PROGRAM:YOSEMITE
YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK
Yosemite National Park is considered the "Gem of the National Park System". Your students will be awed as they stand in the middle of this breathtakingly beautiful valley. Surrounded by the 5,000-foot granite Half Dome and El Capitan, along with a number of famous waterfalls, including Bridalveil Fall and Yosemite Falls, your students will be struck by the natural beauty of Yosemite.
Almost all Students on Tour Education Programs to Yosemite will typically include:
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Visit to Bridalveil Fall
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Hike to Mirror Lake
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Evening Programs
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Tent camping
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Free time for nature hikes, bike riding, horseback riding
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Yosemite Falls
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Mariposa Grove of ancient Giant Sequoia trees
CLIMATE
Yosemite has a Mediterranean climate, which means most of its precipitation falls during the mild winter, and the other seasons are nearly dry. Mean daily high temperature at Yosemite Valley varies from 46°F to 90°F. On the valley floor, January temperatures average around 38°F, while July temperatures average around 73°F. In the summer the nights are much cooler than the hot days.
GEOGRAPHY
Yosemite National Park is located in the central Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Yosemite is about the size of Rhode Island - just under 1200 square miles. There are thousands of lakes within the borders of Yosemite, as well as hundreds of streams. The Merced and Tuolumne rivers both begin within Yosemite and flow into California's Central Valley. Yosemite is surrounded by wilderness areas and has been designated a World Heritage Site due to its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity.
Yosemite Valley - which is about 7 square miles, is where the almost 4 million visitors who come to the park each year spend most of their time. The valley is at an elevation of about 4,000 feet while some of the park's higher elevations exceed 10,000 feet. Yosemite's most famous landmark, Half Dome, rises 4,788 feet above the valley floor. Yosemite has a large number of waterfalls. The highest of these Yosemite Falls (the highest waterfall in North America), which falls over 2,425 feet down the granite cliffs of the valley.
ESSENTIALS
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Taking in a view of Yosemite Valley from Tunnel View.
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Standing near the spray of one of Yosemite's famous waterfalls.
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Admiring the spectacular rock formations of El Capitan and Half Dome.
Get Prepared
WATCH
Watch: The following video. This video is a collaboration between Sheldon Neill and Colin Delehanty and Project Yosemite.
READ
The Yosemite, by John Muir, 1912. John Muir was an early advocate for the preservation of wilderness in the United States.
LISTEN
Listen to the sounds of nature. It could be the wind through the valley, the thundering of the majestic waterfalls, the rippling of the rivers, the birds singing in the meadows, or maybe a spot that is so quiet and peaceful. Take it in and enjoy.
EAT
Some good trail mix, jerky, or dried fruit is nice to have during your hikes. Just remember not to have food in your tent. It attracts animals including bears.
DRINK
Water is always a good thing to drink on tour, especially when you are hiking around at higher elevations!
IN A WORD:
Beautiful!
SURPRISES
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Yosemite National Park was established on October 1, 1890.
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The park itself measures 748,542 acres and 94% of the park is designated “wilderness”.
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In 1899, almost 10 years after the Park was established, there had been about 4,500 visitors. Today, around 4 million have visited the beauty that Yosemite National Park holds.