Pine Coast Hiking

Visiting Yosemite National Park in Winter

Yosemite Valley in winter covered in snow with trees and a waterfall in the background.

A winter in Yosemite National Park is a truly magical experience. While winter is definitely the quietest season in the park, there’s surprisingly quite a lot to do if you pack right. Just up the Glacier Point Road (about 45 minutes from Yosemite Valley) is the Badger Pass Ski Lodge. It’s a small and pretty mellow downhill and cross-country ski area, great for beginners, families, and frequented by locals. Lift tickets are cheap, and you can also join a ranger for a snowshoe walk! Over in Curry Village is an ice rink with a big fire pit and gathering area.

snow covered trees and ski slope with ski lift in the foreground in winter at Yosemite
snow covered meadow and trees with sun shining and blue ski in winter at Yosemite.
A snowboarder goes down a snow covered ski slope in winter at Yosemite.

Ski Gear

Your actual gear can be rented right at Badger Pass. It’s small, but it’s basically a full service ski resort with ski/snowboard rentals – both downhill and x-country, snowshoes, etc… There’s also a shop where you can buy gloves, hats, goggles… any of the accessories you might have forgotten. I know I’ve said this in previous posts, but personally, I get COLD. Like hands seizing up, painful goosebumps that feel like razor blades, and toes that go numb after 10 minutes. Warm gear is a must for me!

That said, I’m loving Roxy’s insulated snow jacket and pants. I’ve rocked this set in all kinds of cold and super cold weather and it never fails to keep me warm and dry. For a base-layer, I usually start with a Smartwool merino bottom, and either a quarter zip or crew merino top. Staying warm = more fun!

Female in light purple ski jacket holding a snowboard in the snow.
Female in light purple ski pants in the snow.

Yosemite Valley and Lower Elevations

Winter is also a great time to check out some of the park’s lower elevation hiking areas like Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley, and Wawona. Another quick tip about Winter in Yosemite is the vast temperature difference within Yosemite Valley. The East end of the Valley (Curry Village area and the Pines Campgrounds) remains extremely cold in the winter due to the positioning of the sun during the winter months. East Valley only gets about 2 hours of sunlight a day before the sun moves behind the Valley Walls casting it in a shadow. However, West Valley (Yosemite Falls area, Camp 4, Yosemite Lodge, Bridalveil area) gets quite a bit of direct sunlight and can easily be 20 degrees warmer than East Valley. So if you’re tired of shoveling snow out of your campsite in Upper Pines, head over to Camp 4 and spend the day hiking the west portion of the Valley Loop Trail.

Snow covered trees and icy river with bottom of El Capitan rock formation in the background.
Snow covered Yosemite Valley with icy trees and river, and half dome rock formation in the background.

If you’re lucky enough to be visiting just after a snowstorm, take a morning walk out to Cook’s Meadow and watch the low clouds clear over Sentinel Rock. The morning after a winter storm in Yosemite Valley is captivating. In general, there’s almost always lodging available in the winter, however, still plan ahead for holiday weekends.

Have fun, be safe, and take lots of pictures!

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