The 2013 Rim Fire was the largest forest fire in California history, and the largest fire in Yosemite history. Burning 400 square miles, the speed and size of the fire was unprecedented. As these unnaturally large fires become more commonplace due to previous fire suppression and climate change, Yosemite National Park is seeing the benefits of carefully allowing smaller, controlled fires on the landscape.
Did you know that early Chinese immigrants played an important role in shaping the Yosemite that we know today? Join Park Ranger Yenyen Chan on an exploration of this impressive and surprising history.
Every spring, both visitors and locals look forward to the opening of the Tioga Road, a high-elevation pass that crosses Yosemite National Park. Get a glimpse of what it takes to clear snow and ice from a section of the highway known for dangerous avalanches.
Yosemite's bears are adept at finding your food! This short, subtitled (no audio) video provides an overview of how you can protect bears while visiting Yosemite. (4 minutes, no audio)
Who would have thought that giant sequoia groves need to be burned in order to be saved? Learn how early park managers discovered the importance of fire the hard way, and see how today's managers carefully manage fire in Yosemite. (26:00)
Floods in Yosemite Valley aren't uncommon during spring, when the Merced River swells with melted snow. The largest, least common floods occur during winter—most recently in January 1997. See what the Valley looked like during floods in May 1996 and January 1997.
In the spring of 2006, a rockslide buried a section of Highway 140 just outside of Yosemite National Park. The slide remained highly active for many days, allowing rare views of a rockslide in motion. The rockslide has been bypassed with temporary bridges, allowing Highway 140 to remain open. This footage was shot after the main rockslide, but while movement was still occurring.
Can we save the Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frog from extinction? Human introduced non-native species (fish and fungus) have been causing the frog to go from the most abundant amphibian in the Sierra Nevada to critically endangered. However, habitat restoration efforts in Yosemite are showing promising signs for the frog's recovery and long-term survival.
