Читать книгу 50 Best Short Hikes: Yosemite National Park and Vicinity онлайн

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APPRECIATING THE PARK’S RICH NATURAL HISTORY

Every visitor to Yosemite will absorb some of the park’s wonderful natural history—the granite walls and summits, as well as the multitude of plants and animals, that are experienced every time one steps out of the car and looks around. As you walk, take the time to look around you.

More than 400 species of mammals, birds, and reptiles call Yosemite home. Some of the species are seen by many park visitors: the ubiquitous California ground squirrels around Yosemite Valley and Glacier Point, inevitably begging for food; mule deer, frequently seen grazing in Yosemite Valley and Tuolumne Meadows; blue-and-black Steller’s jays squawking as they fly from tree to tree; chipmunks and golden-mantled ground squirrels scurrying through the upper elevation forests; American black bears trotting confidently through the campgrounds at dusk, waiting for a camper to leave food unattended; marmots sunning themselves on high-elevation boulders; and many more.