October
Valley color, low fallsBig-leaf maples, black oaks and dogwoods often become showy around mid-October. Expect little or no water at some falls.
412,607 average visits in October
Choose your fall month
Compare early-season outings with later weather and service changes.
November
Stay flexible in the ValleyRain, snow and high-road closures make Valley and Wawona outings more dependable planning choices than a Tioga crossing. Check chain controls.
216,341 average visits in November
Things to do in fall
Choose a lower-elevation or high-country outing for the actual conditions.
Valley autumn trees
Look for black oaks, maples and dogwoods around the Valley. Yosemite’s forests are not one uniform fall-color display.
Waterfall viewpoints
Choose the landscape setting with low-flow expectations. Yosemite Falls can have little or no water in fall.
Valley and Wawona walks
Keep lower elevations as the core plan when high roads no longer suit. Check individual trails after storms.
Get oriented for fall
Keep the Valley as a separate trip area from Glacier Point and the Tioga high country.
- Mapped road corridor
- 1 · Yosemite Village
- 2 · Glacier Point
- 3 · Tioga Pass Entrance
- Park boundary
Getting around in fall
Check the seasonal access and equipment decisions before fixing the route.
Check high-road and parking rules
High-road access depends on autumn weather. Tioga and Glacier Point overnight parking has a separate autumn cutoff.
Prepare for chain controls
Yosemite Valley and Wawona normally remain reachable by car, but weather can require chains. Check road and chain guidance before driving.
Where to stay in fall
Use a confirmed Valley room as the base for a lower-elevation trip.
Yosemite Valley Lodge
A year-round lodge near Yosemite Falls. Reserve ahead and confirm the road approach.
Camping Campground dates and reservations need a separate check. A road opening or lodge booking does not establish a campsite.
Yosemite fall crowds
The highlighted whole months average 314,474 recreation visits per month. August is the annual peak at 537,020.
Fall months highlightedOctober and November
LowestLowModerateHighPeakAverage month: 320,874
Yosemite fall temperatures
NOAA 1991-2020 averages at Yosemite Park HQ, CA (Yosemite Valley). Valley station averages do not describe the high country; check your destination’s forecast separately.
Fall months highlightedOctober and November
Cooler Hotter
Jan
High48°F
Low29°F
Feb
High51°F
Low30°F
Mar
High57°F
Low34°F
Apr
High63°F
Low38°F
May
High71°F
Low45°F
Jun
High81°F
Low51°F
Jul
High89°F
Low57°F
Aug
High89°F
Low57°F
Sep
High83°F
Low51°F
Oct
High71°F
Low41°F
Nov
High56°F
Low33°F
Dec
High46°F
Low28°F
Questions about Yosemite fall
Quick answers to the practical questions below.
Is Yosemite worth visiting in fall?
Yosemite in fall favors Valley walks and changing deciduous trees over full waterfalls. October often brings the best tree color; November needs a flexible plan for rain, snow and high-road closures.
Which fall month should I choose?
October: Valley color, low falls. November: Stay flexible in the Valley.
What should I check before a fall outing?
Yosemite Valley and Wawona normally remain reachable by car, but weather can require chains. Check road and chain guidance before driving.
How we built this page.
An independent guide using official data. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Park Service.
- Official guidance
- NPS and the relevant operators. The linked official pages support the access, facilities and rules described here. Confirm details before traveling.
- Crowd context
- 2021–2025 monthly averages. NPS recreation visits describe normal seasonal demand, not trail congestion, parking availability or unique visitors.
- Schedules and conditions
- Planning patterns, not live status. Seasonal information describes the normal pattern or explicitly dated source schedule. Current conditions are handled separately. The official source is the place to confirm today’s access.
Topic sources and data details
NPS seasonal, activity and overnight guidance supports the normal patterns and named choices on this page. Check the linked official pages for current operation and booking details.
Month choices describe the reviewed planning window. Monthly recreation visits are full-calendar-month 2021–2025 averages, including any month partly inside the window.
Temperatures are NOAA 1991-2020 normals at Yosemite Park HQ, CA (Yosemite Valley); 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.
Seasonal highlights mark the editorial month window, not guaranteed access or travel-date weather.
Operational source check: October 21, 2026. Design and emphasized source review: 2026-10-21. A design review does not refresh every underlying record.