Yosemite National Park sees a bunch of different natural events, from massive snowfalls, to wildfires, to incredible rockfalls. Thousands of rockfalls have occurred throughout the area since it became a park, helping to shape the landscape while posing a risk to both infrastructure and people.
As Yosemite’s rockfalls aren’t incredibly rare, it’s entirely possible that you’ve seen or heard one of these slides during a visit to the park. Maybe you’ve spotted the debris of a large one. But if you really want to dig into the historic rockfalls throughout the park, take some time to explore this map, featuring stories from all of the park’s historical rockfalls.
National Park Service and U.S. Geological Survey geologists recently updated the park’s rockfall database through 2024, allowing you to check out rockfall locations and accounts dating back to 1857 on an interactive map. It tells you when they happened, what caused them, how big they were, and the amount of damage they caused.
It’s a pretty fascinating website, and it features photos, 3D models of the different rock fall areas, and a time slider so you can really get a grasp on the history of these events. Make sure to check it out here.
