Yosemite was the first scenic area in history protected by a federal government when, in 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill granting Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to the State of California as an inalienable public trust. In 1872, it became the first official national park. In 1890, with the encouragement of John Muir, the subalpine meadows surrounding Yosemite Valley were added and Yosemite National Park was officially created. It was named a World Heritage Site in 1984.
The 1,200 square mile park contains hundreds of miles of rivers, thousands of lakes, waterfalls, giant sequoia groves, a high diversity of wildlife, and the spectacular granite cliffs for which it is internationally known.