As hinted by your question, the valley in Yosemite is carved out by none other than glaciers! Over time, the movement of these large chunks of ice eroded the rocks into the valley we know of today.
The beautiful glacial valley Yosemite Valley is located in California. To be more specific it is located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and is carved out by the Merced River.
The Yosemite Valley was formed as glaciers scraped and carved the valleys and canyons with such force that the remaining granite still shows the direction of glacial movement. Rock debris from the last melting glacier dammed the valley and created Lake Yosemite.
Ice formed Yosemite Valley by carving it out. When glaciers many years ago retreated, they carved out the valley.
Glacial erosion
Glacial Erosion formed Yosemite Valley and the Sierra Nevada
If it is inundated by the sea it is called a "Fjord", if not is just a glacial valley.
Glacial erosion
Fjord :)
Yosemite was formed through the interaction of the glaciers and the underlying rocks. Most of the terrain is made of granite, formed by the hardening of formerly molten rock and exposed erosion.
Glacial erosion formed Yosemite Valley. Meanwhile, the streams eroded the granite rock to form the waterfalls we know as Yosemite Falls and many others today.
A stream-carved valley typically has a V-shape with a narrower and deeper profile due to the erosive force of flowing water. In contrast, a glacial-carved valley has a U-shape with a wider and shallower profile due to the movement of glaciers scooping out the landscape.
Yosemite is essentially a glacial valley. There are many waterfalls, such as Yosemite Falls, and also extraordinary rock formations such as Half Dome and El Capitan.