Sky Islands

Yosemite National Park: Water is the life-blood of Yosemite National Park. The Tuolumne and Merced rivers water some of the most productive farmland on the Earth, and urban dwellers throughout the state depend on the Sierra Nevada snowpack for their domestic water needs.

Yosemite National Park: Throughout the Sierra Nevada, high flat plateaus are found at elevations around twelve and thirteen thousand feet. These isolated sky islands are the home to unique plant communities that are found nowhere else.

Yosemite National Park: Horsetail Fall is a small, ephemeral waterfall that flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. For two weeks in February, the setting sun striking the waterfall creates a deep orange glow that resembles Yosemite's historic, "Firefall."

Yosemite National Park: While Yosemite National Park is known for its towering cliffs and giant waterfalls, the National Park Service also protects significant cultural resources. The Rangers' Club is one of five buildings in Yosemite with National Historic Landmark status.

Yosemite National Park: Since the glaciers retreated around 15,000 years ago, rock fall has been the major force of change in Yosemite Valley. Geologists work to understand this force of nature in order to protect the millions of visitors who come here each year.

Yosemite National Park: Summer visitors to Yosemite National Park miss many of the unique events of winter and early spring. Frazil ice flows are dramatic natural events that occur in the waterfalls of Yosemite Valley during March and April.

Yosemite National Park: Explore the Tuolumne River from its glacial headwaters at 13,000 feet down through Tuolumne Meadows and into the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. Scientists and rangers describe the power this river has on the landscape and on the people who visit it.

Yosemite National Park: From a land grant created during the Civil War, to modern computer mapping, maps display the topography of Yosemite and also tell the story of the park’s protection.

Yosemite National Park: Have you ever experienced, “The Wild?” What exactly is wilderness and what benefit do wild environments have for mankind? This video offers interesting perspectives on how spending time outdoors, particularly at Yosemite, positively affects people.

Yosemite National Park: Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in North America, and is a powerful presence in Yosemite Valley. From winter ice to spring flood to autumn dryness, this magnificent waterfall is a dynamic force of nature.