Nestled in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, the Yosemite National Park lies forlorn today. This enigmatic valley embroidered with trekking trails and boasting nature’s bounty to the fullest, deserves all eyes on it. Most virtual tours available online start with a panoramic view of the national park.
With the help of a 360-degree turn on the laptop or smartphone, you can take in the vastness of this gigantic area— towering rocky peaks, white-washed waterfalls, sky-reaching trees, lush green mountain trails and gushing rivers—the images will be imprinted in your mind forever.
The Park’s craggy granite grandeur flaunt a little of everything. While one moment you are being dwarfed by the towering rocky cliffs, the next you are traipsing along lush green trails peppered with flowers of various hues; and yet again, you will suddenly find yourself in glacial valleys and ski-worthy snowy terrain.
One of the few places accessible by car or bus in the national park is the Glacier Point. A perfect spot for a photo-op, it offers a beautiful capture of Half Dome at sunset. The trek up to the Half Dome peak is the most arduous walk in the entire park.
This time all you need are your eye muscles—the virtual tour will take you to the very edge of the cliff without breaking into a sweat. From the Dome are visible the outlines of waterfalls plunging over the massive rock faces. Undoubtedly the crowning glory here is the Yosemite Falls. The timelapse videos show the tallest fall in North America cascading downwards and swaying from side to side. Don’t miss out on Taft Point either for a stomach-lurching view of the Yosemite Valley floor.
Shrug off the vertigo and come down to earth on the Tuolumne Meadows—the most photographed area of the park. Trails from the wide, grassy and tranquil space will lead you to the Tuolumne River. On video, learn about the park’s long term inhabitants such as wild bears, mule deer, bobcats and coyotes. The livestream sessions also take you into the Majestic Yosemite, built amidst nature’s abundance. Famous past guests include John F Kennedy, Greta Garbo, Queen Elizabeth II and Winston Churchill.