Established in 1890, Yosemite National Park encompasses an area of almost 1,200 square miles and is located in the heart of California's Sierra Nevada. Naturalist John Muir referred to these mountains as the "Range of Light." Yosemite Valley, Glacier Point, the Mariposa Grove of Big Trees and Tuolumne Meadows are only a few of the features for which the park is well known. Yosemite's beauty is evident during each of its seasons, from the waterfalls of spring, the wildflowers of summer, the golden light of autumn and the crisp snows of winter