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What Makes Yosemite National Park Unique

Photo of one of the tobaggan runs at Yosemite. Rockfall is partly responsible for creating Yosemite National Park’s beautiful and constantly changing scenery. Such species typically include spiders, insects, and fish.

Natural Features & Ecosystems

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Yosemite National Park lies in the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the northern portion of California. It covers an area of 1, The national park was established on October 1,through an Act of Congress although the area was first protected in The park is the third oldest and one of the largest national parks in the United States.

Half Dome Rock Yosemite National Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt at Sunset Uniqueness The national park has many unique features ranging from landforms to animal and plant species. The dome rises to a height of about 4, feet above the floor of Yosemite Valley. The El Capitan, another large rock formation situated in the park, is also a major attraction of Yosemite.

The giant sequoias that grow in the park are the biggest trees on the planet. The tree is a symbol of the State of California. Yosemite National Park also boasts a high concentration of waterfalls due to its hanging valleys and glacial steps. The number of wildlife species decreases as the landscape rises. The vegetation of Yosemite National Park is well preserved unlike in the surrounding lands where natural tree cover has been destroyed by logging.

The park has aboutacres of old-growth forest. Besides the primary forest, the park also has an extensive cover of alpine meadows, woodlands, and chaparral.

Some of the activities available in the park include What Makes Yosemite National Park Unique walks, hiking What Makes Yosemite National Park Unique rock climbing, rafting, stargazing, mule and horseback rides, skiing, bike rentals, and photography and art classes. Yosemite Valley remains open to visitors year-round, with summer being the peak season.

Other features of the park include two National Historic Landmarks and facilities like a museum and a visitor center. Threats Current threats facing Yosemite National Park include air pollution which causes tissue damage to the giant sequoia trees, exposing them to disease and insect infestation. Lack of natural fires in the park due to suppression is also an issue because What Makes Yosemite National Park Unique cones of the sequoia trees only germinate in fire-touched soil.

Other challenges include habitat fragmentation and climate change which endangers the glaciers of the Sierra Nevada. Encroachment by exotic species is also an issue in Yosemite since the non-native species displace the native plant communities or alter them.

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Here, you will find no cars, no roads, no electricity, and no modern conveniences. Half Dome Rock Yosemite National Park at Sunset Uniqueness The national park has many unique features ranging from landforms to animal and plant species. Millions of visitors from around the world come to witness the beauty of Yosemite firsthand, and we can definitely see why. Photo courtesy of Lena Chang carolenabird.

What Makes A National Park

The concept of recreational areas has grown to encompass other lands and waters set aside for recreational use by acts of Congress and now includes major areas in urban centers. The promise of increased tourism is already starting to be fulfilled at New River Gorge. But by then she had provoked strong resentment from many locals who felt the park plan would jeopardize their lifestyle and livelihoods. Corrections: Sep 6, A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Republican U.

What makes something a national park?

Article What’s In a Name? Discover National Park System Designations The diversity of the parks is reflected in the variety of titles given to them. These include such designations as national park, national preserve, national monument, national memorial, national historic site, national seashore, and national battlefield park.

Although some titles are self explanatory, others have been used in many different ways. In recent years, both Congress and the National Park Service have attempted to simplify the nomenclature and to What Makes A National Park basic criteria for use of the different official titles.

Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve NPS photo Natural Values Areas added to the National Park System for their natural values are expanses or features of land or water of great scenic and scientific quality and are usually designated as national parks, monuments, preserves, seashores, lakeshores, or riverways. Generally, a national park contains a variety of resources and encompasses large land or water areas to help provide adequate protection of the resources.

A national monument is intended to preserve at least one nationally significant resource. It is usually smaller than a national park and lacks its diversity of attractions. InBig Cypress and Big Thicket were authorized as the first national preserves.

Activities like hunting and fishing or the extraction of minerals and fuels may be permitted if they do not jeopardize the natural values. National reserves are similar to the preserves. Management may be transferred to local or state authorities. The first reserve, City of Rocks, was established in Preserving shoreline areas and offshore islands, the national lakeshores and national seashores focus on the preservation of natural values while at the same time providing water-oriented recreation.

Although national lakeshores can be established on any natural freshwater lake, the existing four are all located on the Great Lakes. The national seashores are on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts.

National rivers and wild and scenic riverways preserve freeflowing streams and their immediate environment with at least one outstandingly remarkable natural, cultural, or recreational value. They must flow naturally without major alteration of the waterway by dams, diversion, or otherwise alteration.

Besides protecting and enhancing rivers, these areas provide opportunities for outdoor activities like hiking, canoeing, and hunting. National scenic trails are generally longdistance footpaths winding through areas of natural beauty. National historic trails recognize original trails or routes of travel of national historical significance. These range from archeological sites associated with prehistoric Indian civilizations to sites related to the lives of modern Americans. Historical areas are customarily preserved or restored to reflect their appearance during the period of their greatest historical significance.

A wide variety of titles—national military park, national battlefield park, national battlefield site, and national battlefield—has been used for areas associated with American military history.

But other areas like national monuments and national historical parks may include features associated with military history. National historical parks are commonly areas of greater physical extent and complexity than national historic sites. The lone international historic site refers to a site relevant to both U.

They need not be sites or structures historically associated with their subjects. For example, the home of Abraham Lincoln in What Makes A National Park, Ill. Originally, national recreation areas in the park system were units surrounding reservoirs impounded by dams built by other federal agencies. The National Park Service manages many of these areas under cooperative agreements.

Importance In History

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Since , the White House has submitted dozens of areas for study—all under the Obama administration. Only when it passes through both houses can a new national park—or river, battlefield, trail, or the like—be born. Although some titles are self explanatory, others have been used in many different ways.

What Makes Yellowstone National Park Special

So, they have nothing to do with real volcanoes. Hayden ‘s Geological Survey in Planned to be completed by , in honor of the 50th anniversary of the founding of the National Park Service, Mission 66 construction diverged from the traditional log cabin style with design features of a modern style.

Yellowstone National Park

What Makes Yellowstone National Park Special environment Geology Yellowstone is situated in a region that has been volcanically and seismically active for tens of millions of years. About 2. Some cubic miles 2, cubic km of rock and ash were ejected, equivalent to about 6, times the amount of volcanic material that was released during the eruption of Mount Saint Helens in Observations made in the early 21st century indicated that this single eruption actually consisted of two events about 6, years apart: one very large and a second much smaller one.

Subsequent massive eruptions occurred about 1, andyears ago—the last event consisting in large part of lava flows producing about two-fifths as much material as What Makes Yellowstone National Park Special first one. National Park Service Each of those eruptions caused the magma dome that had built up to collapse as its contents were released, leaving an enormous caldera.

The present-day Yellowstone Calderathe product of the third eruption, is a roughly oval-shaped basin some 30 by 45 miles 50 by 70 km that occupies the west-central portion of the national park and includes the northern two-thirds of Yellowstone Lake. National Park Service The Yellowstone region is also extremely active seismically.

The great majority of those quakes are of magnitude 2. One such event, a deadly quake that struck in in southern Montana just outside the northwestern corner of the park, affected a number of hydrothermal features in Yellowstone, including its iconic geyserOld Faithful. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Subscribe Now Load Next Page Inspire your inbox — Sign up for daily fun facts about this day in history, updates, and special offers.

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Olympic National Park Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort

In , a U. It is a high volcanic plateau, with an average height of 2, m 8, ft and some mountainous massives, the tallest being Eagle Peak, 3, m 11, ft in the south and Electric Peak, 3, m 11, m in the northwestern part. Subsequent massive eruptions occurred about 1,, and , years ago—the last event consisting in large part of lava flows producing about two-fifths as much material as the first one. Some are made of volcanic glass obsidian.