a US national park in the Sierra Nevada mountains of eastern California . It was established in 1890 and covers 1 189 square miles/3 080 square kilometres. It was named after the Yosemite River that runs through it and contains Yosemite Falls , the highest waterfall in the US (2 425 feet/740 metres). The park is also famous for its many giant sequoia trees. It was made a World Heritage Site in 1984.
See also redwood .