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 In 1851, a battalion of
U.S. Cavalry pursued a band of Native Americans who had been raiding mining camps into a spectacularly beautiful valley in
California.
Called
uzumati,
or bear, by the
Native Americans, the valley is known today as
Yosemite. The soldiers of the cavalry unit told people about the valley, and soon tourists began to visit it. In 1864, President Abraham Lincoln set aside
Yosemite as a nature preserve. In 1890, it became a national park.
 Today, the park covers 1,189 square miles (3,079 square kilometers). About four million people visit the park each year.
The black bears that gave
Yosemite
its name still roam the valley. But what makes
Yosemite
unique are the groves of giant sequoia and redwood trees. The largest of these is the
Mariposa Grove, in the southern section of the park.
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The so-called
California Tunnel Tree is located in
Mariposa Grove. A tunnel was originally cut into the base of the tree so that horses and carriages could pass through. It is a favorite sight for
Yosemite visitors.
Yosemite Valley is seven miles long and in some places less than half a mile wide. Towering on both sides of the winding Merced River
are sheer granite walls more than 2,000 feet (610 meters) high. There are many majestic waterfalls, including the world's third largest,
Yosemite Falls.
Made up of three smaller falls
Upper Yosemite Fall, Middle Cascade, and Lower
Yosemite Fallsthat
pour over the cliffs, Yosemite Falls drops a breathtaking 2,425 feet (739 meters). The best time to see the falls is during the spring and summer after the snow melts and the rivers are at their fullest.
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