Fun facts about Yosemite:
. Yosemite is located in Mariposa (trans. Butterfly) County and covers 1, 189 square miles. It has a vast area of wilderness that is virtually untouched and uninhabited.
. Three million people visit Yosemite each year, some to climb, some to walk, some to hike, and all to see its awesome beauty.
. Eighty-nine percent of Yosemite's region is designated wilderness area, and the rest is under review and up for consideration.
. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. Yosemite was the first park set aside by the US government for preservation and protection, even before Yellowstone.
. Twenty percent of California's 7,000 plant species are located in Yosemite National Park.
. Home to El Capitan and Half-Dome, two world famous rock climbs that draw climbers from all over the world.
. Yosemite's highest point is Mt. Lyell.
. Yosemite has a Mediterranean climate, meaning that the winters are cold, the summers are hot, the springs are mild, and the falls are chilly.
. Thomas Ayres and James M. Hutchins were Yosemite's first visitors in 1855. They visited, studied, and wrote numerous articles about the area.
. Famous Yosemite photographers include Charles Weed and Ansel Adams. Charles Weed was perhaps one of the first people ever to photograph Yosemite.
. Yosemite Grant to help conserve the park was signed by Abraham Lincoln on the 30 of June, 1864.
. Mt. Conness and Mt. Dana are two of Yosemite's highest peaks. There are many tall mountains in Yosemite's wilderness, including Mt. Lyell.
. Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall in North America and third highest in the world, standing out at 2425 feet. An awe-inspiring plunge, it merges into smaller waterfalls below it before thundering to the bottom waters. It is one of the most popular hikes at Yosemite.
http://www.yosemitelodging.com/yosemite-national-park.html