With roughly five million visitors each year, Yosemite National Park in California is one of our country’s most beloved destinations. It covers over 747,000 acres of land up in the Sierra Nevada, but one of the most popular areas of the park was closed in the summer of 2015. In 2018, it reopened, and nowadays it’s ready for you to see it in all of its renovated glory – find out what’s new in the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias and plan your adventure ASAP now that the closures are long past.

While many visitors make their way to Yosemite National Park to see scenic views like these, it's the park's gorgeous Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias that we desperately longed for during those quiet years.
John Colby/Flickr
With so much to see within just this one National Park, people often don't get to explore all that they wish to in the short time that they have to sneak away here. But if there's one area of the park that belongs on your bucket list, it's the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias.
This is where you'll find the famous Giant Grizzly - the world's 25th-largest giant Sequoia still living today.
faungg's photos/Flickr
More magnificent than you could ever imagine, these gigantic trees are an unbelievable sight that will leave you in awe.

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Sadly, for anyone who visited the park between 2015 and 2018, the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias was closed off to the public for renovations.
faungg's photos/Flickr
Beginning in July of 2015, renovations began on Mariposa Grove, costing a total $40 million dollars to complete. The largest protection/restoration and improvement project that's ever happened in the park's entire history, one of the main renovations made was the removal of paved trails to replace them with natural surfaces.
Officially open to visitors nowadays, you can access this area near the park's southern entrance.
faungg's photos/Flickr
This renovation ensured that future generations can enjoy the park that has long been a part of our country's history, and we couldn't be more happy to see it. As you would assume, after being closed for three years, the park was flooded with anxious visitors who have been waiting to see the Giant Sequoias. Thankfully, things have calmed down a bit since that amazing day a few years ago - so what better time to visit than now?

Are you one of the many people who anxiously waited for the Mariposa Grove to reopen? How many times have you been back since it did? Tell us your estimates in the comments; don’t worry, we don’t judge (and we don’t blame you).

For more scenic getaways, check out These Are The 5 Most Stunning Mountain Passes In The U.S. And You’ll Want To Drive Them All!

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Tori Jane | February 22, 2022

What are some of the best hiking trails at Yosemite National Park?  

Yosemite National Park is a place that feels like something out of Middle Earth, or maybe a fairy tale. It is breathtakingly beautiful, and luckily for us, there are hundreds of miles of trails weaving throughout the entire park that enable us to truly take the beauty in. Some of the best, highest-rated and most-beloved hiking trails at Yosemite National Park include gems like the famous Yosemite Falls Trail, which is 7.2 miles round-trip and features the highest waterfall in North America. It’s a tough one with 2,700 feet of elevation gain along the way, so make sure you’re ready for that! Then, there’s the day-long but ridiculously rewarding Half-Dome Trail, which is very hard and 14 miles round-trip. One should anticipate taking at least 12 hours for that one. Then, there’s the Mist Trail, which is one of the most popular in the entire park. It’s a bit easier than the previous two, and it leads to the top of Vernal Fall. Finally, you’ll want to check out the Mirror Lake Trail, which is four miles round-trip and rated as easy with great views of Half-Dome and the lake. Need more ideas? Check this list of easy Yosemite hikes out!  

What are the most popular National Parks in the USA?  

National Parks in the United States are ridiculously popular; in 2021 alone, more than 300 million people filtered through them all. However, out of the more than 400 parks nationwide, only 25 of those made up more than 50% of the total visitors all year. Those parks include Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which saw 15.9 million visitors in 2021, Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which saw 13.7 million visitors, Gateway National Recreation Area, which saw 9.1 million visitors, and Lake Mead National Recreational Area, which saw 7.6 million visitors. Were you one of them? Which National Parks in the USA are your favorites?  

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Featured Addresses
Yosemite National Park Road, Yosemite National Park Rd, Yosemite Valley, CA 95389, USA