Fresno is the best city to live in for those who enjoy visiting parks. It is the only metropolitan area in California that is located in between three national parks. The town, which came to life in the 1800s as a minor railroad town, boasts more than seventy urban parks and three national parks. Fresno is located in the desert plains of America, caged by several mountains. Yosemite national park, Kings Canyon National Park, and Sequoia national park are the main parks making the town to be preferred by most park enthusiasts. The city is also a thriving commercial center and has drawn people from around the globe. It hosts more than eighty ethnic nationalities. The article will highlight the three best national parks to visit in Fresno. Let’s get started.
Yosemite National Park
The first kind of protection offered to the Yosemite was in the 1860s. In 1984 the park was internationally recognized as a world heritage site. Today it’s managed by the National Park Service and covers approximately 760,000 acres of land. The park is hugely famous for its grand waterfalls; however, taking a stroll at the more than 1,200-square mile property, you will come across other grand features such as substantial old sequoias, an expansive wilderness space, huge meadows, and valleys, among many other features. The elevation gain of the park ranges from around 2,000 feet on the western side to about 13,000 feet at the peak of Mt. Lyell. Since the park is among the least fragmented habitats, it provides a home to numerous flora and fauna species. Camping, hiking, rock climbing and winter activities are among the activities one can engage in while visiting the park.
Kings Canyon National Park
It is another national park close to Fresno that was formed in the 1890s with the name General Grant. At the start of 1940, the park was renamed its current name after a significant expansion. Some of the features at the park are glacier valleys, meadows, fast-flowing rivers, and huge sequoias trees. The park is under a joint administration with the Sequoia National Park under the National Park Service. The main tourist destination in the park is the Cedar and Grant Groves. Activities you can engage in while visiting the park include camping, canyoneering, hiking, and rock climbing.
Sequoia National Park
As mentioned before, this park is close to the King’s Canyon National Park. The park is famous mainly because of the giant Sequoias trees that exist in the park. The famous one is the dominant General Sherman. The park also features unique astonishing rock formations inside the Crystal Cave. The park covers just over 400,000 acres of space and has the honor of being the first-ever park established to preserve a living organism.
Conclusion
Apart from the three national parks mentioned, Fresno, California, has around seventy-five other parks categorized as urban parks within or in the city. The feature has rightfully earned the city the honor of being called the best city for park lovers.