“Yosemite is my favorite place on the planet,” says Cory Goehring, Senior Naturalist with the Yosemite Conservancy. “When I first entered Yosemite 20 years ago, my jaw hit the ground, and I fell head over heels in love with the park.” The experience changed his life—he switched majors and moved to the area as soon as he graduated.
In winter, visitors get the chance to experience Yosemite as a place, not just a travel destination. “Winter is exceptional because of its serenity, stillness, and quiet,” Goehring says. Of Yosemite’s four million yearly visitors, three million make the trip in summer. “In the winter months, Yosemite Valley feels like wilderness.” (For the best low-crowd experience, avoid Firefall in late February.)
Goehring’s work with the Yosemite Conservancy helps visitors connect with nature. That includes Winter Wonder in Yosemite Valley in late January and guided snowshoe adventures through the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias in February and early March. Expert cross-country skiers can make a reservation at the Conservancy’s Ostrander Ski Hut, where “you can backcountry ski seven miles out to the hut and spend the night.” And year-round, the Conservancy offers custom adventures led by expert naturalists.
Ready to fall in love with Yosemite in winter? Read on for help with planning what to do, where to eat, and where to stay. Keep in mind that park reservations are required on weekends in February. And here’s two more tips from Goehring: Bring chains (the weather can change quickly), and stop by the new Welcome Center in Yosemite Village to chat with a park ranger, because “as we say in Yosemite, ‘The more you know, the more you see.’”
Things to do
Indoors and out, Yosemite’s natural beauty steals the show.
Yosemite has a ski resort? Yes! Badger Pass is California’s first ski resort and a total hidden gem. It offers downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowtubing, and snowshoeing (including day and overnight guided snowshoe hikes). There’s a terrain park, a ski school, and a free shuttle from the Valley. Lift tickets are a bargain at $64 for adults and $38 for kids (for comparison, lift tickets at Palisades Tahoe range from $180 to $240 per day).
Year-round, the Valley Loop Trail is pretty much the easiest way to experience Yosemite’s famous natural beauty, and in winter the trail is usually pretty clear (though watch for ice). The full loop is an ambitious 11.5 miles, but if you start from the trailhead near Lower Yosemite Falls, you can just enjoy the sights for as long as the path feels safe for you. If you’re looking for a more bracing winter hike, read up on the Upper Yosemite Falls trail. I did the hike in winter once, and it was one of the hardest and best things I’ve ever done.
If you’re short on time, you can just pop in the gallery to marvel at the gorgeous Yosemite images that made the photographer famous. Or, you can sign up for one of the gallery’s many walks or workshops. Winter offerings include free Photography Walks, three-hour workshops focusing on smartphones or digital cameras, and more intense multi-day workshops. Whatever you choose, be sure to sign up ahead. Whether you’re a newbie or a lifelong photographer, you’ll learn a ton about nature photography and get hot tips on the best angles for shooting the valley.
For almost a century, Curry Village’s outdoor ice rink has been one of the great wintertime traditions in the Yosemite Valley. With unbeatable views of the snow-kissed Half Dome, it may be one of the most beautiful skates of your life. Tickets for two hours on ice are $16 for adults and $15 for kids, plus $15 for skate rentals. Open from November to early March.
The Yosemite Museum is hidden in plain sight, just a short walk from the visitor center, grocery store, and eateries of Yosemite Village. The small, free museum is a great excuse to get out of the cold and learn the cultural history of the native Miwok and Paiute people. Just outside, you can walk through recreations of a cedar bark house and an Ahwahnee village.
Where to eat and drink
In-park dining is thin, but excellent options are nearby.
Though it has changed names and ownership over the years, this Oakhurst standout has long been the place to go for fine dining near Yosemite. Three- and five-course prix fixe menus lean heavily on local ingredients, and every dish is as delicious as it is beautiful. The restaurant is part of the elegant and warm Chateau du Sureau (more on that below), and the whole experience is a decadent reminder that you don’t have to rough it on a trip to Yosemite.
If you want an upscale, sit-down dinner in the valley, you’ve got two options: the Ahwahnee Dining Room (which is lovely) and the less famous Mountain Room at Yosemite Valley Lodge. And, while the Mountain Room is beautiful in the evening, the real treat is to go for lunch when you can see why those two-story windows are angled just so—to see 2,400 feet up to the absurdly majestic Yosemite Falls. The menu centers on hearty faves like French onion soup and steak, but there is plenty of lighter fare, including steelhead trout and a selection (not just one!) of vegetarian options.
Located just outside the park’s Highway 120 (Big Oak Flat) entrance, Rush Creek Lodge is off the beaten path for those coming from points south. But if you’re considering a day trip to Hetch Hetchy (which, you should because it’s beautiful!), you’ll be coming this way. Cozy booths and a mountain lodge-feel pair perfectly with classics like burgers, but there’s other interesting options like shiitake banh mi. The signature cocktails—think Jalapeno Margaritas and the absinthe-based Yosemite Sunshine—are just the thing after an intense day of hiking.
Perched all out on its own on the outskirts of Mariposa (which gets my vote for cutest town near Yosemite), Mariposa Coffee Company is an unassuming spot for a killer cup of joe. There’s nothing cozier than driving the scenic and snowy road into the park with a superb cup of coffee and your favorite tunes. Grab a bag of beans to go, and you’ll thank yourself later when you want to recreate this moment back home.
Fish Camp, a cute blink-and-you’ll-miss-it town just outside the park’s South Entrance, is home to Narrow Gage Inn’s cozy Aroma Tavern and Buffalo Bar, with rustic wood-paneled walls, a roaring fire, and mounted moose heads. The Tavern serves up dishes like ribeye and crab manicotti, while the Buffalo Bar is a lower-key spot for a beer and a burger.
Places to stay
Lodges, chateaux, and B&Bs, in and near the park.
Chateau du Sureau is a little over the top but wildly romantic. The “castle resort” is a Relais & Chateaux estate set on nine acres of Sierra Nevada wilderness. Rooms have luxe touches like canopy beds, wood-burning fireplaces, and soaking tubs. It’s also perfect for foodies: it’s home to The Elderberry House, and there are lots of edible extras like welcome drinks and bites, a bottle of wine and a little cake in your room, and daily breakfast.
If you want to stay in the park in winter, you can choose the cheapest option (the tent cabins and cabins at Curry Village), the priciest spot (The Ahwahnee), or Yosemite Valley Lodge, which sits perfectly in the middle. Rooms are nice but frankly, unexceptional, though there is a nice mix of layout options including kings, doubles, bunk-bed rooms, and family rooms (with both a king and a bunk). The reason to stay here is the location: a woodsy spot in the middle of the valley, close to Yosemite Falls and within walking distance of the dining options and visitor center at Yosemite Village. Two onsite restaurants, a little shop, and a shuttle stop make it an incredibly convenient homebase for a weekend trip.
The charming Yosemite Blue Butterfly Inn earns its constant flow of five-star reviews thanks to attentive owners and an excellent location. Not only is it super close to the park (via the Highway 140 entrance), but it sits right on the banks of the Merced River. Situated in a newly built house, the B&B has plenty of space—including a deck that juts out over the rushing river—but only four rooms, so you’ll need to book in advance to secure a spot. And if you can’t get a room here, Poppy Hill is another popular B&B near the same park entrance.
Tenaya at Yosemite has it all: beautiful Arts & Crafts-inspired main lodge rooms, great-for-groups two-bedroom cabins, and romantic cottage suites in the woods. Three restaurants, a full-service spa, indoor and outdoor pools, an arcade, an outdoor ice-skating rink, sledding, and guided hikes round out the on-property offerings. It’s just a short drive from the South Entrance (though keep in mind that it’s about an hour drive from the valley).
Built in the 1920s as a haven for affluent park visitors, The Ahwahnee frames amazing views of Half Dome, Glacier Point, and Yosemite Falls. The decor draws on a mix of Art Deco, Native American, and Arts & Crafts styles that look particularly impressive in main areas, like the grand cathedral windows in the dining room and the painted coffered ceilings in the lounge. It’s a beautiful hotel but is a bit worn at the edges, so go in expecting history but not perfection. Stay in the main building (pro tip: suites are generally only a bit more expensive than standard rooms) or opt for a cabin in the trees beyond the lawn.