12. YOSEMITE VALLEY. (Elevation, 4030 ft.) This cleft, or gorge, or chasm, of the Sierra Nevada is not alone wonderful for the verticality of its walls, its profound depths, and its dizzy heights. It has a hundred beautiful attractions that combine to place it in the front rank of scenic wonders of the world. The floor of the valley is about 4000 feet above sea level, the walls rise from 3000 to 6000 feet above the floor, and back of these wonderful battlements rise a hundred snowy peaks of the Sierra, from 2000 to 4000 feet higher still. It is a kingdom of giants, a coterie of wonders, a cluster of marvels. Neither the Alps, nor the Himalayas, nor the Pyrenees, nor any other country have a Yosemite. It stands alone, and unapproachable in its grandeur.