Yosemite National Park

by | October 26, 2021

Yosemite National Park is located in the US state of California. With over 3.2 million visitors annually, it is one of the most popular national parks in the United States.
It has an area of ​​3,074 square kilometers and was founded on October 1, 1890. UNESCO named Yosemite National Park a World Heritage Site in 1984. The reason for this are its granite rocks, the waterfalls and the crystal clear streams, the groves of sequoias and the incredible biodiversity that reigns in the park.

The Yosemite National Park is known for its biodiversity, here in the Sierra Nevada there are an enormous number of animal and plant species. A wide variety of ecosystems and habitats for animals and plants have been found in the park.
There are around 3,500 different native plant species here in the Sierra Nevada of Yosemite National Park. More than 160 rare plant species stand and thrive here, which find optimal conditions in the area of ​​the park.

History of Yosemite National Park

About 4,000 years ago, the first people are said to have lived here in what is now Yosemite National Park. The so-called Miwok and Paiute had settled here. When the first whites came to the area in the 19th century, it was populated by the Ahwahnechee Indians. They lived in the Yosemite Valley. The whites were gripped by gold fever and so more and more gold seekers and their followers came here.
Later the Mariposa War took place here. 200 Ahwahneechees and the United States Army faced each other. The Mariposa lost and so the first whites colonized the Yosemite Valley.

Doctor Lafayette Bunnell later wrote a book “The Discovery of Yosemite”. He named the area Yosemite because he believed that the Indian tribe fought here was called Yosemite! That is how the park later came to be called Yosemite National Park. The Indians were either killed or captured. The village was burned down. They were taken to the Fresno reservation. Later, a few of the Indians were able to return and in 1852 attacked a group of miners.

Wildlife in Yosemite National Park

Due to the different ecosystems, Yosemite National Park also has a wide variety of habitats. You will find an above-average number of different animal and plant species in the area.
There are over 250 different species of vertebrates in the park, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.
The flora is even richer in species. Since the soil is rich in nutrients, a wide variety of plants can thrive here.

Yosemite National Park