Introduction to Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks California's
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04_184073 ch01.qxp 1/25/08 12:06 AM Page 1 1 Introduction to Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks California’s Sierra Nevada imposes rugged features on a state that many associate with sandy beaches and palm trees. It’s a mountain range of great beauty, hidden amid harsh wilderness, and nowhere is the terrain more dramatic than in Yosemite and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. These truly special places combine moun- tains with meadows, waterfalls with wildflowers, and spectacular geology with awe-inspiring vistas that span, in some cases, nearly the breadth of the state. Together, the parks cover 1.6 million acres (roughly 2,520 sq. miles). They host over four million visitors a year and are home to thousands of species of plants and animals. Yosemite attracts more tourists than Sequoia & Kings Canyon combined, although all three are absolutely delightful parks. Yosemite covers 1,169 square miles—roughly the size of Rhode Island—and 94% is designated wilderness. Here you can enjoy the quiet beauty of a forest or a pristine meadow, observe a sunset from a towering gran- ite cliff, hike a half-mile-high waterfall, enjoy a moonlit night that’s as bright as day, climb a world-famous rock, and eat a gourmet meal before falling asleep—be it under the stars or in the luxurious bed of a top-rated hotel. Yosemite Valley, which attracts 95% of all Yosemite tourists, is just 1% of the park by area, but contains a number of the region’s jaw- dropping features, and is visited by over three million people each year. It’s a place of record-setting statistics, too: The highest waterfall inCOPYRIGHTED North America and three of the tallestMATERIAL in the world (Upper Yosemite, Sentinel, and Ribbon falls), as well as the biggest and tallest piece of exposed granite (El Capitan), are here. Wawona, a small community annexed to the park in 1932, is a 45-minute drive south of Yosemite Valley. Mostly a hodgepodge of resort cabins and private homes, Wawona is also home to the stately Wawona Hotel, a 9-hole golf course, and a main attraction—the 04_184073 ch01.qxp1/25/0812:06AMPage2 Yosemite NationalPark Yosemite 2 0 5 mi N 0 5 km TwinTwin LakesLakes 395 Campground l i N a r O HOOVERHOOVER T High Sierra camp t Y s N (By reservation only) e WILDERNEWILDERNESSSS r A C C c Ranger Station k i D e f e i L r c E C a I y P F rr E he L N C B O d. B Y s R N e ON U ak Y T A L N S C ia CA N in N NYO N rg AI KERRICK CA R i V M O N CK H A R O J E Y T N dy Lake Rd. 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STANISLAUS Buck NATIONAL Pioneer Yosemite Camp FOREST History Center Wawona Wawona Information Mariposa Center SIERRA Grove South NATIONAL Entrance FOREST Twin Lakes l i N a r O HOOVER T t Y s N e WILDERNESS r A C C c k i D e f e i L r c E C a I y P F rr E he L N C B O d. B Y s R N e ON U ak Y T A L N S C ia CA N in N NYO N rg AI KERRICK CA R i V M O N CK H A R O J E Y T N dy Lake Rd. T A n C Virginia Lu A M Cherry IA ill M Lakes Creek IN Lake G Lundy N IR Lake O V Y N A Inyo Lake C Lake N S Hetch Hetchy O Eleanor Eleanor R Reservoir E Y National G N Y D A E C L O Forest L R A D V L ON OF THE O T er CANY TUOL U iv ND UM C NA R RA N PE e G E O mn RI PO olu Tuolum V Tu ne ER R Tioga Pass iv e Glen Aulin Tioga Pass r Entrance High Sierra Camp 9,943 ft. Mather LEMBERT White DOME Wolf Camp Jo Mather hn . 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Redwood G N AT I O N A L Independence Mountain e n H Grove e KINGS w r JENNIE LAKES a Roaring y N l Charlotte . s WILDERNESS AREA CANYON O River Lake Y C NATIONAL N L Badger Stony Creek O A U DIVIDE PARK C GS D IN Dorst N K C - A N A ER Wuksachi Village M N K Crystal Cave & Lodge D Y A O (Open Summer E Lodgepole N D P A R K Only) Visitor Center D E V I D I Giant Forest General Sherman Tyndall Museum Tree N Creek E R NOTE: The entrance road is S T steep, narrow, and winding E Potwisha Fork K Bearpaw W between Potwisha and Giant ddle awe Mi ah Meadow T Mt.