Tour to Yosemite & Lake Tahoe -ready

Yosemite National Park and Lake Tahoe (CA, USA)

Yosemite National Park

Thanks to a lengthy history of protection, Yosemite National Park's magnificent natural and cultural features have been maintained over time. The conservation principles and regulations taken from Yosemite National Park played a significant role in the development of the national park idea. Galen Clark and others lobbied for President Abraham Lincoln to approve the Yosemite Grant in 1864 in order to stop development in the Yosemite Valley.

John Muir's successful push to establish a larger national park that would encompass not only Yosemite Valley but also the surrounding mountains and woods made it possible for the United States to establish its national park system. These initiatives led to Yosemite National Park's designation by Congress in 1890. The Mariposa Grove of Big Trees and Yosemite Valley, however, were left under state administration by this statute. 

Situated on the central western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in east-central California, Yosemite National Park spans 747,956 acres.  Yosemite, which is well-known across the world for its magnificent granite cliffs, waterfalls, glistening streams, massive sequoia forests, and ecological diversity, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.  More than 94% of the park is designated as wilderness, and 135 miles of the Tuolumne and Merced Rivers are part of the national wild and beautiful rivers system.

With one of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, Yosemite is home to a diverse range of plants and animals.  The park's roughly 11,000 feet of vertical gradient supports five major vegetation zones: alpine, subalpine zone, upper montane forest, lower montane forest, and chaparral/oak woodland.   Yosemite is home to more than 1,400 of California's 7,000 plant species.   The park provides suitable habitat for around 160 rare plants, many of which have a restricted distribution defined by unusual local geologic formations and unique soils.

The geology of the Yosemite region is defined by granitic rocks and the remnants of older materials. About 10 million years ago, the Sierra Nevada was tilted and raised, creating the more beautiful eastern slopes and the more mild western slopes. The uplift caused rivers and riverbeds to become steeper, resulting in the formation of deep, narrow canyons. About a million years ago, snow and ice accumulated at high elevations to form glaciers that moved down river basins. The thickness of the ice in the Yosemite Valley may have reached 4,000 feet during the early glacial episode. The downslope movement of the ice masses carved and carved the U-shaped valley that now attracts so many tourists with its stunning sights.

Over Yosemite's history, various populations thrived and left their mark. In the middle of the 1800s, European settlers arrived after the Ahwahneechee had lived there for many centuries. Due to the challenging terrain, only 650 early European explorers made the journey to Yosemite Valley by horseback or stage between the mid-1850s and the mid-1860s.
"The Incomparable Valley" gained international recognition thanks to the writers, artists, and photographers who coexisted with many of these early white settlers. The Yosemite Valley Railroad, which ran from Merced to El Portal by 1907, made the journey simpler and attracted more visitors.

The reasons why Yosemite National Park's resources and values are important enough to merit its designation as a national park unit are explained in statements of importance. The significance of a region, a nation, a system, and the entire planet is explained by statements of significance. These assertions are related to the park unit's goal and are supported by data, analysis, and consensus. Significance statements emphasize the park's distinctive features and serve as a guide for management decisions, with an emphasis on preserving the most important resources and values within the park unit.

Lake Tahoe 

Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada is 192 square miles in size and can go as deep as 1,646 feet. The lake is home to a number of introduced sport species, including Kokanee Salmon, Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Lake Trout (Mackinaw), and, to a lesser extent, Bullhead Catfish, White and Black Crappie, and Largemouth Bass. Lahontan Cutthroat Trout (LCT) are rare, but they have been stocked on occasion. Mackerel, which usually ranges in length from 16 to 25 inches, is the most popular and often caught fish.

Rainbow trout, usually 10-14 inches in length, are the second most sought-after fish. The best months for boat fishing from shore, top-lining, or deep-lining are July and August, while fishing performance varies throughout the year. The highest catches occur in Cave Rock and Sand Harbor (Nevada State Parks), where small numbers of rainbow trout are stocked. Shore access is limited around most of the lake due to parking restrictions and private property. While jigging, live minnow fishing, and deep-line trolling are the most common ways to capture mackinaw, boaters find that top-line trolling is the most efficient way to catch rainbow and brown trout. 

There are numerous commercial guiding services available for sportsmen who do not have the advanced gear or fishing knowledge required to catch lake trout. The record fish include an 11-pound 7-ounce Rainbow Trout, a 4-pound 9-ounce Mountain Whitefish, a 37-pound 6-ounce Lake Trout (the state record), a 4-pound 13-ounce Kokanee Salmon, and a 15-pound 15-ounce Brown Trout.

In 2022, 4,509 rainbow trout were stocked in Lake Tahoe. These coldwater game fish are amenable to a range of baits, including flies, and can be targeted from land. The most popular fish harvested from the beach in Lake Tahoe are rainbow trout, which make up 16% of all fish caught by fishermen.

Brown and rainbow trout found naturally in Lake Tahoe can grow to impressive sizes. Fish drop down along the shoreline using a mix of spinners, bait (powerbait and live bait), and streamer/midge flies for the best chance of capturing one of these trout from a boat or shore.

In Lake Tahoe, trout can reach remarkably high sizes and consume a variety of resident fish, including crayfish, rainbow trout, brown trout, kokanee, Lahontan cutthroat trout, and other forage fish. Lake trout can put on up to thirty pounds due to their high-protein diet. Lake trout account for 50–70% of angler catches in Lake Tahoe since so many fishing boats and charters target this species.

Fishing from a boat with lures, trolled spinners, and jigging is the best method to catch a monster.   If you don't have a boat, you can target lake trout from shore or deep drop-off places in the early season using bait, lures, or flies.

Lake Tahoe is home to a variety of warmwater game species, such as bullhead catfish, bluegill, crappie, largemouth bass, and smallmouth bass.  These fish are usually found in marina areas, primarily the Tahoe Keys, where the water is shallow and warmer than the main lake, while some, particularly smallmouth bass, can be caught in the lake.  Fishing is best done from a boat because the Tahoe Keys are a private neighborhood with little public access. Anglers should respect private property, including docks.  For the best chance of capturing these fish, use topwater lures, spinnerbaits, crankbaits, or nightcrawlers in shallow, rocky areas along the coast.