Yosemite National Park

A spectacular Half Dome in Yosemite National Park.

El Capitan in Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite Falls cascades down the mountain face and creates a rainbow at the base.

In the 19th century, curious travelers endured dusty stagecoach rides through treacherous mountains to experience the grandeur and wildness of Yosemite.

Today, despite automobiles, modern campgrounds, lodges, visitor centers and an array of services, the park remains a place to revel in some of nature's grandest spectacles.

Yosemite is famous for its waterfalls, cliffs and unusual rock formations. The Mariposa Grove is home to giant sequoias, and Glacier Point offers a magnificent overlook of Yosemite Valley and the high Sierra.

The Tioga Road (Hwy. 120 East) is usually open to vehicles from late May through November. It offers a 39-mile scenic drive between Crane Flat and Tuolumne Meadows.

The park contains 13 popular campgrounds, seven of which are on a reservation system. From April through September, reservations are essential and even the first-come, first-served sites often fill each morning from May through September.

Reservations are required year-round for Yosemite Valley's auto campgrounds and summer through fall for Hodgdon Meadow, Crane Flat, Wawona, and half of Tuolumne Meadows. All other campgrounds (except group and stock campgrounds) are first-come, first-served.

Campground reservations may be made by calling 877-444-6777 or 878-833-6777 for TDD users.

Permits are required for overnight backpacking trips in the wilderness. Quotas are set for the number of people who may begin an overnight trip from each trailhead. Up to 60 percent of the slots may be reserved up to six months in advance. Mail requests to Wilderness Reservations, Wilderness Center, P.O. Box 545, Yosemite, Calif. 95389, or call 209-372-0740.

Cyclists are restricted to paved bikeways and park roads; 12 miles of bikeway wind through the eastern end of the valley.