out a camp site!
Take some time out of your schedule to get back to nature.
Yosemite is the perfect place to make that dream happen.