Removed, rugged and ravishingly beautiful, the Yosemite National Park is both a US National Historic Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Magnificent and imposing granite cliffs, incredibly diverse flora and fauna, mystical waterfalls, giant trees, and miles and miles of beautiful hike trails – this is USA’s version of Avatar’s Pandemonium. The idea of preserving this park began quite early, in the mid-19th century to address the need for supporting a large amount of flora and fauna in the Sierra Nevada region, and today the park welcomes 4 million visitors annually. Geologically, this place is young – only 10 million years old. Ice ages in the subsequent periods sculpted the valley with massive, slow-moving glaciers.

Visitors ought to note that weather in Yosemite National Park varies greatly with elevation and can change dramatically in a very short period of time. Still, the park is incredibly accessible – most of its sites can be accessed by either foot, shuttle or even bicycles. During winters you can even ski. Camping and lodging at the park is possible if proper permission is taken from the authorities.

Essential travel information and Yosemite National Park tips for your visit

Do's:

• Use the obvious trails while hiking or climbing.
• Keep to the trails as laid out by the NPS.
• Check out the Ansel Adams Gallery and the Yosemite Museum.

Dont's:

• Don’t litter.
• Do not camp overnight at the base of any rock face.
• Do not attempt BASE jumping – it’s illegal at the park.

Travel Tips:

• Know where the nearest medical centre is. There’s no telling when you need medical attention in the woods.
• Try not to leave any scraps of food behind. Yosemite enjoys a rich population of bears and those bears tend to follow the scent of any food left behind by campers. Though they tend to avoid human confrontation and often raid empty trailers, a face-to-face with a bear should definitely not feature on your to-do list.
• When you’re hiking, make some noise to let the wildlife of the park know you’re coming. They aren’t exactly fond of confrontations too. Don’t underestimate any wild animal you see and never ever feed them or try to tame them.
• If you’re going to move about after dark, carry a flash light. Yosemite National Park believes in reducing light pollution and leaving the Park and its inhabitants to their own devices at night.
• Pack well for the weather. The weather cycles in the Park has typical weather attributes so if it’s winter or summer, pack accordingly.
• When on hikes, try not to stray away from the designated pathways. They’re there for a reason, so stick to them. This includes the waterfalls- don’t get too close to them or try and swim near them. The current of the water is likely to sweep you away before you know it.