7. Yosemite National Park
One of the largest and least fragmented habitat blocks in the Sierra Nevada, and the park supports a diversity of plants and animals. Established on October 1, 1890, Yosemite National Park covers an area of 761,268 acres (3,080.74 km2). Over 3.7 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend their time in the seven square miles (18 km2) of Yosemite Valley. The valley is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. The Yosemite Valley has been inhabited for nearly 3000 years. The Paiute and Sierra Miwok people lived in the area long before the first explorations by American settlers into the region. A band of Paiute called the Ahwahneechee were living in the Yosemite Valley when the first known group of European Americans entered it.
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