Nestled deep in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Yosemite is one of America’s finest national parks. Its granite landscape, polished by Ice Age glaciers, is bursting with superlatives: the highest waterfall in North America (Yosemite Falls), the most famous vertical rock face in the world (El Capitan), and the largest living organisms of all time (giant sequoias). But no statistic can ever capture its staggering beauty. Yosemite’s scenery has inspired some of the world’s finest artists, and it continues to humble millions of visitors each year.

Yosemite Valley is the crown jewel of the park. Just seven miles long by one mile wide, it represents less than 1% of the park’s 1,200 square miles. But concentrated among its forests, meadows, and 3,000-foot cliffs are some of the word’s most remarkable physical landmarks. Half Dome, El Capitan, Bridalveil Fall—all can be seen in a single, sweeping panorama. Because Yosemite Valley is the most popular part of the park, it’s home to the vast majority of Yosemite’s lodges, campgrounds, and visitor facilities.

Above Yosemite Valley lies the High Sierra: a stunning alpine wilderness of shimmering lakes, snow-capped peaks, and oceans of sparkling granite. Reached via Tioga Road—the only road that cuts through the heart of the park—the High Sierra is an outdoor paradise for hikers, backpackers, and rock climbers. Tuolumne Meadows, lying at an elevation of 8,600 feet, is the High Sierra’s unofficial headquarters—the starting point for many spectacular hikes.

The park’s southern tip is home to Wawona, famous for its proximity to the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias (the largest of the park’s three sequoia groves). And 20 miles north of Yosemite Valley lies Hetch Hetchy—once a beautiful valley, now a massive reservoir. Although its waterfalls are impressive in the spring, Hetch Hetchy is interesting mainly for the contentious environmental battles that it spawned nearly a century ago.

For thousands of years Yosemite Valley was home to the Ahwahneechee Indians. Following the Gold Rush, adventurous artists sought out the remote mountain valley, and their dramatic paintings and photographs soon brought Yosemite international fame. John Muir arrived in 1868, and his writings helped spur the creation of Yosemite National Park in 1890. In 1916 Ansel Adams made his first trip to the park, and starting in the 1930s rock climbers pioneered advanced techniques in Yosemite that are now used throughout the world. Today Yosemite’s cliffs, peaks, and waterfalls lure nearly four million visitors a year.