First protected in 1864, Yosemite is not just a great valley but a shrine to human foresight, the strength of granite, the power of glaciers, the persistence of life, and the tranquility of the High Sierra. Best known for its waterfalls, Yosemite National Park covers nearly 1,200 square miles in the Sierra Nevada, where deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more lie within elevations ranging from about 2,000 feet to 13,000 feet. Yosemite receives 95% of its precipitation between October and May, and over 75% between November and March, and most of the park is blanketed in snow from about November through May, while Yosemite Valley can be rainy or snowy in any given winter storm.