Half Dome
A colorful fall sunset over Half Dome and the glacier-carved Yosemite Valley. The Earth's shadow is visible at the horizon. Geologists now think the missing piece is more like a quarter of the dome than half.

Mt. Clark
At sunset, a nearly full moon rises over Mt. Clark in Yosemite National Park, California.

Cathedral Rocks
Early morning light illuminates the Cathedral Rocks in the Yosemite Valley.

Olmstead Point
Glaciers scoured the granite surface and deposited giant boulders at Olmstead Point near Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park.

Glacial Polish
Many of the granite surfaces in Yosemite National Park were smoothed by glaciers. As the heavy glaciers, carrying grit and rocks, moved across granite surfaces, their tremendous pressure effectively buffed them. Over time, part of the surfaces eroded away, leaving patches of rough granite exposed. This example of glacial polish was found near Liberty Cap.

Yosemite Falls
Yosemite Falls is reflected in the waters of the Merced River. The waterfall is 2,425 feet tall, making it the highest waterfall in North America. This black and white image is also available in color.

Bridal Veil Falls
The late afternoon sun creates a double rainbow in the spray of Bridal Veil Falls in Yosemite National Park.

Nevada Fall
The 594-foot Nevada Fall is dwarfed by Liberty Cap in this view from Glacier Point in Yosemite National Park.

Nevada Fall and Rainbow
A vibrant rainbow forms in the powerful spray of Nevada Fall in this view from the top of the waterfall. The fall plunges nearly 600 feet in a glacier-carved gorge between Half Dome and Mount Starr King in Yosemite National Park, California.

Fern Spring
This spring, located in the valley of Yosemite National Park, creates a number of cascading waterfalls surrounded by ferns.

Yosemite Reflection
The early morning sunlight illuminates the grasses along the Tuolumne River near Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park.

Tenaya River
The granite boulders that form the bottom of the Tenaya River in Yosemite National Park turn golden in the late afternoon sun.

Merced Creek
A tiny creek that feeds into the Merced River catches some of the early morning, golden light reflecting off one of the granite faces in Yosemite National Park, California.

Mono Lake
Chemical reactions in the alkaline waters of Mono Lake cause columns like these to grow. The lake is located east of Yosemite.