My wife’s side of the family has a family reunion every 2 years. These are usually a week long event. One of the best reunions was a week in Yosemite. My father-in-law’s comment after coming in through the Wawona tunnel was “You can look at all the books and photos - but they don’t do justice to actually being here. My wife and I had been to Yosemite a couple of times before this - so we were the "tour guides”. During our June week we whitewater rafted, hiked on the valley floor admiring the Spring waterfalls of Yosemite and Bridal Veil, did ranger led activities, rested our feet in the Merced River, enjoyed Nevada & Vernal Falls and a sunset on Half Dome from Glacier Point (watching all the stars come out), a day trip up to Tuoleme Meadows, looked up in wonder at the big trees in the Mariposa Grove and watching people climbing El Capitan. Ten of us completed the hike from Glacier Point to top of Half Dome via Illilouette Falls trail and back down to the Valley via the Mist Trail (a 12 hour tiring adventure). A group of us made it up to Hetch Hetchy - getting drenched at Wapama Falls. It was a tremendous week enjoying one of the Crown Jewels of our National Park System.
Sincerely,
Yosemite National Park
With its sculpted granite rock formations, its towering ancient sequoia trees, and its spectacular waterfalls, it's no wonder Yosemite is one of the most celebrated national parks in the world. Emerging from the park’s famous Tunnel View is a transformative experience, showcasing the jaw-dropping, iconic sight of El Capitan rising from the valley floor with Bridalveil Falls plummeting from the rock and Half Dome shining in the background. The park also features meadows and streams, historic buildings, and vast wilderness.
State(s): California
Established: 1890
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Greetings from Yosemite National Park
I first visited Yosemite as part of a 5th grade field trip. This past summer, I finally returned as part of an environmental research program. Together with eight other high school students and two mentors, we hiked 50+ miles over nine days, while carrying heavy backpacks. We traveled from one…
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Greetings from Yosemite National Park
In 2014 at the age of 67 I made my first visit to Yosemite. I climbed to the top of Vernal Falls. In distance it was only a little over a mile. I learned that at 8,000 feet and climbing up distance did not matter. It was the hardest "mile"…
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