Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California, United States 13 Dec 2025

Merced River, Yosemite National Park, California, United States

Every masterpiece needs a brushstroke to tie it together. For Yosemite National Park in the United States, that stroke is the Merced River—painting reflections of granite cliffs, pine forests and waterfalls across its canvas. One of the US National Wild and Scenic Rivers, this waterway begins high in the Sierra Nevada. It gathers meltwater and winds 145 miles west through Yosemite Valley into California"s Central Valley.

© Ron and Patty Thomas/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

So nice, they made it twice
13 Dec 2023Svolvaer, Lofoten Islands, Norway
13 Dec 2024Christmas market, St Stephens Basilica, Budapest, Hungary

More Desktop Wallpapers:

24 Dec 2025Christmas Eve
15 Jul 2024Marine Day, Japan
7 May 2024A duckling swimming in a water meadow, Suffolk, England
The worlds most exclusive beach?
9 Aug 2024Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
4 Oct 2024World Space Week begins
13 Mar 2025Holi celebration in Jaipur, India
2 Dec 2025Christmas market in Leipzig, Germany
See-through cephalopod
2 Jun 2024Baia del Silenzio in Sestri Levante, Italy
12 Jan 2025Crescent-tail bigeye fish, Great Barrier Reef, Australia
26 Apr 2025Bruce Peninsula National Park, Ontario, Canada
7 Feb 2025Blue hour in Trondheim, Norway
A labyrinth of luxury
Singing the blues
So good, they built it twice
4 Mar 2026Purple crocus flowers, Seven Rila Lakes, Bulgaria
A mountaintop cultural wonder
15 Mar 2024Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California, USA
21 Dec 2023Ljubljana, Slovenia
Living in harmony
So nice, they made it twice
7 Dec 2023Verdon Gorge, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France
Life on the lake
7 Dec 2025A pine forest in Alsace, France
Blending in nicely
19 Aug 2024Huntington Beach Pier, California, USA
1 Mar 2024Saint Davids Day
25 Apr 2025World Penguin Day
8 Jul 2024Blueberries growing in the wild