On this date in 1890, Congress approved and President Benjamin Harrison signed into law the creation of Yosemite National Park.
The Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias have been federally protected since 1864, when Congress said they were to be used for public use and recreation. It was the first time the federal government protected public land for public enjoyment.
The campaign to establish the larger park was led by Environmentalist John Muir. California was initially tasked with administering the park, but Muir thought they were doing a poor job. Tourism and industries were eating up land in the spaces around the valley. So, with help from friends in the press, he pushed for protection of the whole ecosystem around the valley.
Today, the park covers 747,956 acres of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. It sports granite domes, meadows, high-altitude lakes and stunning vistas. Around 95 percent is federally designated wilderness. Yosemite is a hugely popular tourist destination: In 2016, the National Park Service’s centennial year, over 5 million people visited the park.
For more on Yosemite, read these articles at History.com, the National Park Service, and Today in Conservation.
