There's an abundance of Winter activities and beautiful sights to experience in Yosemite.
You’re here at a delightful time of year because you have the park almost entirely to yourself. Nature has carved out a special spot, a magical place where you can lose yourself in the beauty around you. From expansive meadows to dramatic rock formations blanketed in snow, to beautiful, cascading waterfalls, Yosemite delights the senses and refreshes the spirit.
Note: The shuttle bus to Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias typically remains open (weather dependent) through Thanksgiving weekend (end of November) and then will close for the winter and reopen early spring. When the road is closed, visitors can snowshoe, cross country ski, or hike into the Grove. Also, note that Glacier Point Road & Tioga Pass (Highway 120 East) are also closed for the winter.
Snowshoeing in Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias
WAWONA - the Historical Heart of the Park
Things to see and do:
Wawona Hotel (closes after Thanksgiving, reopens during Christmas holidays then closes again until Spring).
Yosemite History Center – a collection of historic buildings brought from various locations throughout the park; self-interpretive.
Walk the Meadow Loop (easy, 3.5-mile loop, flat). This is one of the few hiking trails in the park where you can take your dog (on a 6-foot leash; be prepared to clean up after Rover).
Badger Pass is the perfect place for skiers at any level
Seasonal Activities | BADGER PASS SKI AREA: Take Glacier Point Road out 5 miles to Badger Pass turnoff; return the way you came. Note that the road is closed to vehicles beyond Badger Pass during the winter.
Winter sports activities are available at Badger Pass, conditions permitting, including downhill and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowboarding, snow tubing, ski lessons, etc. Please note, wilderness access along Glacier Point Road is open when enough snow accumulates to protect sensitive meadows.
Tunnel View is spectacular in any season
Tunnel View is the unofficial entrance to Yosemite Valley from the south side and one of the most photographed vistas in the world!
Traveling northbound on Highway 41 through the park will bring you to Tunnel View. Drive through a mile-long tunnel, emerging to the quintessential view of Yosemite Valley: Bridalveil Fall, Half Dome, Cloud’s Rest and El Capitan. Yosemite Valley is only 7 miles long and 1 mile wide--with some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Immediately after exiting the tunnel, parking is available on the right or the left.
Below are our suggested viewpoints and stops in Yosemite Valley.
DAY PARKING: Park your car and take the free Yosemite Valley shuttle to the most popular sights in Yosemite Valley. The shuttle runs every 10 to 20 minutes. Check out the shuttle stop map to plan your trip.
BRIDALVEIL FALL - 620 ft. high. It's a quarter-mile walk on-way to the base of the waterfall. (Closed in 2022 for trail improvements.)
YOSEMITE CHAPEL - The oldest building still in use in Yosemite Valley (dating from 1879) with a spectacular view of Yosemite Falls and the valley from outside the chapel.
SENTINEL BRIDGE - From Yosemite Chapel continue to Sentinel Bridge. Turn left over the bridge and park at Shuttle Stop 11. Walk back to the middle of the bridge. This is a quintessential photo opportunity of Half Dome reflected in the Merced River.
YOSEMITE FALLS (tallest waterfall of its kind in North America at 2,425 ft)– a half-mile walk one way to the base of Yosemite Falls. When mornings are very cold (below 20 degrees or so) and there’s plenty of water in Yosemite Falls, check for the possibility of frazil ice. Also, watch for the “snow cone” at the base of upper Yosemite Falls.
VALLEY VISITOR CENTER: Visitor Center & Bookstore – watch “Spirit of Yosemite” film (20 min.), alternating with “A Gathering of Spirit” in Yosemite Conservancy theatre, to gain an understanding of what you’re observing and see some seasonally-inaccessible parts of the park—so you can begin planning your next trip!
ANSEL ADAMS GALLERY (still owned by Ansel Adams’ family) and the Indian Museum – cultural demonstrations daily; Look for works from Julia Parker, Yosemite's master basket maker whose baskets are in museums the world over.
THE AHWAHNEE HOTEL - (Please note: the Ahwahnee Dining room will be closed for remodel January and February 2023) Great for lunch (dining room (209) 372-1489 for dinner reservations only). You can lunch there for around $35 to $40 per person and enjoy the magnificent dining room with its 34-Foot-high ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and huge sugar-pine trestles. Allow a good one-to-two hours for your lunch. If there are only two of you, ask for a window table, which seats two at a maximum. They aren’t always available, but it’s worth requesting. Dinner prices are usually twice as high, require a dress code, and the view outside is DARK.
YOSEMITE VALLEY LODGE -Valley tours depart from here – info and reservations (209) 372-4386. Valley tours operate year-round, but will be conducted in an enclosed bus when the weather is inclement).
CURRY VILLAGE - Ice skating rink, open November to early March (conditions permitting)
HAPPY ISLES/MIST TRAIL - Hike to Vernal Falls Footbridge - 0.8 mile uphill both ways—can be icy and slippery in winter.
MIRROR LAKE - Walk about 1 mile one-way past Mirror Lake (mostly flat) for an up-close view of the face of Half Dome. It’s an easy walk for a big payoff. Be prepared for snow and possibly ice on the trail in winter.
EL CAPITAN - This massive monolith, the largest single granite rock on earth, rises 3,569 feet from the base to the summit. Rock climbers from around the world converge to face the challenge of the tackling the ~3000 vertical feet of Big Wall climbing. From spring to fall (and yes - even sometimes into winter), they can be seen inching their way up the sheer wall along any one of nearly 100 different routes to the top.
VALLEY VIEW - Watch for the big pullout on the left as you approach the Pohono Bridge. The view from here is a panorama of Yosemite Valley from a different perspective, featuring spectacular vistas of El Capitan, Clouds Rest, Half Dome, Bridalveil Fall, the Merced River and other features of the Yosemite Valley landscape.
FERN SPRING - (If returning via Hwy 41) Immediately after turning left over the Pohono Bridge, you’ll see turn out by a tiny cascade, known as Fern Spring, the smallest waterfall in Yosemite.
BRIDALVEIL MEADOW - (Toward Hwy 41) As you round the bend, a sign on the right marks the spot where John Muir and Teddy Roosevelt met in 1903, at Bridalveil Meadow. There Muir pled his case to protect the wilderness, combine the Yosemite Land Grant areas with the larger National Park, and establish a national park system.
Snowshoes are a must have in snowy Yosemite for unplanned and planned adventures
Alternative Park Exits: (1) Exit straight ahead on Hwy 140 through the Merced River Canyon. This is a lower-elevation road, and chain requirements are rare. In Mariposa, take Hwy 49 southbound to Oakhurst. Hwy 140 westbound to Merced for access to Highway 99 either north or south. (2) Take Hwy 120 westbound for the quickest way to San Francisco. Be very cautious of this road in winter. A section of it involves some treacherous hairpin turns.
Special Note: When conditions dictate, you are required to carry tire traction devices (chains or cables) in your vehicle and be prepared to install them as necessary. You may be denied entry to the park if you don’t have them. You may also be subject to a substantial fine should road conditions make them mandatory, and you don’t have them. Rental vehicles are NOT exempt from this requirement. By the way, winter in the Sierra Nevada is dictated more by weather conditions as opposed to by calendar dates. We’ve (rarely) been known to get snow in May, but it does happen and the transition from Fall to Winter can happen abruptly (as well in sputters) as early as October, or as late as January.
Chain requirement codes are as follows:
R0 - No chains required
R1 - Chains required. Autos and pickups with snow tires OK
R2 - Chains required. 4-wheel-drive with snow tires OK
R3 - Chains required on all vehicles. No exceptions.
Chains or cables can be purchased at several locations in Oakhurst, Coarsegold, Fish Camp and Mariposa. Call or stop by the Visitor Center in Oakhurst for information - (559) 683-4636.
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