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Welcome to the audio-described version of Yosemite National Park's official print brochure. Through text and audio descriptions of photos, illustrations, and a map, this version interprets the two-sided color brochure that Yosemite National Park visitors receive. The brochure explores the history of the park, some of its highlights, and information for planning your visit.
Sections covering the front of the brochure include information regarding the history of the park and the natural environment. Sections covering the back of the brochure describe a map of the park and highlight places to visit alongside recreational opportunities.
Yosemite National Park, located in California, is part of the National Park Service, within the Department of the Interior. The park is about 750,000 acres and is situated about 60 miles north of Fresno and about 170 miles east of San Francisco in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. About 95 percent of the park is designated wilderness. The park protects a broad range of life zones of the Sierra Nevada from the Lower Montane Forest up to the Alpine Zone.
Yosemite, established in 1864 as a state park, was the first state park in California. Yosemite's protection predates the first national park by 18 years. By 1890, Yosemite was designated as the third national park in the nation.
Each year, over five million visitors come to enjoy the unique experiences that can only be had at Yosemite. We invite you to explore the park's giant sequoias, stunning valleys, granite peaks and domes, high meadows and lakes and spectacular mountain views. Feel the spongy bark of the most massive trees in the world, the giant sequoias. Take a hike and smell the sweet scent of the pines. Listen to the drumming of the woodpeckers drilling holes in the oak trees. Feel the chilly mist of North America's tallest waterfall land on your upturned face.
For those seeking to learn more about the park during their visit, try the audio-described tour of the welcome center exhibit hall or explore the tactile map of Yosemite Valley, both available from the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center. To find out more about what resources might be available or to contact the park directly, visit the "Accessibility" and "More Information" sections at the end of this audio-described brochure.
The front of the brochure includes quotes, color, and historic photographs and text blocks. The top of the page displays a black banner with the brown textured Yosemite National Park arrowhead logo. This banner is known to identity official products of Yosemite National Park. Below the Yosemite branded banner, a large photo of a sweeping view of Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon overlayed with a brief overview and quote. Below, the page is divided into four horizontal sections which cover key highlights of Yosemite: the High Sierra, granite cliffs, sequoia groves and Yosemite Valley. Each section has a text overview of the topic paired with a large circular photo displaying the area or aspect. Beside these features is a collection of photos and text blocks that illustrate the text.
DESCRIBING: A black banner
SYNOPSIS: The top of the page displays a black banner with the brown textured Yosemite National Park arrowhead logo. This banner is known to identify official publications of the National Park Service.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Brown textured arrowhead logo, point down. At top right, white text, National Park Service. At left, a tall tree. At bottom, a white bison stands on a green field ending in a distant tree line, a white lake at right. A snow-capped mountain towers behind.
CAPTION: NPS Black Banner
CREDIT: National Park Service
DESCRIBING: Circle color image of the High Sierra
SYNOPSIS: In the center of the High Sierra section of the brochure, a large, round, colored photo by Bob Roney captioned, "High Sierra," shows classic scenery distinctive of the high Sierra in Lyell Canyon. In the foreground, the yellow-green grass of an open meadow is dotted with random, round, green shrubs. The perimeter of the meadow is lined with a forest of pine trees that extend up rocky terrain. A river winds its way through the meadow towards its water source, the high rising snow-ladened mountains located in the distance. Puffy clouds darken the blue, mid-day sky above the mountain peaks, indicating approaching afternoon thunderstorms.
CAPTION: High Sierra
CREDIT: Copyright Bob Roney
RELATED TEXT: Smooth granite domes, craggy peaks, and spacious meadows embody the character of the High Sierra. Hundreds of miles of hiking trails offer adventure, solitude, and inspiration for those wishing to explore this glacially carved landscape and experience ever-changing mountain ecosystems. Glaciers sculpted this landscape, plucking, scraping, and polishing as they moved down canyons. Their power shaped Lembert Dome (far left), a roche moutonnée—(French: sheep rock). Cathedral Peak’s (far left) knobby top, a nunatak, stood above the glaciers, escaping their force. As the climate warmed, glaciers melted, leaving huge “erratic” boulders stranded and sometimes precariously perched. As the climate continues to change, life at high elevations is notably affected. Intolerant of heat, pikas (far left) are adapted to the high country’s cool temperatures. They live in rock piles where they find shelter from predators and the heat of the summer sun. As the climate rapidly warms, the pika’s habitat is shifting upward in elevation. Where will the pikas go when they run out of mountain?
DESCRIBING: A panoramic color photo of Half Dome and Tenaya Canyon
SYNOPSIS: A panoramic color photograph by Stan Jorstad, captioned, "Half Dome Yosemite Valley," was taken from a high vantage point and shows the grand expanse of the mountainous Yosemite high country. The silhouette of a towering Jeffrey pine stands arrow-straight in the foreground, bisecting the frame. To the right of the tree, despite a darkened sky, the flat-faced, round-backed Half Dome is bathed in light. Dark, lichen-covered streaks cascade down the face of the rock with trees scattered and standing atop the surface of the rock. The bare, granitic dome stands prominently over the landscape, seeming to peer down at the shadowed depths of the hilly Tenaya Canyon below and the miles of exposed granite domes and peaks rising above their tree-covered slopes.
CAPTION: Half Dome, Yosemite Valley
CREDIT: Copyright Stan Jorstad
RELATED TEXT: Yosemite’s natural beauty can be found in things big and small, from towering granite cliffs and giant sequoias to diminutive wildflowers. Varied conditions in four geographic areas— HIGH SIERRA, GRANITE CLIFFS, SEQUOIA GROVES, and VALLEY—make such diversity possible. Explore Yosemite’s many facets, take in its many moods, and enjoy its views, sounds, and smells.
"The wonder of Yosemite does not lie in its bewildering heights and overpowering distances, but in its amazing harmony of magnitude and fragile beauty."
—Katherine Ames Taylor
DESCRIBING: Olmsted Point, glacial erratic boulder. This is the first image on the left of three, round images which make up a series of photos showing glacial impacts on the rocks of the High Sierra.
SYNOPSIS: The foreground is of this picture captioned, "Olmsted Point, glacial erratic boulder" and credited to © FRANK BALTHIS, is dominated by two glacial erratics—rocks carried in and left over from the passing of a glacier. The erratics are rough, white boulders freckled with black lichen, a moss-like growth on the rock. They lie upon a bare, granite dome marked only by a solitary western juniper tree. The tree grows straight out of the rock, its reddish bark and green needles stark against the clear and distant mountainous landscape. There is a solitary wisp of cloud above the tree. The early afternoon light casts dark shadows to the right of the erratics and tree, indicating a lowering sun out of frame on the left.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Olmsted Point is named for landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Olmsted was instrumental in the protection of Yosemite in 1860s, as he worked with Senator John Conness of California to designate Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Big Tree Grove as public lands under the protection of the state. This was the first land set aside by Congress for public use and laid the foundation for what would later become the national parks.
CAPTION: Olmsted Point glacial erratic boulder
CREDIT: Copyright Frank Balthis
DESCRIBING: Circle image of Lembert Dome, roche moutonnée. This is the second round image on the left, which makes up a series of photos showing glacial impacts on the rocks of the High Sierra.
SYNOPSIS: The color photo captioned, "Lembert Dome, roche moutonnée" and credited to © LAURENCE PARENT is of Lembert Dome, a distinct rock formation that fills almost half of the photo. It slopes up gently then steeply drops from right to left, showing the path the glaciers took. Nearly totally smooth and exposed, two little patches of trees stand out near the top. The rock is a variation of light and dark grey hues that rises above the jagged treeline. The river in the foreground shows a reflection of those trees. The muted yellow grasses on the bank of the river at the lower right are a balanced contrast to the wispy clouds with bits of blue sky peeking through in the upper left of the frame.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Lembert Dome in Yosemite National Park has an elevation of 9,455 feet. The hike is 3.4 miles round trip and takes about 3 hours.
CAPTION: Lembert Dome roche moutonnée
CREDIT: Copyright Laurence Parent
DESCRIBING: Circle color image of Cathedral Peak, nunatak. This is the third image on the left which make up a series of photos showing glacial impacts on the rocks of the High Sierra.
SYNOPSIS: This photo is captioned, "Cathedral Peak, nunatak" and credited to © LONDIE G. PADELSKY. In the distance, an exposed granite peak with two sharp points jut out, one slightly higher than the other, making the distinctly recognizable outline of Cathedral Peak. The sweeping lines of the mountain’s shoulders are wrapped with green trees growing on its flanks. The gentle slopes of the lower two thirds of the mountain show the height of where the glacier traveled just below the jagged peak. At the foot of the mountain lies a still gray-blue lake ringed with dark pines and the softer green of low shrubs. A cream-colored granite expanse lies in the foreground with a solitary arrow-straight Jeffrey pine rising to the right with its reddish bark and stiff limbs covered in deep green needles. The Jeffrey pin
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Cathedral peak has an elevation of 10,916 feet.
CAPTION: Cathedral Peak, nunatak
CREDIT: Copyright Londe G. Padelsky
DESCRIBING: Color image of a single alpine columbine (Aquilegia pubescen X formosa)
SYNOPSIS: The cut-out of the dramatic pink and yellow colors of a single alpine columbine (Aquilegia pubescen X formosa) pops in contrast against a completely black background. The photo by Adam R. Paul is captioned, "Alpine Columbine (hybrid)." The unusual and ornate five petaled flower hangs upside down on its stalk. An inner ring of creamy petals and yellow center are surrounded by an outer ring of sepals, or modified leaves, which look like long pink petals curving back elegantly. The cream-colored petals fade to pink and extend past the sepals, turning into needle-like spurs which project proudly above the flower.
CAPTION: Alpine columbine (hybrid)
CREDIT: Copyright Adam R. Paul
DESCRIBING: Three images, a yellow-bellied marmot (left), a pika (middle), and a Clark's nutcracker bird (right)
SYNOPSIS: From left to right, the cutout profiles of three separate, right-facing figures include a yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris), credited to Kirkendall/Spring, a pika (Ochotona princeps), credited to Leonard Lee Rue III, and a Clark’s nutcracker (Nucifraga columbiana), credited to Frank Balthis. The furry brown marmot, a large member of the squirrel family, stands up at attention on its short hind legs. Its front legs hang, human-like, along its long body with its tail splayed out behind. Also seeming to be on alert, the soft-furred pika stares ahead, sitting on its haunches and pressing up off its tiny white, front feet. Its large, round ears rest low against its gray-brown head and back, unlike its rabbit cousins. The pika is smaller in size than the marmot and looks similar to a hamster. The medium-sized nutcracker seems so posed as to be a taxidermy bird. Its long black bill, downward-curved and sharp-tipped, as well as its stark black and white tail and wings, contrast cleanly against the feathers on its soft gray body.
CAPTION: Yellow-bellied marmot, pika (middle), and Clark’s nutcracker
CREDIT: Copyright KIRKENDALL/SPRING, LEONARD LEE RUE III, FRANK BALTHIS
RELATED TEXT: Life in the High Sierra adapts to the dramatic seasonal weather patterns. All summer the pika works furiously to cache food to eat throughout the winter. Marmots store fat, and then hibernate beneath the winter snow. Clark’s nutcrackers bury seeds, assuring survival of the birds as well as the trees.
DESCRIBING: A faded black and white family photo
SYNOPSIS: A faded black and white photo from 1902 or 1903 is captioned, "Trade routes crossed the High Sierra." and is credited to the National Park Service. It is a close-up Paiute family photo of five posed in front of their horse or mule. The picture was taken as the family visited Yosemite Valley from the Mono Lake region on a two-week trip to collect acorns. From left to right, a native woman of indeterminate age stands squarely facing the camera in a full-length white dress with dark polka dots. Her prominent cheeks are in the light and lips are barely upturned. In her arms, she is holding an infant. The child is enveloped in a dark plaid blanket, the girl’s chubby fists gently balled up in front.
Beside the woman stand two preschool age children in nearly matching plaid dresses. Although she is posed to face the camera, the girl on the left’s head is tilted toward her mother, her mouth is slightly frowning and her hand clings to the woman’s skirt. It is unclear whether she is impatient or shy. The girl on the right, who is slightly taller, primly clasps her hands in front of her.
On the right, the father stands in a confident easy pose with his weight on his left leg and his right hand rising to grasp the saddle horn of his horse behind him. He wears a pale felt hat with a wide brim and decorative hatband that shades his eyes. He has a loose white, long-sleeved shirt and long pants.
CAPTION: Trade routes crossed the High Sierra.
CREDIT: NPS
DESCRIBING: A vignette of a small bird
SYNOPSIS: A single bird (Cypseloides niger) is captioned "black swift." It soars with its wings, about 18 inches (46 centimeters) wide, fully spread. The view of the dark bird, it’s body about 7 inches (18 centimeters) long, is from below. The image shows off its wingspan and black feathers that transition to a light grey color along its neck and head.
CAPTION: Black swift
CREDIT: Bill Schmoker
DESCRIBING: A vignette of a spotted bat
SYNOPSIS: A bat is shown clinging to a chunk of granite, its tiny body about 5 inches (12 centimeters). It is wrapped around the rock—the fine brown skin and outline of its muscle and bone within its folded wing are curled toward the viewer and seeming close enough to touch. The bat’s colossal pink ears are the size of its body and stand straight up from its head. Its miniature face pokes out from under its ears as if it is wearing a headdress. A tiny black nose and round black eye show amidst the pale brown fur on its face, giving it the gentle look of a little mouse or dog. A white spot on a furry black back is just barely visible.
CAPTION: Spotted bat
CREDIT: Dick Wilkens
DESCRIBING: A circular photo of a waterfall flowing over granite cliffs.
SYNOPSIS: In the center a photo captioned "granite cliffs," is credited to Laurence Parent. Looking up through the silhouettes of the pines, one can spot the bright white rush of Bridalveil Fall pouring over the soaring Yosemite Valley cliffs. The water cascades over a glacially carved, U-shaped trough at the cliff top. A prominent rock formation leans away and juts outward over the cliff line to the right of the waterfall, tempting visiting rock climbers. Sunshine illuminates the rocks’ varied minerals make a colorful patchwork of grays, oranges, creams and browns along the cliff face.
CAPTION: Granite Cliffs
CREDIT: Laurence Parent
RELATED TEXT: The massive cliffs of Yosemite and Hetch Hetchy valleys challenge the body and mind, especially the inquisitive nature of human beings. When an 1868 Yosemite guidebook declared, “the summit of Half Dome will never be trodden by human foot,” it was taken as a challenge. George Anderson reached the top in 1875. Countless others followed. One by one, adventurous men and women made other first ascents on sheer granite walls in Yosemite, changing the sport of climbing forever. The challenge of these cliffs continues to beckon climbers from around the world.
The very existence of great cliffs like Half Dome and El Capitan has inspired questions about how they came to be. American Indians tell of a woman and her husband who argued and fought. The displeased spirits changed them into stone, Half Dome and North Dome, forever to face each other across the Valley. How these cliffs were formed has challenged geologists for over 100 years. They think the granite of Yosemite’s walls solidified over five miles underground. As the overlying rock eroded away, the granites rose to their current exposed level. Nature’s dynamic forces continue sculpting this exposed rock.
DESCRIBING: A small black and white photo
SYNOPSIS: A small black and white, circular photo from 1961 is captioned "On the Salathe Wall of El Capitan.” It features a young adult, male climber, Tom Frost. He is wearing a white shirt with sleeves rolled up to his biceps and hanging by a climbing rope on a rock wall. His climbing harness and the taut rope attached to it allow him to rest in a semi-seated pose. His left hand rests casually on the cluttered climbing rack of gear that dangle from his waist while his right hand steadies himself on the rock. His broad muscular upper body is turned halfway back, toward the viewer. He is gazing back over his left shoulder, with a grin, as he gets a unique view of the vast landscape around and below him. His right knee is bent, pants rolled up below the knee and his ankle comfortably hanging in a loop of climbing gear. The flexed muscles are well defined on his left leg which is also bent. He appears to be bracing his foot on the rock, just out of the frame. He wears tan shoes which pre-date the sticky rubber-covered climbing shoes of today. Incongruously, the shoes look like he might be wearing them along a city street. The forested mountains, far below in the background, are topped with puffy clouds just over the ridge line.
CAPTION: On the Salathe Wall of El Capitan
CREDIT: Copyright © TOM FROST COLLECTION COURTESY YOSEMITE CLIMBING ASSOCIATION
DESCRIBING: Vignette image of a peregrine falcon.
SYNOPSIS: The cutout photo shows a clear view of a peregrine falcon, (Falco peregrinus) soaring in flight, wings stretched out wide and lifted slightly above its body. Its wingspan is somewhere between 2.5 and 4 feet (roughly one meter). The detail of the gray-brown tops of its wings and finely barred black and white underwings are clear. The falcon's black-tipped yellow beak is slightly open and its steel-gray head and "sideburns" contrast starkly against its white neck and "cheeks." Its body is covered in vertical black and white barring and its orange-colored legs and feet are curled back for aerodynamics.
CAPTION: Peregrine Falcon
CREDIT: NPS / James McGrew
DESCRIBING: Photo of a large waterfall flowing over granite cliff walls.
SYNOPSIS: This photo showcases a white cascading waterfall plummeting down from a grey-toned granite rock wall. The waterfall is full and looks as if a mighty wind is blowing its waters to the left, making the waterfall look dramatic and powerful. In the middle of the rock wall located to the right of the waterfall is a large, blackened area. Text reads, "Dark streaks are caused by lichens." Centered in the black area is a noticeably light-colored patch of rock. Accompanying text indicates, "Light scar reveals a fresh rockfall."
CAPTION: Rockfall continually changes Yosemite’s great cliffs at a rate difficult to chart in the comparative brevity of human lifetimes. Water, ice, plants, and gravity have worked on these granite walls for millions of years and continue to shape them today.
CREDIT: Copyright Fred Hirschmann
DESCRIBING: An oval picture faded around the edges showing five sequoia cones.
SYNOPSIS: The image shows five light brown sequoia cones, resembles a pinecone, that are bunched together. Four of the sequoia cones are lying sideways while one is upright. They are the egg-shaped and vary in length between 2-3 inches and 5-8 cm, with cross hatching indentations that create horizontal diamond shapes around the cone with a little dimple in the middle of each diamond, vaguely resembling a pair of pursed lips. The diamond shaped segments are tightly packed together, like shingles on a roof, giving the cones a dense, sturdy appearance. The surface of the cones is textured but smooth, like hardened ripples. The image is faded around the edges in an oval shape, but long, light brown pine needs are seen cushioning the pile of sequoia cones, suggesting the cones’ location on the forest floor.
CAPTION: Sequoia cones
CREDIT: Copyright John Elk III
DESCRIBING: A small, cutout color picture showing a Chickaree squirrel clinging to a tree.
SYNOPSIS: The cutout image, captioned "Chickaree," shows the front half of a bi-colored chickaree squirrel, (Tamiasciurus douglasii) peeking out to the right, from behind a grey roughly-textured tree trunk. The upper half of the head, neck, and body is a rusty brown with bits of black on the forehead, cheeks and nose, while the squirrel’s underside and belly is grey. The little-clawed paws of its two front limbs are grasping the tree, while the body and head stretch forward, nose pointing out as if it smells something. Its large walnut-shaped eyes are open wide and surrounded by a ring of white. Its small, round ears are alert and perked to either side, with tufts of rusty brown fur rimming their edges.
CAPTION: Chickaree
CREDIT: Copyright Roberta Stacy
DESCRIBING: A floating image of Pacific dogwood flowers over the black background of the brochure.
SYNOPSIS: Six white dogwood "flowers," (Cornus nuttallii) seem to hover in space against the black background of the brochure, rather than covering a dogwood tree, as they usually do. The large and solitary white flowers are imposters, actually a clump of tiny greenish-yellow flowers surrounded by 4 to 8 creamy white leaves called bracts. The bracts look just like large white petals, each one curling and bowing uniquely. Every "flower" has the tips of green leaves peeking from beneath the white bracts.
CAPTION: Pacific dogwood
CREDIT: Copyright John Elk III
RELATED TEXT: Changes brought about by fire don’t benefit just the sequoia. Pacific dogwoods need the filtered sunlight that can reach into a sequoia grove if periodic fire keeps its understory open.
DESCRIBING: A small color cutout photograph of three snow plants.
SYNOPSIS: Three alien-looking plants burst through the forest floor in a tight clump in this small cutout photograph. Every part of the plant (the stalks, leaves, and petals) is a uniform color of striking candy-apple red! About a foot tall, with meaty red stalks, the texture of their fleshy bodies looks like they might be related to mushrooms, although they aren't. At a glance, the plants' shape resembles a collection of upright, scarlet-colored pinecones balanced atop short and thick stems. Rather than woody scales, the stalks are densely covered with diagonal rows of fleshy crimson leaves. These leaves look more like curling elongated Halloween fingernails than any familiar leaf shape. Tucked uniformly between each red leaf are ruby colored flowers, their petals fused to make outward facing bells. A small portion of the forest floor where the red snow plants protrude from is visible, covered in pine needs and sequoia cones.
CAPTION: The snow plant
CREDIT: Larry Ulrich
RELATED TEXT: The snow plant (left) gets water and nutrients from fungi, which are connected to tree roots.
DESCRIBING: A small color photograph of a sequoia grove on fire.
SYNOPSIS: The image captures the bright glow of a fire on a forest floor at night. Two large black tree trunks in the foreground, one on either side of the image, frame the bright flames consuming the forest floor. A group of about six tall and slender trees and a small shrub, stand in the midst of the blaze while a fallen log lays horizontally across the bottom of the photo. The fire is a concentrated white color on the forest floor that transitions upward into yellow, orange, and red hues that contrast with the blackness of night. Orange embers freckle the bottom of the black fallen log and the tree trunks in the foreground.
CAPTION: Giant sequoias need fire so they can reproduce.
CREDIT: RAYMOND GEHMAN / NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC IMAGE COLLECTION
DESCRIBING: A large circular photograph of a sequoia grove.
SYNOPSIS: In the center, a large round color photo depicts an intimate look into a grove of giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) with three of the furrowed, reddish-brown trunks visible in the circular photo. Because of their massive size, only a tiny portion of the trunks of the gigantic trees are visible in the shot. A small section of a gigantic sequoia trunk fills the right half of the frame, seeming so close that the viewer could reach out and touch it. Its huge scale, hefty solidity, and broad base is reminiscent of the leg of an elephant. The reddish-brown trunk is covered in a fibrous, vertically furrowed bark so deep that the inner furrows are darkly shaded. To the left, two more sequoia trees stand tall and straight, their bases widening toward the ground. The tree in front has a long narrow burn scar rising as a large slit from the Earth, wide enough for a person to duck a bit and squeeze into the presumed cavern inside. Powerfully fire resistant, despite the burn, the tree has healed the scar by growing bark around the edges of the hole. Between the trees, varied shades of green plants and shrubs fill the forest floor and the darker green of pine trees can be glimpsed in the background.
CAPTION: SEQUOIA GROVES
CREDIT: Copyright Larry Ulrich
RELATED TEXT: SEQUOIA GROVES Giant sequoias dwarf even the largest pine and fir trees that live among them. Descendants of an ancient line of trees, they can live for over 2,000 years. Their trunks can reach over 25 feet thick! As symbols of longevity and strength, the giant sequoias played a major role in the creation of what is now Yosemite National Park. Throughout the National Park System, thousands of rangers wear uniform belts and hatbands embossed with images of the cones and foliage of these trees.
President Lincoln signed the bill that set aside the Mariposa Grove, along with scenic Yosemite Valley, in 1864. After a fire started in the grove, we began a 100-year history of protecting these beloved trees from fire. While our intentions were good, we contributed to the loss of what we cared about so much. Through experimentation and research, we discovered that fire promotes reproduction of these giant trees. It clears away the competing firs and cedars and exposes bare mineral soil for the tiny seed to take root.
DESCRIBING: A small, historic black and white vertical photograph of Galen Clark.
SYNOPSIS: A small elongated oval daguerreotype depicts an aged and rugged Galen Clark, standing with his right hand holding the long barrel of a rifle that is resting on the ground.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Galen Clark is wearing a checkered, collared, button-down shirt that peaks out from underneath a buttoned sweater, topped with a weather-beaten knee-length heavy coat. He has noticeably baggy worn pants that bunch up at the ankles. A fur and leather cross-body satchel is draped over his left shoulder and rests at his right hip. A few unidentifiable trinkets dangle off the satchel like key chains.
Clark has near shoulder-length, unkempt hair, and a scruffy beard and mustache that almost covers his mouth. His leathery, aged, expressionless face has deep-set eyes that are gazing into the distance to the left of the photographer. He is standing with his right hand holding onto a long rifle as if it were a walking stick, with the barrel facing up and the stock on the ground. His left hand looks dirt-covered and is resting at his side.
CAPTION: Galen Clark, Yosemite’s first official guardian
CREDIT: NPS / CARLETON E. WATKINS
DESCRIBING: A circular image of a section of the Merced River in Autumn.
SYNOPSIS: In the center, a large circular photo titled "Valley" and credited to Joseph Holmes is of the Merced River depicted in low light with smooth slow-moving water. Along the banks are trees and grasses with the fall hues of brown, orange and gold. The dried grasses of the far bank are reflected in the still water. Beyond the waterside meadow, a grouping of tall pines stands against the base of a sheer granite cliff.
CAPTION: VALLEY When you see the relatively lazy summer Merced River, it can be difficult to imagine how the same river, even in flood stage, could bring such
dramatic change throughout the Valley—rearranging boulders, roads, and campgrounds.
CREDIT: Copyright Joseph Holmes
RELATED TEXT: VALLEY “Everything is flowing,” John Muir has written, “going somewhere, animals and so-called lifeless rocks as well as water.” Most of the year, the Merced River flows peacefully through Yosemite Valley. Shrubs and deciduous trees enrich the riverbanks with green ribbons of life. Moist meadows give way to black oak trees that provide nutritious acorns to deer, bears, and woodpeckers, as they did for early American Indians. A flooding Merced River, however, seems to shout “change” and reconfigures nature’s handiwork.
Spend time in Yosemite Valley and you will experience change. Whether it’s the subtle daily changes in the flow of rivers and waterfalls, or the explosive makeover of a flood or 100-ton rockfall, nature undergoes constant transformation here. Water has played an important role in the geologic processes responsible for the stunning appearance of this “incomparable valley.”
Yosemite Valley, with the Mariposa Grove, inspired the national park idea. The cliffs, waterfalls, wildlife, and beauty of this place continue to inspire people around the world.
DESCRIBING: A black and white photo of a middle-aged Ansel Adams, seated and smiling.
SYNOPSIS: A black and white photo captioned, ""Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space." Ansel Adams, photographer" and credited to © Jim Alinder shows an elder Ansel Adams looking directly at the camera, sitting with an easy forward slouch. His left leg is crossed over his right knee and both aged arthritic hands are loosely grasping his crossed leg. He wears a multi-pocketed vest over a long-sleeved, plaid, button-down shirt, and creased slacks. His dark clothes contrast sharply with his white laced up shoes. He has a white short-haired beard and mustache, and a warm open-mouth smile that shows his top row of teeth, giving him pronounced cheeks. His head is somewhat tilted to his right and he is wearing a light-colored cowboy hat that emphasizes his ears, which slightly point outward at the top.
CAPTION: "Yosemite Valley, to me, is always a sunrise, a glitter of green and golden wonder in a vast edifice of stone and space." Ansel Adams, photographer.
CREDIT: Copyright Jim Alinder
DESCRIBING: A cutout image of a front-facing black bear standing on a log.
SYNOPSIS: The image, captioned "Black bear" (Ursus americanus) and credited to Benjamin R. Miller of Closerlook Photography, shows a front-facing bear that, in contradiction to its name, has reddish-brown fur. Only the front two legs are shown, with its cushioned paws slightly turned inward. The bear is standing on a grey textured log that shows off its claws which protrude out from its paws and curve down into sharp points. A full round face with a long yellow snout is capped off with a large, round, black nose. There is a gleam in its circular brown eyes, and its ears are nearly straight up and pointing outward.
CAPTION: Black bear
CREDIT: © BENJAMIN R. MILLER CLOSERLOOK PHOTOGRAPHY
DESCRIBING: A cutout image of a black and white bird with a red cap peaking out from behind a tree.
SYNOPSIS: The cutout image captioned "Acorn woodpecker" and credited to E.J. Peiker, shows the upper half of a tri-colored acorn woodpecker (Melanerpes formicivorus). It is peeking out to the left, from behind a tree trunk. The head of the bird is red on top, white in the face, and black around its yellow beady eyes, beak and on the backside of its head. The bird has a long, black, pointed bill. Its markings are distinct, looking as if it is wearing a black scarf of scraggly, wispy feathers that wiggle down its neck and streak onto its white breast. The entirety of the visible tree trunk is dotted with many round holes that have been drilled into the trunk over time, acting as storage for the woodpecker's acorn stash.
CAPTION: Acorn woodpecker
CREDIT: Copyright E. J. Peiker
DESCRIBING: An image of a deer with antlers, standing on grass and leaning toward the ground.
SYNOPSIS: The warm colored image captioned "Mule deer" (Odocoileus hemionus) and credited to Longdie G. Padelsky, shows a deer with antlers foraging in a meadow at dawn or dusk. The deer is facing to the left and the head is slightly raised off the ground and barely turned toward the viewer. A large rack of antlers, covered in a special brown fur called velvet, show eight points atop its head. The deer has large, dark, almond-shaped eyes and a black nose at the end of a long, narrow face. The rough fur on its body is mostly tannish brown, with bits of black on its forehead and rib cage, as well as a black tipped tail. Its body is hunching downward as if in mid forage. The deer is in a meadow with both green and brown grasses.
CAPTION: Mule deer
CREDIT: Copyright Londie G. Padelsky
DESCRIBING: A vignette photo of a row of purple flowers.
SYNOPSIS: The image, credited to the National Park Service, shows a row of tall stalks of wildflowers growing closely together, captioned "Lupine." Each long green stem has whorls, or layers, of purple and white pea family flowers that surround the stems and rise up to the tip the stalk. On the tops of the stalks are perched the pointed tip of the green buds that have not bloomed yet. There are small green-grey leaves on the bottom half of the stems. CAPTION: Lupine
CREDIT: NPS
DESCRIBING: A cutout image of two acorns, connected at their caps and facing away from one another.
SYNOPSIS: The image, credited to NPS/Ray Santos and captioned "Black oak acorn," contains two acorns of this oak (Quercus kelloggii). The acorns are attached at their tops and are facing opposite each other. Each acorn is an elongated oval shape. The caps of the acorns cover almost half of the nut and are yellow, and roughly textured with tiny downward pointing scales. The nut is dark-brown, smooth and rounded with a little prickly point at the tip.
CAPTION: Black oak acorn
CREDIT: NPS / Ray Santos
Side two of the brochure is broken up into two sections - "Wild Yosemite" and "Yosemite Basics".
In the "Wild Yosemite" section, a large map at the top shows the entirety of Yosemite National Park. A small insert at the top right corner of the map shows the wilderness region. A small inset near the center of the map shows Yosemite Valley and says, "See Valley Map Below." A series of text blocks beside the map discuss wilderness, rivers and waterfalls, wildlife, smoke and fire, as well as human history. A second, smaller map located off to the right and between the two major sections, shows Yosemite's location in relation to major highways, as well as Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Death Valley National Parks.
At the bottom of the page lies the section entitled "Yosemite Basics." The above-mentioned inset is expanded to show details of Yosemite Valley. On the left of the Yosemite Valley map at the bottom of the page is a text portion regarding driving, reservations, accessibility and contact information.
We strive to make facilities, services, and programs accessible to all. For information go to a visitor center, ask a ranger, call, or check the park website (https://www.nps.gov/yose/index).
More Information
Yosemite National Park, PO Box 577
Yosemite National Park, CA 95389-0577
209-372-0200
www.nps.gov/yose
Use the official NPS App to guide your visit.
Emergencies call 911
Yosemite National Park is one of over 425 parks in the National Park System. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
National Park Foundation
Join the park community.
www.nationalparks.org
✩GPO:2024-427086/84000 Last updated 2024
DESCRIBING: Orientation map of Yosemite National Park
SYNOPSIS: This wayfinding and orientation map shows Yosemite National Park along with its major roads, points of interest, services, trails, and physical features.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: This orientation map shows all of Yosemite National Park and is oriented north at the top. It provides wayfinding information for points of interest, major roads and services, as well as the main trails and geographic information such as peaks and waterways. It is the largest of the four maps on the back side of this brochure.
The park is shown surrounded by national forest and wilderness lands in the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountain range of California. Roughly oval, like an egg standing on its small end, the park's irregular boundary primarily follows the alpine peaks on the northern and eastern edges with a more angular boundary line to the south and west. The park is roughly the size of the state of Rhode Island. Nearly all wilderness, the park is crisscrossed with hiking trails. There are two primary watersheds, the Tuolumne River to the north and the Merced River to the south. The two watersheds are roughly divided in upper and lower halves by 59-mile Tioga Road, which connects with Highway 120 east of Tioga Pass. The rest of the roads within the park either run along the western border, such as the Big Oak Flat Road and the Wawona Road or are spur roads that travel eastward no farther than halfway across the distance of the park. The spurs include Hetch Hetchy Road, El Portal Road to Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point Road, and the Mariposa Grove Road.
The park has three main administrative districts: Wawona in the south, Yosemite Valley in the central area of the park, and the Mather district covering the northern half of the park. Each district contains a visitor center or information station (two in Mather), one or two primary roads, visitor amenities, and an entrance station (three in Mather).
The park entrances, each near the park boundary, will be described with Yosemite as a clock face. The Tioga Pass entrance is at 2:30. It is in the Mather District near Tuolumne Meadows and lies along Tioga Road. 18 miles to the west is the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center. South Entrance is at 6:30. It is in the Wawona District and lies along Wawona Road (continuation of Highway 41 from outside the park. 7.5 miles to the north is the Wawona Visitor Center inside Hill's Studio. Arch Rock entrance is at 7:30. It is in the Valley District and lies along El Portal Road (continuation of Highway 140 from outside the park). 11.4 miles to the east is the Yosemite Valley Welcome Center.
Big Oak Flat entrance is at 8:30. It is in the Mather District and lies along Big Oak Flat Road (continuation of Highway 120 from west of Yosemite). At the entrance is the Big Oak Flat Information Station.
Hetch Hetchy entrance is at 9:30. It is also in the Mather District and lies along the Hetch Hetchy Road.
Special notices on the map include winter road closures from approximately November to May, including Tioga Road from the Tuolumne Grove parking lot on the west side to the Tioga Pass entrance on the east side. Glacier Point Road from the Badger Pass Ski Area east, and all of the Mariposa Grove Road. Facilities along the Tioga Road are available in summer only. Restrooms are available at picnic areas, campgrounds, trailheads, and roadside pullouts along the Tioga Road. Lastly, there is no swimming or boating in the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir.
This map does not include accessibility symbols.
DESCRIBING: A navigational map showing transportation routes and visitor amenities in Yosemite Valley.
SYNOPSIS: This map is one of three maps on the Yosemite National Park Brochure. It is untitled and is an inset map representing the Yosemite Valley area. The map is primarily an informational and wayfinding map and is oriented with north at the top.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: Yosemite Valley is about 7 miles long and one mile wide. The road in the valley is in the shape of an elongated loop, with a majority of all services located on the far east end of the valley. The only entrances into Yosemite Valley are from the west, from either the El Portal Road (Which connects to Highways 140 and 120), or the Wawona Road (which connects to Highway 41). The road entering Yosemite Valley is called Southside Drive and is one way, while the road exiting Yosemite Valley is called Northside Drive and is primarily one way. The Merced River runs between Southside and Northside Drives.
The Yosemite Valley Welcome Center is located on the northeast side of the map, in Yosemite Village near Yosemite Falls. A green flag on the map shows the welcome center. Brown parking icons show visitor parking for using the shuttle bus system. Other icons identify a wilderness permit station, food services and lodging, restrooms, picnic areas, and campgrounds. There are several hiking trails shown and the background of the map shows faint, light grey, topography. There is a tactile map available inside the welcome center.
DESCRIBING: A small map showing the wilderness and non-wilderness areas within Yosemite National Park.
SYNOPSIS: Map of Yosemite National Park in California. The roughly oval Yosemite Wilderness at the center and other wildernesses around it are represented with varying shades of green.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: In tones of sage green and off white, Yosemite Wilderness takes up most of the map. Its left edge is stepped and most of the rest of the border is irregularly ruffled. Lighter, whitish areas are to the north and south of this wilderness, and tan-colored features line the west edge and slice through its middle.
The other wildernesses are represented with eucalyptus green, and include Emigrant Wilderness to the northwest, Hoover Wilderness to the northeast, and Ansel Adams Wilderness to the southeast.
The outlying areas are ivory white.
Legend: The legend reads as follows: sage green for Wilderness area and tan for Non-wilderness area.
RELATED TEXT: Congress designated over three million acres of the Sierra Nevada as wilderness—nearly 95 percent of Yosemite National Park as well as Emigrant Wilderness in Stanislaus National Forest, Hoover Wilderness in Humboldt-Toiyabe and Inyo national forests, and Ansel Adams Wilderness in the Sierra and Inyo national forests. Wilderness is meant to protect forever the land’s natural conditions, opportunities for solitude and primitive recreation, and scientific, educational, and historical values. Learn more at www.wilderness.gov.
DESCRIBING: A navigational map showing Yosemite National Park's location in the context of the greater surrounding area in California.
SYNOPSIS: This map is one of four maps on the Yosemite National Park Brochure. It is titled Greater Yosemite Area, and is a small inset map showing surrounding highways, towns, national parks and national forests, all in relation to Yosemite National Park. The background of the map is off white, while the national forests are shown in light green with grey irregular borders, and the national parks are shown in a medium-color green with dark green borders.
IN-DEPTH DESCRIPTION: There are three major highway systems that run diagonally from north to south that have secondary roads branching off. Several surrounding communities are labeled, along with three other national parks, Kings Canyon, Sequoia, and Death Valley National Parks, all located south of Yosemite, and four national forests, Stanislaus, Sierra, Sequoia, and Inyo National Forests. There are two visitor centers, one in the nearest town outside the east exit to Yosemite, in Lee Vining, and the other is about 120 miles south of Lee Vining, on Highway 395, in Lone Pine. There are two sets of red text that read: road open summer only. One is located on the road that crosses Yosemite from West to South, and the other is located on the only road that enters partially into Kings Canyon from the west.
The Sierra Nevada mountain chain, which includes Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and the Stanislaus, Sierra, Sequoia, and Inyo National Forests, also runs diagonally north to south, between highways 99 and 395. Yosemite National Park is in the north and is surrounded by national forests with the Stanislaus National Forest to its northwest, Inyo National Forest to the east, and Sierra National Forest to the southwest. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are in the southern half of the map and is partially surrounded by national forests, with Sequoia National Forest to its northwest and its south, Sierra National Forest to the northeast, and Inyo National Forest to the southeast. Death Valley National Park is in the far southeast quadrant of the map with a strip of Inyo National Forest to its northeast.
MAP: Roads
There are three major roads indicated by brown lines, that run diagonally from northwest to southeast, the 5, the 99, and the 395, which run somewhat parallel to the Nevada - California state line, which is represented by a grey line in the northeast quadrant.
In the southwest quadrant, Interstate 5 cuts across the bottom corner of the map. Highway 198 east branches off the 5 to Sequoia National Park, via the towns of Visalia and Three Rivers, which are indicated by yellow dots. Slightly north of Highway 198, Highway 33 also branches off of the 5, and connects to the 180, which also leads to Sequoia - Kings Canyon National Parks, via Fresno.
The next major highway to the east of the 5 is the 99, which begins in the western bottom corner of the northwest quadrant and cuts across to the southeast corner of the southwest quadrant.
At the bottom of the map, between the 5 and the 99, there is text that reads, Yosemite Valley is 313 miles to Los Angeles.
Three roads branch off of the 99 and all lead to Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park. The northern most road is the 120, via Groveland. The next road south on 99 is the 140, with access to Yosemite Valley via Merced, Mariposa, Midpines, and El Portal. The most southern road to Yosemite is the 41 via Fresno, Oakhurst, and Fish Camp. There is a north to south road, the 49, that connects these three roads beginning on the 120 near Groveland, connecting with the 140 in Mariposa, which connects with the 41 in Oakhurst. In Yosemite National Park, north of Yosemite Valley, Tioga Road crosses from west to east through the park and connects to Highway 395 in Lee Vining. Highway 395 is the third major road that runs from north to south.
At the top of the map, to the right of Highway 395, there is text that reads Yosemite Valley to Lake Tahoe and Reno, 218 miles or 350 kilometers. South of Lee Vining passes through Bishop, Big Pine, Independence, and Lone Pine, and also gives access to Mammoth Lakes and Devils Postpile National Monument, Manzanar National Historic Site, and the Eastern Sierra Interagency Visitor Center. Highway 6 splits off of 395 at Bishop, heading north into Nevada.
MAP: Highlights
The Sierra Nevada mountain chain, which includes Yosemite and Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and the Stanislaus, Sierra, Sequoia, and Inyo National Forests, also runs diagonally north to south between highways 99 and 395. Yosemite National Park is in the north and is surrounded by national forests with the Stanislaus National Forest to its northwest, Inyo National Forest to the east, and Sierra National Forest to the southwest. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are in the southern half of the map and is partially surrounded by national forests, with Sequoia National Forest to its northwest and its south, Sierra National Forest to the northeast, and Inyo National Forest to the southeast. Death Valley National Park is in the far southeast quadrant of the map with a strip of Inyo National Forest to its northeast.
The background of the map is off white, while the national forests are shown in light green with grey irregular borders, and the national parks are shown in a medium-color green with dark green borders.
CAPTION: Greater Yosemite Area