My great grandfather, Wayne Westfall, was one of the first nine rangers for Yosemite National Park! In the photo he is the fourth from the left. My great grandmother, Agnes Westfall, was a paymaster at the park as well. My grandma was raised by them in Yosemite and has fond memories of ice skating, sleeping under the stars, exploring, her high school prom at the Ahwahnee hotel, and getting married to my late grandpa at the chapel with the stellar view of Yosemite Falls. The house she lived in still stands. My mother or grandmother have taken my sister and me and our friends to Yosemite almost every year, and nothing makes me happier than to visit the fantastic place in which I have old family roots! I love bringing friends to the park and sharing the history with them, as well as making new memories with new adventures. I love to indoor rock climb, and hope to one day climb outdoors in Yosemite and backpack beyond the valley the valley floor to appreciate this breathtaking national park the way my great grandpa Wayne did.
Sincerely,
Yosemite National Park
With its sculpted granite rock formations, towering ancient sequoia trees and spectacular waterfalls, it's no wonder Yosemite is one of the most celebrated national parks in the world.
State(s): California
Established: 1890
“They provide an escape from the everyday turmoil of an increasingly crowded, technology-dependent society. The parks preserve precious diverse ecological systems from human destruction. They are a source of education, inspiration, rejuvenation, conservation, and a way to save and respect planet Earth, the only planet in the universe we know of having life at the moment. We desperately need to stop our destruction of it, and supporting the parks is an important aspect of that. ”
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