Question 1: Half Dome, pictured, is an icon of Yosemite. But what is the national park’s tallest peak?
- Mount Lyell
- Kuna Peak
- El Capitan
Correct Answer: Mount Lyell
Fact: While Half Dome and El Capitan are Yosemite’s most well-known peaks, Mount Lyell, at 13,114 feet, is the tallest point in the park. Its massive granite rock formations mean rock climbing is inextricably linked with Yosemite. Camp 4, a tent-only campground in Yosemite Valley, is often considered to be the birthplace of modern rock climbing.
Question 2: Which American naturalist was instrumental in Yosemite’s creation?
- John Muir
- John Audubon
- Edward Osborne Wilson
Correct Answer: John Muir
Fact: Scottish American writer, explorer, and naturalist John Muir is largely responsible for the establishment of Yosemite as a national park in 1890. His articles about preserving natural landscapes and damage caused by overgrazing in the Yosemite Valley area spurred a bill in Congress proposing the creation of a national park. He also persuaded President Theodore Roosevelt of the need for additional protections on a camping trip in 1903.
Question 3: What was America’s first national park?
- Yellowstone
- Yosemite
- Grand Canyon
Correct Answer: Yellowstone
Fact: On March 1, 1872, Yellowstone became the first national park in the US. Those promoting the bill to establish it drew on the precedent of the Yosemite Act of 1864, which gave ownership of Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove to the state of California, on the condition it be kept for public recreation. The land surrounding the state park became Yosemite National Park in 1890. In 1906, Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove were added to the national park.