Yosemite Photos, Video and News

This spring and summer Yosemite has been experiencing crowds and traffic jams that have not been seen since the early 90's. Everyday there are huge traffic jams with backups literally for miles in Yosemite Valley every afternoon. There are no parking spaces left so all the visitors circle trying to find a their parking spot so they can enjoy Yosemite.

It is quite the talk among locals and many are calling it the "Ken Burns Effect" The thought is that his popular Documentary "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" which featured Yosemite has generated such interest in Yosemite that it is drawing thousands of more visitors.

No one knows for sure as it could be the economy or the best waterfall show in years but one thing is for sure it is really crowded in Yosemite.

In the early 90's it was total gridlock in Yosemite Valley that they would block Hwy 120 at Crane Flat, The Arch Rock Entrance Station and Hwy 41 at the Glacier Point Road and turn visitors away. Since then we have lost hundreds of parking spaces in Yosemite Valley so the problem is only worse now.

This from a newspaper article on the "The National Parks: America's Best Idea" movie:
"Park officials hope the series will increase visitorship and donations. And Burns hopes it will remind people of the simple joys America has to offer." Not sure why they think we need more visitors.

"Ken Burns Effect"
"The name derives from extensive use of the technique by American documentarian Ken Burns. The feature enables a widely used technique of embedding still photographs in motion pictures, displayed with slow zooming and panning effects, and fading transitions between them. The name derives from extensive use of the technique by American documentarian Ken Burns."