Disney Celebrates America: Fun facts about Yosemite National Park

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK (KFSN) -- Home to spectacular views, Yosemite National Park is more than its iconic landmarks.

It's generations of lived experience.

Whether you are a frequent explorer of the park or a first-time visitor, there's something new and exciting for everyone to find.

"There's skiing, rock climbing, hiking and rafting," says park ranger Mirella Piceno. "Maybe yours is doing an art class in Yosemite with Yosemite Conservancy. You can find something for you that feels like it's your own in the park that belongs to you."

Known as the crown jewel of the National Park System, Yosemite sees 4 million visitors per year.

Queen Elizabeth II made the voyage to experience it in 1983, but not without a stop at the Ahwahnee, where you too can eat like a queen -- just reserve her table.

"It's the number-one requested table in house," says Tyler Carter, Assistant General Manager of the Ahwahnee. "Breakfast time, she faced the waterfall because the views are out. It's right in front of you."

Who can forget the "queen of talk's" camping expedition for the 25th and final season of the Oprah Winfrey Show.

If the setting looks familiar, that's because Disney Imagineers drew inspiration from the Ahwahnee for the Grand Californian and Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness Lodge.

Renowned landscape photographer Ansel Adams was instrumental in conservation efforts of the national park.

"It's interesting -- he grew up in San Francisco, in the city, came out here and really didn't want to be a photographer," says park ranger Scott Gediman. "He just stumbled onto it. He wanted to be a piano player."

Yosemite's breathtaking views would change that.

Piceno says that's why experiences including the "Every Kid Outdoors Program" will likely shape the next generation of conservationists.

"When you build experiences young in the outdoors with our national park sites, it builds this amazing sense of ownership, of stewardship, of belonging," Piceno said.

If you have a 4th grader in the family, you can get into Yosemite for free. That every kid outdoors program grants any fourth grader a free pass to the national parks.

To sign up, click here.

For news updates, follow Vanessa Vasconcelos on Facebook, X and Instagram.