By Phyllis Benson
Interesting Facts About Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is located in central California. The park covers 1,200 square miles in the Sierra Nevada region. Yosemite was created as a national park in 1890 and is one of the first wilderness parks in the
United States.
Yosemite Falls
Yosemite is famous for its waterfalls, especially Yosemite Falls. This 2,425-foot waterfall is the tallest in North America. During snowmelt the thundering falls can be heard a mile away and the wind-blown spray felt a quarter mile away.
Rockfalls
Yosemite has unpredictable rockfalls, or falls of rocks from a cliff. The largest known rockfall was in 1987 when 1.5 million tons of fractured rock slid down a mountain.
Firefall
For many years the Firefall thrilled visitors at dusk. A firefall man would shovel masses of burning embers over the Glacier Point 3,200-foot cliff. Spilling embers of bark and wood bits dropped 1,000 feet for a glowing fiery fall. Today a Yosemite firefall is a tall waterfall that glows from sunset light.
Railroad
In 1907 the Yosemite Valley Railroad started toting people and cargo into Yosemite. The small railroad operated over 30 years and traveled 77 miles from Merced to El Portal replacing a two-day horseback ride.
Indian Caves
During a dispute the military Mariposa Battalion in 1851 chased Indians into mountain caves. The Indians seemed to disappear. They had escaped through hidden openings to the upper cliffs.
About the Author:
Phyllis Benson is a professional writer and creative artist. Her 25-year background includes work as an editor, syndicated reporter and feature writer for publications including "Journal Plus," "McClatchy Newspapers" and "Sacramento Union." Benson earned her Bachelor of Science degree at California Polytechnic University.
Photo Credits:
Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, GNU Free Documentation License
