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Yosemite National ParkSnowy Half Dome
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Yosemite National Park
Backpacking
 
Backpacker gazing at peaks
 
"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity..." --John Muir, 1898
 

Nearly 95 percent of Yosemite National Park is designated Wilderness. Wilderness is a special distinction granted by Congress protecting land from further development. The best way to experience the 1,100 square miles of the Yosemite Wilderness is to explore it first hand.

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Half Dome with a cloud
Current Conditions
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Natural fires were low intensity prior to suppression.  

Did You Know?
Prior to fire suppression by Euro-American settlers, approximately 16,000 acres burned each year in Yosemite National Park either by natural fires or through American Indian fire management practices.

Last Updated: January 23, 2008 at 17:52 EST