Yosemite National Park
优胜美地国家公园 · California, USA
Between granite walls and thousand-metre waterfalls, the origin point and totem of America's national parks
Know before you go
- Don't feed or approach any wild animal, including seemingly tame deer and squirrels
- don't swim in the waters at the top of waterfalls or climb over railings for photos
- don't enter the wilderness overnight or climb the Half Dome cables section without a permit
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
Stories of Yosemite National Park
Yosemite's name comes from a misunderstanding and a passage of blood and tears. In 1851 the California militia's Mariposa Battalion chased the indigenous people into the valley, and its commander, Dr Lafayette Bunnell, named the valley after the tribal name of its people — "Yosemite" means "killer" in Miwok, what neighbouring tribes called the Ahwahneechee of the valley. After the indigenous people were expelled, the gorge was "rediscovered" in another way: the photographer Ansel Adams turned Half Dome and El Capitan into totems of the American spirit with his black-and-white large-format camera; the naturalist John Muir wrote reams of nature essays here and in 1892 co-founded the Sierra Club, pushing it toward national-park status. And every mid-to-late February, if the water flow and sunset angle are both right, Horsetail Fall is lit by the evening glow into a flowing "firefall" — a celestial spectacle for which photography lovers keep watch through the depths of winter, just for those ten minutes.
Source: Yosemite National Park official website; UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Yosemite National Park; Wikipedia: Yosemite National Park
History
History of Yosemite National Park
In 1864, with the Civil War still raging, President Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant Act, setting aside the valley and the giant-sequoia grove as a protected area in California's trusteeship — the origin point of American and indeed world nature conservation, eight years earlier than Yellowstone National Park. In 1890 Yosemite formally became the United States' third national park; after the National Park Service was founded in 1916 it came under federal management, and in 1984 it was inscribed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. Geologically, glaciers over millions of years cut the granite into a U-shaped valley, Half Dome and one of the greatest waterfall groups on Earth, Yosemite Falls (total drop 739 m); the reservation and lottery systems introduced from the 2010s on are its modern answer to over four million visitors a year.
Source: Yosemite National Park official website; UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Yosemite National Park; Wikipedia: Yosemite National Park
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Yosemite carries the core proposition of the American national-park idea: the wilderness belongs to all the people and should be preserved for descendants in perpetuity — an idea shaped by the nature writing of Muir and others, yet always shadowed by the controversy of the indigenous people's expulsion. Today the park's interpretation formally includes the history of the Ahwahneechee and discussion of restoring indigenous place names, and the dialogue between "protection" and "restitution" continues. For travellers worldwide it defines the visual standard of the words "national park": granite, waterfalls, giant sequoias and open valley floor.
Local customs
Americans play Yosemite in two camps: the valley camp drives between viewpoints and waterfall trails, while the hiking camp applies for wilderness permits and backpacks into the mountains for days. Rock-climbing culture was born here — El Capitan is the holy land of big-wall climbing worldwide, and Alex Honnold's 2017 ropeless free-solo ascent was filmed as the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo. In winter the valley is quiet and locals favour the valley mist on a morning after snow.
Religion & beliefs
- No specific religious affiliation. Indigenous tribes such as the Ahwahneechee regard the valley as an ancestral spirit land, which park interpretation presents with respect
- visitors must not enter marked indigenous sensitive areas.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
Driving in the US: what to do when police pull you over
Do
- Signal right and pull over safely to the right
- Roll down your window after stopping, before the officer reaches you
- At night, turn on the interior light
- Keep both hands on the wheel and ask passengers to keep their hands visible too
Don’t
- Getting out and walking towards the police car
- Suddenly reaching for the glovebox, a pocket or under the seat
Sudden movements may be read as a threat and become dangerous. The wording of the rules varies slightly between states.
Not yet verifiedSource: Texas Department of Public Safety driver handbook
Don’t DON'T
- Don't feed or approach any wild animal, including seemingly tame deer and squirrels
- don't swim in the waters at the top of waterfalls or climb over railings for photos
- don't enter the wilderness overnight or climb the Half Dome cables section without a permit
Locals appreciate DO
- Book campsites early on Recreation.gov (peak-season sites are released months ahead and go in seconds) or stay outside the park
- put all food and scented items in bear lockers and leave nothing in the car overnight
- stay on marked trails and keep away from edges on the wet rock around waterfalls
- practise Leave No Trace: pack out all rubbish, including fruit peel and tissues
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Entry policy changes year to year: in recent years peak season and the February "firefall" season have repeatedly used vehicle reservation systems, so before setting out, check the NPS website and Recreation.gov for whether a reservation is needed that year and whether places are open
- Climbing Half Dome requires a permit: apply through the pre-season lottery each March and the daily lottery two days before your hike
- success rates are low, so plan alternative routes in advance
- The whole park is black-bear habitat: food and scented items must be stored in bear lockers or bear canisters
- storing food in a car overnight can earn a fine and invite a bear break-in
- The park covers about 3,000 km², its core being Yosemite Valley
- the nearest towns are Mariposa and El Portal, and San Francisco is about a 4-hour drive. A private car pass is about US$35 per vehicle, valid 7 days (per NPS official prices)
- the park has gone cashless. Free shuttle buses in the valley cover the main sights
- campsites must be booked on Recreation.gov, and in-park hotels (The Ahwahnee, Yosemite Valley Lodge) need booking six months to a year ahead. Allow at least 2–3 days: the valley waterfalls plus a Glacier Point sunset in one day, Tuolumne Meadows or the giant-sequoia grove in another, and Half Dome takes a full day, subject to the lottery. In winter the Tioga Road and Glacier Point Road close for snow — check road conditions before travelling.
Eat nearby
What to eat nearby
Must-try
- ['The Ahwahnee Dining Room: American fine dining in a soaring timber-beamed hall — Yosemite's most formal meal
['The Ahwahnee Dining Room: American fine dining in a soaring timber-beamed hall — Yosemite's most formal meal; reservations required', "Degnan's Kitchen deli and pizza: the valley's supply mainstay, sandwiches and fresh-baked pizza", "Curry Village Pizza Deck: the hikers' budget canteen, lively in the evenings", 'California farm food and Mexican restaurants in the town of Mariposa: the gateway town outside the park, with noticeably friendlier prices']
| Where to eat | dining inside the park concentrates in Yosemite Village and Curry Village — mostly American fast food, delis and one formal restaurant, with limited choice and queues in peak season; drivers mostly stock up on sandwiches, fruit and snacks at supermarkets in Mariposa or Oakhurst to bring in. |
|---|---|
| Dining etiquette | all food waste must go into bear-proof bins with the latches fastened — a rule that keeps bears alive; after cooking at a campsite, supplies go into bear lockers, and no food may be stored in tents. |
| Typical price per person | US$15–30 per person for a simple in-park meal, about RMB 110–220 (typical rates); a full meal at The Ahwahnee is US$60–90 per person. |
| Tips | prices inside the park are high and choice is limited, so bringing your own packed food is the best solution; do the supermarket run in the last town before entering, and treat the valley shops as emergency top-ups only. |
Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.
Photos
Photos
Sergei Mutovkin · CC BY 2.0
Diliff · CC BY-SA 3.0
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