Yosemite Valley: Yosemite National Park

With its towering cliffs, kilometer-high waterfalls and iconic features like Half Dome and El Capitan, this is the heart of Yosemite National Park and deserves to be the place that most visitors come to see. The Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias were the first places on earth set aside by a nation's government to preserve natural beauty for the enjoyment of all citizens –the start of the national park concept. The First People lived in Yosemite Valley for thousands of years before Forty-Niners expanded their quest for gold up into this remote canyon. Within a few years of the suppression of Indian defenses tourists started to arrive, following up militiamen's tales of enormous waterfalls in a vertical gorge, and they haven't stopped since.
Hotels, campgrounds, shops and restaurants make this an easy place to visit comfortably now. Three highways deliver visitors to and from the Valley and a free shuttlebus system gets you around within. Hiking trails are plentiful and either go flat along the Valley floor, or switchback up the steep walls to access phenomenal views. Rafting, ice skating, horseback riding, fishing, bike riding, and great ranger programs are among the many things to do in the incredible setting of Yosemite Valley.
© NileGuide