By Jason Chavis
History of Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is located in east-central California and covers an area of 1,189 square miles. According to 2009 figures, approximately 3.5 million people visit the park each year, viewing its granite cliffs, streams, waterfalls and giant sequoias. Yosemite was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984, further protecting its 95 percent wilderness.
Native Peoples
The area of the Yosemite National Park was traditionally occupied by a number of different Native American groups. The Paiute, Sierra Miwok and Ahwahneechee all lived in the area before Europeans arrived.
Early Tourism
Tourism to the Yosemite Valley began in 1855. James Mason Hutchings wrote a number of articles about the area, and artist Thomas Ayres sketched many drawings. These images successfully showed the beauty of the park to the public.
Protection
A push to officially protect Yosemite began in the 1860s. President Lincoln signed a protection act in 1864. In 1872, the federal government moved to create a board of commissioners responsible for the preservation of the area in California.
National Park
The Sierra Club lobbied President Roosevelt to establish the area as a national park in 1903. In 1906, the land was ceded to the federal government.
Modern Tourism
In 1916, the National Park Service was established and took control of Yosemite. At the same time, two campgrounds were established and the area became a highly successful tourist destination.
Resources
About the Author:
Jason lives and works out of Minneapolis. After 11 years of professional writing, he is the author of four books, two movies and a play as well as numerous articles for Scientific American, The History Channel, City Pages and The Onion. Jason is a graduate of the film school at USC.
Photo Credits:
Mila Zinkova
