Best time to visit Yosemite.
Photo · NPS / Cindy Jacoby · NPS sourceCheck before you go
- Closures, fire restrictions, construction and water: NPS Yosemite current conditions
- We are independent of the National Park Service. The official pages above are the source of record for anything that changes.
Current conditions
- Glacier Point Road is temporarily closed due to the Dome Fire Closed · in effect now · nps.gov
Compare Yosemite by month.
Three signals for each month: how busy it is against August, the average weather, and how much of the road system is normally open. Tap a month for its full Yosemite guide. We don't roll these into one "best month" score, because a photographer and a family on school break want different months.
Weather · NOAA normals, Yosemite Park HQ (4,018 ft)
| Month | Crowds | Weather | Roads & lodging | What it means |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January |
Quiet
21% of August · 115K avg
|
Harsh
48°F / 29°F (9°C / -2°C)
|
Partly open
Typical windows · score 50/100
|
Yosemite Valley open year-round. Chains often required in storms. Tioga and Glacier Point closed. Quietest month of the year.Read the January guide |
| February |
Quiet
24% of August · 129K avg
|
Rough
51°F / 30°F (11°C / -1°C)
|
Partly open
Typical windows · score 50/100
|
Valley reflects in fresh snow. Horsetail Fall sunset glow window (mid- to late February, conditions-dependent). High country closed.Read the February guide |
| March |
Quiet
25% of August · 136K avg
|
Mixed
57°F / 34°F (14°C / 1°C)
|
Partly open
Typical windows · score 50/100
|
Waterfalls start swelling as snowpack melts. Glacier Point, Tioga, and Mariposa Grove roads still closed.Read the March guide |
| April |
Moderate
48% of August · 256K avg
|
Ideal
63°F / 38°F (17°C / 3°C)
|
Usually most open
Typical windows · score 60/100
|
Tioga Road plowing begins (~April 15, NPS schedule). Waterfalls climbing toward peak. Valley fully operating; high country still closed.Read the April guide |
| May |
Busy
71% of August · 383K avg
|
Ideal
71°F / 45°F (21°C / 7°C)
|
Usually most open
Typical windows · score 75/100
|
Waterfall season peaks. Glacier Point Road typically opens sometime in May. Tioga Road opens late May or June.Read the May guide |
| June |
Peak
95% of August · 508K avg
|
Ideal
81°F / 51°F (27°C / 11°C)
|
Usually all open
Typical windows · score 90/100
|
Tioga Road is typically open by June. High-country wildflowers start in late June; warm afternoons in the Valley.Read the June guide |
| July |
Peak
100% of August · 536K avg
|
Mixed
89°F / 57°F (32°C / 14°C)
|
Usually all open
Typical windows · score 100/100
|
Peak month (effectively tied with August). Valley afternoons in the high 80s. Best dry-weather window in the high country.Read the July guide |
| August |
Peak
100% of August · 537K avg
|
Mixed
89°F / 57°F (32°C / 14°C)
|
Usually all open
Typical windows · score 100/100
|
Peak crowds continue. Some waterfalls, including Yosemite Falls, often a trickle or dry. Half Dome cables up.Read the August guide |
| September |
Peak
88% of August · 473K avg
|
Good
83°F / 51°F (28°C / 11°C)
|
Usually all open
Typical windows · score 100/100
|
Best tradeoff month. All roads still open. School-restart drop in the second half.Read the September guide |
| October |
Busy
77% of August · 413K avg
|
Ideal
71°F / 41°F (22°C / 5°C)
|
Usually all open
Typical windows · score 100/100
|
Mild Valley highs near 71°F. NPS says fall color is usually best in late October.Read the October guide |
| November |
Quiet
40% of August · 216K avg
|
Good
56°F / 33°F (13°C / 0°C)
|
Usually most open
Typical windows · score 70/100
|
Tioga and Glacier Point roads usually close sometime in November. Quieter Valley with crisp air.Read the November guide |
| December |
Quiet
28% of August · 149K avg
|
Harsh
46°F / 28°F (8°C / -2°C)
|
Partly open
Typical windows · score 50/100
|
Valley winter season. Chains often required. Tioga and Glacier Point closed; Glacier Point Road plowed to Badger Pass from mid-December.Read the December guide |
Open the full Yosemite crowd calendar
Rain, snow, latest-year counts, and the weather station
Yosemite Park HQ sits at 4,018 ft in Yosemite Valley. The high country runs colder and snowier: Tuolumne Meadows Campground sits at 8,600 ft, and Tioga Road is typically open only from late May or June until sometime in November. NCEI monthly snow normals at the Valley station are 0.0. The Valley is snow-light by elevation, though any winter storm can bring temporary snow. Use these numbers for the Valley; assume a sharp drop for any trip planned into the high country.
| Month | Visits in 2025 | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 135,684 | 6.98″ | 0.0″ |
| Feb | 120,601 | 6.49″ | 0.0″ |
| Mar | 155,758 | 5.47″ | 0.0″ |
| Apr | 297,621 | 3.17″ | 0.0″ |
| May | 454,491 | 1.92″ | 0.0″ |
| Jun | 584,333 | 0.46″ | 0.0″ |
| Jul | 616,551 | 0.29″ | 0.0″ |
| Aug | 594,060 | 0.16″ | 0.0″ |
| Sep | 487,733 | 0.40″ | 0.0″ |
| Oct | 445,779 | 1.56″ | 0.0″ |
| Nov | 234,709 | 4.05″ | 0.0″ |
| Dec | 151,093 | 5.60″ | 0.0″ |
Yosemite's September monthly mean (about 88% of August) is an average over the whole month. The NPS counts behind it are monthly, so they can't show how the Labor Day weekend compares with later September weeks. Treat the September pick as a call about the whole month.
How these scores are computed (and why there's no combined "best month")
Crowd score
Formula: 100 − (this month's visits ÷ park's peak month visits) × 100. Each park scored against its own peak, not against other parks.
Source: NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package 2025, Recreation Visits (TRV), 5-year monthly mean (2021-2025). Reproduce these numbers on the NPS IRMA Stats portal.
Reading it: August at Yosemite reads 0 (peak). January reads 79 (quietest). A 50 means about half the park's peak crowd.
Weather score
Formula: weatherScore = round(max(0, min(100, dayComfort − precipPenalty − snowPenalty − freezePenalty))). The piecewise day-comfort function is continuous at every boundary.
- Day comfort:
tmax < 50°F →
max(10, (tmax − 20) × 2)(cold tail); 50–60°F →60 + (tmax − 50) × 4(ramp to 100); 60–78°F → 100 (plateau); 78–85°F →100 − (tmax − 78) × 5(ramp to 65); > 85°F →max(30, 65 − (tmax − 85) × 5)(hot tail). - Precip penalty:
max(0, prcpIn − 1.5) × 8; kicks in above 1.5 in / month. - Snow penalty:
snowIn × 2.5. If the selected station does not publish a snowfall normal, the score applies no snow penalty and labels snowfall as unavailable. - Night-freeze penalty:
max(0, 32 − tmin) × 1.5when tmin < 32°F.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, station Yosemite Park HQ, CA (Yosemite Valley) (USC00049855, 4,018 ft).
Caveat: Yosemite Park HQ sits at 4,018 ft in Yosemite Valley. The high country runs colder and snowier: Tuolumne Meadows Campground sits at 8,600 ft, and Tioga Road is typically open only from late May or June until sometime in November. NCEI monthly snow normals at the Valley station are 0.0. The Valley is snow-light by elevation, though any winter storm can bring temporary snow. Use these numbers for the Valley; assume a sharp drop for any trip planned into the high country.
Access score
Formula: For each named park road, count it open if its typical operating window covers that month. Score = round((sum of weights of open roads / sum of all weights) x 100). Where a park has a partial winter access mode, the profile documents that assumption in its access notes.
Route weights at Yosemite:
- Day-use reservations: Not in effect for 2026
- Yosemite Valley + year-round corridor: Open year-round
- Tioga Road / Tioga Pass (CA-120 E): Open late May or June → sometime in November
- Glacier Point Road: Open ~May → November
- Mariposa Grove Road: Open ~April → November
- Entrance fees: Year-round
- Lodging: concessioner (Aramark / Yosemite Hospitality): Year-round + summer-only mix
- Half Dome cables: Friday before Memorial Day → mid-Oct
Editorial methodology: the route weights are chosen by our editors from NPS road and lodge operating dates and the park's own access caveats below the score table.
Caveat: The score reflects wheeled-vehicle road access only. Backcountry, hiking, lodging, shuttle, and other service availability are not directly included unless the park profile states otherwise.
Why no combined score?
A combined "best month" number forces a weighting: how much do you care about crowds vs. weather vs. access? Those weights are personal. A photographer optimizing for golden light weights differently than a parent locked to school break weights differently than a winter visitor with a 4WD. We show the inputs and let you decide. Use the per-month grid above to navigate to a deeper page.
When are roads and lodges open?
Roads, entrances, and lodges by season. Road closures and lodge seasons decide what a month can actually offer. Verify with NPS before you travel; these change.
Last updated · Sep 13, 2026
Every road's opening and closing dates: Yosemite road closures.
Day-use reservations
NPS says Yosemite will not use a day-use vehicle reservation system for the 2026 season. Entry by vehicle does not require a permit. The park is instead managing summer congestion with real-time traffic monitoring and active parking management in Yosemite Valley. Verify on the NPS Yosemite reservations page before your trip.
Yosemite Valley + year-round corridor
Yosemite Valley is reached year-round by El Portal Road (CA-140 from Merced), Wawona Road (CA-41 from Fresno), and Big Oak Flat Road (CA-120 W from the Bay Area). All three stay open in winter. Tire chains are often required on park roads, and when they are, every vehicle must carry them, including four-wheel drives and rental cars.
Tioga Road / Tioga Pass (CA-120 E)
Plowing typically begins around April 15. NPS says the road is typically open from late May or June until sometime in November; in 2026 it opened May 15. The opening shifts with snowpack.
Glacier Point Road
NPS says the road is typically open from sometime in May until sometime in November; in 2026 it opened May 9. In winter it is plowed only as far as Badger Pass Ski Area, from mid-December to early April.
Mariposa Grove Road
Giant sequoia access. Closed approximately November to April. When it is open, only vehicles with a disability placard may drive it; everyone else rides the free shuttle from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza.
Entrance fees
Yosemite is one of 11 parks where non-U.S. residents age 16+ pay a $100 nonresident fee in addition to standard admission unless covered by an eligible pass. The America the Beautiful Annual Pass is $80 for U.S. residents and $250 for nonresidents. Verify terms on the NPS nonresident fees page.
Lodging: concessioner (Aramark / Yosemite Hospitality)
In-park lodges are booked through Aramark / Yosemite Hospitality. NPS lists The Ahwahnee and Yosemite Valley Lodge as open year-round and Curry Village as seasonal, with its exact dates set year by year. Housekeeping Camp's 2026 season ran April 3 to October 12, and Tuolumne Meadows Lodge's June 5 to September 13. Not every lodge is open every season, so check the operator's page and the NPS lodging page for the ones running on your dates.
Half Dome cables
NPS says the cables are normally up from the Friday before Memorial Day, and the last day to use them is the day after the second Monday in October. A permit lottery is required to climb the cables. Apply via the Recreation.gov Half Dome permit page.
Which month fits your trip?
The month table answers most trips. These four decide the date for the rest, and each has its own page with the facts behind it.
Also for Yosemite: Road closures and dates · Airports · Fees and passes · Accessibility.
Questions about when to go.
What is the best month to visit Yosemite?
It depends on what you want. For a balance of crowds, weather, and open roads, September usually works well. If empty trails matter most, look at mid-September to early October. For the widest range of open roads and services, aim for mid-June to mid-October.
When should I avoid Yosemite?
August is the busiest month, when parking and lodging are tightest. If instead you want the park at its most open, the tougher month is January, when weather and seasonal closures limit how much you can reach.
What are the quietest months at Yosemite?
The quietest stretch is January, February, and March. January is the low point, averaging about 115,014 recreation visits, roughly 21% of the August peak.
Which month has the best weather at Yosemite?
October usually brings Yosemite's most comfortable conditions, with average highs near 71°F. It is not always the quietest month, so use the month grid above to weigh weather against crowds.
How this page
is built.
Not affiliated with or endorsed
by the National Park Service.
Crowd numbers on this page are the Recreation Visits column from the NPS Visitor Use Statistics Data Package, 2025. Monthly figures are five-year arithmetic means (2021-2025) against each park's own peak month. We do not compare parks against each other for the crowd score: only against themselves.
Weather numbers are NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, drawn from the Yosemite Park HQ, CA (Yosemite Valley) station (USC00049855). The station sits at 4,018 ft; the elevation caveat above the weather table explains where this misreads the higher districts.
Access notes are an independent summary of NPS operating posture. We do not republish NPS pages; we link them. Conditions change; confirm road status, reservation requirements, and lodging windows on https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm before travel.
Full year-by-year history, records, and the events behind each year: Yosemite visitation by year.
- Air quality: AirNow.gov; real-time air quality and smoke conditions.
- Park conditions: NPS Yosemite current conditions, verify before you drive.
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