When I was in third grade, my dad took our family to visit Yosemite National Park for the first time. As a young girl who lived in the heart of San Francisco, I was perplexed by my dad’s uncontainable excitement as our trip came closer.
Camping sounded boring, even like a waste of time. Nevertheless, we piled into our car and drove to Yosemite, my brother and I complaining the whole time, until we drove through a tunnel revealing the view to Yosemite Valley.
I was immediately entranced by its beauty; the mighty granite rock that enclosed the valley, the grand waterfalls, and the beautiful trees stunned me. In a matter of seconds, my attitude shifted from annoyance to immense gratitude that my dad had chosen to take us to this place.
On that first trip, my family and I spent three days camping, hiking, and exploring as much of the park as we could in the short amount of time we had.
I loved every second of it. Since then, I have had the privilege of returning to Yosemite every year with my family. I have hiked to Yosemite Falls, Vernal Falls, Mirror Lake, and countless other places.
I have seen bears, mountain lions, bobcats, otters, and more. I have swam in the rivers and played in the snow.
For me, Yosemite is not just a beautiful place—it has taught me to actively seek out time in nature and appreciate it.
Nature can allow you to reflect spiritually. Personally, it has helped me feel closer to God, showing me the beauty He created and has shared with us.
In addition, visiting national parks has given me a renewed sense of pride in being an American. Our country’s diverse landscape and national parks are part of what makes this country amazing.
National parks are ingrained into our country’s identity and history. In 1872, Congress made Yellowstone the first national park, sparking a global movement. In 1916, Woodrow Wilson created the National Parks Service, a federal bureau responsible for the care and conservation of all national parks.
Today, 84 million acres across the United States and its territories are dedicated to 63 national parks.
These places allow millions of people every year to experience nature. The care and conservation of our land is part of what makes the United States so great. As Americans, we are given access to diverse national landscapes with the promise that they will stay protected. National parks are part of
America’s uniqueness, and should be a source of great pride. Our diversity is represented by the many parks that host a variety of flora and fauna, and we should treat these places with care.
I am extremely grateful to have gone to Yosemite every year, and I hope that every person reading is inspired to take their own trip to a national park, and reinvigorate their love of nature and the United States.
We should all take full advantage of the wonderful opportunities that we have in front of us, and heal ourselves in the process.
