Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite National Park, California

© Jeff Foott/Minden Picture

Spirit of the Puffing Wind. Yosemite National Park, California

When you think about Yosemite National Park in California, what’s the first thing you think of? Waterfalls, right? While not the tallest, Bridalveil Fall is among the most prominent on display, usually the first you’ll see on arrival, and draws its fair share of crowds. Ansel Adams famously photographed it, and unlike some falls it flows year-round thanks to an unending supply of water from Ostrander Lake. The history of Yosemite is a large part of why it’s so well preserved today. U.S. President Abraham Lincoln made the land a public trust in 1864.

Environmentalist John Muir then became its biggest cheerleader, first influencing President Benjamin Harrison to help make it a national park in 1890 and later taking President Teddy Roosevelt on a 3-day hike across the valley, which lead to it being placed under federal stewardship in 1906. Keep Yosemite on your list of must-visit places but help make it last through careful use of the natural and cultural resources