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Yosemite National Park beautiful mountain range located in east-central California, U.S. San Francisco is about 140 miles 225 km away and Sacramento is about 100 miles 160 kilometers away. Devils Postpile National Monument is situated around 15 miles 25 kilometers towards the east.

In addition, Kings Canyon of National Park is located about 40 miles 65 kilometers to the south. The park, which is surround with National Forest land, encompasses 1,189 square miles 3,080 square kilometers. It made as a UNESCO World Heritage site in the year 1984. The park headquarters are located in Yosemite Village in Yosemite Valley located in the west-central region of the park.

Natural Background Of Yosemite National Park

The park is located in the middle of the Sierra Nevada range. It is located in the basins of the Merced and Tuolumne rivers. The area rises from west east, with the eastern boundary creating a drainage divide. Most of the highest mountains are located in the southeastern region of the park.

Some surpass 10,000 feet 3,050 meters Mount Lyell 13114 feet 3,997 meters has the distinction of being the tallest highest point. Glaciation has created a number of large U-shaped deep valleys. Among them is the Yosemite Valley on the Merced River.

This curved valley measures seven miles and 11 kilometers long, and measures between 0.5 to one mile 0.8 to 1.6 kilometers wide – it is home to many famous landmarks, including the massive rocks that rise 3,000 to 4000 feet 900 to 1,200 meters above the valley floor, and Yosemite Falls.

The most impressive of the domes is El Capitan. Which is a rock buttress at the western edge of the valley. It is 7,569 feet 2,307 meters over the sea and rises to 3600 feet 1,100 meters over the valley. From Half Dome, which reaches an elevation of 8,836 feet 2,693 meters, one can enjoy a stunning view of the valley.

Yosemite Falls consists of Upper Yosemite Fall, Lower Yosemite Fall, and the cascades in between. With a combined fall of two and a half miles and 740 meters, it is one of the largest cataracts in the world. Other noteworthy waterfalls in the valley are Bridalveil, Nevada, Ribbon along with Vernal falls

The variety of animals is varied in the park. Mule deer, black bears, mountain lions, coyotes and pumas are the largest mammals. A variety of squirrels, chipmunks and bats make up the majority of the smaller mammals.

The Development And Use Of The National Parks

Trappers might have been in Yosemite Valley in the 1830s. A miner named William Penn Abrams was believed to have been at Inspiration Point near the valley entry point around 1849. In 1851, a California military unit chased the marauding Native Americans into the valley, earning it fame around the world.

Settlers soon followed, with businessmen who set up lodges for visitors arriving by horseback or walking through rough trails. Interest in Yosemite stimulated through the distribution of lithographs of paintings and drawings. By artists like Thomas Hill and of photographs by Carleton E Watkins.

The concern over the destruction of nature’s ecosystem caused by this influx of people led to demands on the Federal government to safeguard Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove. This done by approving the creation of a state park in 1864.

The majority of tourists to Yosemite are now able to access the park through two entrances to the park located on the west or one to the south. These entrances are located in the Mariposa Grove. In winter, an east-west road divides the park and connects to an entry point on the east end at Tioga The Pass.

Which crosses the Sierra Nevada’s ridgeline. Yosemite is among the most visited parks in the nation. It had an annual attendance of more than three million by the end of the 1980s and continued to rise at or above that level. And Yosemite Valley in particular is extremely crowded during the summer months.

Popular Activity On

Due to the high volume of traffic and the absence of parking, a shuttle bus system developed to move tourists around the valley. A plan enacted by the government in 1999 to ameliorate the condition in Yosemite.

This plan involved cleaning up disturbed natural areas, decreasing congestion through expanded buses, and upgrading accommodation facilities. There are a variety of privately-owned accommodation establishments within the park. The majority of them in the valley, and there are more than 1,500 campsites within twelve campgrounds managed by the national park service.

Each year, thousands of people hike along Yosemite’s numerous trails and climb its peaks and domes. Its Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses the northern part of the park. Before it leaves in the east, it connects with the John Muir Trail, whose northern end is in Yosemite Valley. Rafting is permitted in certain areas in the Merced River.

The Badger Pass Ski Area, located south of the valley, also permits skiing. A visitors’ center is located in Yosemite Valley as well as another one that is open year-round. Accessible during the season in the eastern portion of the park, near close to the Tioga Pass entrance. There is also the Yosemite Museum, in Yosemite Village located in the valley. Exhibits are available about the region’s indigenous peoples, the Miwok and the Paiute.

A wide cliff face, deep canyon, and forest plains in the southwest make up Utah’s Zion National Park. St. George is about 30 miles 50 kilometers north of the park on the Colorado Plateau. Cedar Breaks National Monument is close to the northeast.

Bryce Canyon National Park and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Park are close to the east. Pipe Spring National Monument as well as the northern border of Grand Canyon National Park are located to the south. Prashant National Monument is to the southwest.

Zion Canyon History

Its main characteristic is Zion Canyon, named after the Mormon pioneers who settled the area in the early 1860s. A part of the park initially designated as Mukuntuweap National Monument in 1909. The monument expanded and named Zion National Monument in 1918 and declared National Park in 1919. The park further developed in 1956 by adding adjacent property that had previously designated Zion National Monument. This property is now known as Kolob Canyons. The entire park covers two miles or 593 square kilometers.

Limestone strata provide evidence of the area’s geological origins. Its submerged and uplifted over the last 300 million years. It then covered in volcanic ash, dried out into an eerily windswept desert, then flooded. Thirteen million years later, it thrust upwards once more. The sediment-laden rivers began the process of erosion that led to Zion’s stunning valley and canyon formations. Zion Canyon, for example formed through the Virgin River, is about 15 miles 25 km long and up to 3000 feet 600 to 900 meters deep.

The rock domes along with the pinnacles that line the canyon walls vary in color from rust-red at lower elevations, and then almost white at the top. Numerous fossils found in canyon walls indicate that prehistoric inhabitants of the area were once descendants of Pueblo Indians and the Ancestral Pueblo culture. The Great White Throne is a monolith rising 2,394 feet 730 meters above the valley floor. Other sites in the park include Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock and The Temple of Sinawava. These are all located in Zion Canyon, and Kolob Arch which is located within the Kolob Canyons area.

Geological Of Zion National Park Canyon

Geologically, sedimentary rocks are evidence of its ancestry. This area has over the course of 300 million years, come under water and uplifted. It was then covered in volcanic ash, turned into an eerily windswept desert and then flooded about 13 million years earlier, pushed upwards again. Sediment-laden rivers started the process of erosion responsible for Zion’s spectacular valley and canyon formations. Zion Canyon, for example formed by the Virgin River, is about 15 miles 25 km long and between 2,000 and 3000 feet 600 to 900 meters deep.

The domes of sandstone along with the pinnacles that line the canyon walls vary in color from rust-red at lower elevations, and then almost white at the tops. The extensive fossil evidence on the wall has provided evidence that suggests that prehistoric tribes were influenced by Ancestral Pueblo culture. Pueblo Indians were once present in the region. The Great White Throne, a massive monolith on a canyon wall, stands 2,394 feet 730 meters above the canyon floor. Other sites in the park include Emerald Pools, Weeping Rock as well as The Temple of Sinawava. These are situated in Zion Canyon, and Kolob Arch in the Kolob Canyons area.

Zion Wildlife

Zion’s wildlife comprises Mule deer Golden eagles, mule deer, mountain peregrine falcons, lions and the Zion snail which is native to the park. Bighorn was brought back within the park’s boundaries in 1973, after having been extinct two years earlier. In addition to the more than 800 species of native plants, there are also semi-arid species such as cactus, cottonwoods, willows, and box elders found along the canyon’s bottom.

Juniper and pines are also present higher up. Walking as well as the horse riding are both popular pursuits. In the year 2000, traffic congestion and parking issues led to the establishment of a shuttle bus service within the park. From April to October, the principal route that runs through Zion Canyon is accessible only by bus.

Joshua Tree National Park, desert and wilderness region located in the southern part of California, U.S. It lies to the west from Palm Springs and adjacent communities. It is about 60 miles 100 kilometers from San Bernardino, on the frontier between the Mojave and the Colorado deserts. Covers around 1,234 square miles 3,196 square kilometers approximately three-fourths of it being designate wilderness.

It declared a National Monument in 1936. And it declared as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO in 1984. It became the first nation-wide park in 1994. The headquarters of the park is located situate at Twentynine Palms, just north of the park. This park is known for its diversity of desert plants, especially the Joshua tree Yucca brevifolia.

The Area Information Of Joshua Tree Park

Gliss ridges and granite boulders provide a stunning backdrop to the park’s wildlife and plants. The eastern part of the park is located in an area that is low lying Colorado Desert. This area is home to the Pinto Basin that is surround with low mountain ranges. In the western part of the park lies the Mojave Desert, situated at an elevation of over 3000 feet 900 meters. It is located west of Los Bernardino Mountains which reach an elevation of around 4250 meters or 1,300 feet.

The climate of the region is extremely dry and warm with hot summers and cool winters. In low altitudes, summer temperature nighttime lows usually fall below zero degrees Fahrenheit. The park experiences about 4 to 100 mm of rain each year. Usually during summer thunderstorms which can result in flash flooding. Snow can be seen at higher elevations during winter. Within a single day, temperatures can reach 40 degrees 22 degrees Celsius.

There is a Colorado Desert area in the east that is dry and full of creosote bushes, along with several cholla cactus species and a spidery Ocotillo. The slightly wetter Mojave Desert contains extensive stands of Joshua trees that are distinctive in appearance plazabola.

They have many arms that culminate in bundles of needle-like leaves. There are five oasis-like desert fan palms in the park, where water located near or on the surface is a source of support for these native trees. Wildflowers bloom throughout the park and could begin to bloom at the beginning of February in the Pinto Basin.

Joshua Tree Wildlife

Wildlife is varied and abundant throughout the park. Commonly, the mammals found in the park are Mule deer as well as desert bighorn sheep coyotes, foxes and bats. the jackrabbit, and a vast range of rodents notably the kangaroo rats. Among the reptiles found there are Iguana, geckos, skinks, and a variety of snakes, including rattlesnakes of several varieties. In addition, the threatened Mojave Desert tortoise Gopherus agassizii. There are also a few amphibians, most notably California tree Frogs Hyla cadaverine in the north.

Around 250 species of birds have been observed within the park, most of them transients that visit during the fall or spring. Some of the most prominent permanent residents include roadrunners, cactus wrens, Gambel’s quail, red-tailed hawks as well as golden eagles. In the winter and summer months, there are cedar waxwings, juncos Scott’s and northern orioles as well as western bluebirds.

Joshua Tree National Park is situated close to the Los Angeles metropolitan area in the West. The central and western parts of the park can be access via an asphalt road with entrances in the northwest, north, and south. The volume of visitors is constant throughout the year, however the peak season is the fall and spring, when temperatures are less extreme. Visitors centers, which are open all each season, can be situate in all three entry points.

The park’s proximity to vast urban areas has led to environmental concerns, with particular attention paid to the often, when smog blocks the sky, and it also spits fertile nitrogen compounds on the soil, which aid in the development of non-native plants. An invasive and nonnative plant species that is of particular concern is the tamarisk. It thrives in areas with water and encroaches native species.