Use the winter road network
Plan around Yosemite Valley and Wawona. Tioga Road is not a winter crossing; Glacier Point Road does not provide a winter drive through to the viewpoint.
Get oriented for winter
Build a winter itinerary around the Valley and Wawona. Treat the high country as a separate snow-travel decision.
- Mapped road corridor
- Additional mapped route
- Additional mapped route
- Additional mapped route
- 1 · Yosemite Village
- 2 · Badger Pass Ski Area
- 3 · Crane Flat
- 4 · Mariposa Grove
- 5 · Tioga Pass Entrance
- Park boundary
Getting around in winter
A year-round road can still need chains. Prepare your vehicle before entering the mountains.
Carry properly fitting chains
When chain controls apply, all vehicles must carry chains, including four-wheel drive and rentals. Learn to fit them before the trip.
Consider the Highway 140 bus
If your vehicle or rental contract cannot accommodate chains, review YARTS from a Highway 140 stop outside chain controls. Check the schedule for your dates.
Things to do in winter
Choose a Valley walk or a snow outing higher up. Conditions decide the gear and the route.
Walk Yosemite Valley
Some Valley trails are often accessible even when much of the park is snowy. Check trail conditions and choose suitable traction.
Ski or snowshoe from Badger Pass
The Badger Pass area normally supports winter snow sports. Check road access and operator dates before planning a ski day.
See winter waterfalls
After rain and snow return, Yosemite Falls begins flowing again. Winter flow is generally lower than the spring peak.
Where to stay in winter
For a Valley-based trip, these hotels normally operate year-round. Check room availability and the winter drive together.
Yosemite Valley Lodge
A traditional lodge near Yosemite Falls, with a year-round operating pattern. A straightforward Valley base.
The Ahwahnee
A year-round hotel in Yosemite Valley. Confirm the room and road approach for your dates.
Winter camping Some campgrounds use first-come, first-served winter arrangements and can fill on weekends or holidays. Check each campground’s season and booking requirements before arrival.
Yosemite winter crowds
The highlighted whole months average 132,292 recreation visits per month. August is the annual peak at 537,020.
Winter months highlightedDecember–March winter planning window
LowestLowModerateHighPeakAverage month: 320,874
Yosemite winter temperatures
NOAA 1991-2020 averages 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.
Winter months highlightedDecember–March winter planning window
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
Yosemite winter daylight
Local sunrise and sunset on the 21st of each selected month. These are astronomical times, not a forecast or an access schedule.
| Date | Sunrise and sunset, local clock time | Daylight |
|---|---|---|
| December 21Shortest day shown | SunriseSunset | |
| January 21 | SunriseSunset | |
| February 21 | SunriseSunset | |
| March 21 | SunriseSunset |
Questions about Yosemite winter
Quick answers to the practical questions below.
Can you visit Yosemite in winter?
Yes. Yosemite Valley and Wawona normally remain accessible by car, subject to winter road conditions. Tioga Road and the road through to Glacier Point normally close for the season.
Do you need chains for Yosemite in winter?
Plan to carry chains that fit your tires and know how to install them. When chain controls apply, all vehicles must carry them, including four-wheel drive and rentals. Follow posted controls.
Is there always snow in Yosemite Valley in winter?
No. NPS says the Valley floor may or may not have snow. Higher areas generally have a different winter landscape, so check conditions for the place you plan to visit.
Where can you stay in Yosemite in winter?
Yosemite Valley Lodge and The Ahwahnee normally operate year-round. Other properties have different seasons; check the official lodging list and your booking dates.
Is Yosemite quiet during winter holidays?
Not necessarily. NPS warns that late December and early January can bring traffic congestion and limited parking, even in winter.
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 Visiting in Winter supplies the December–March scope, Valley versus high-country distinction, normal road seasons, winter activities and holiday crowd caveat.
NPS chain guidance supplies the carry requirement and Highway 140 YARTS alternative. The NPS lodging and campground pages supply accommodation types and normal winter booking context; temporary closures and dated reservations are excluded.
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. Daylight is computed from committed USNO 2026 local-time records at Yosemite Valley Welcome Center, CA (37.75N, 119.59W).
NPS describes a snowy, cold winter and snow recreation at Badger Pass, but explicitly says the Valley floor may or may not have snow. The snowy treatment describes the higher winter recreation landscape, not reliable snow throughout the Valley or Wawona.
Operational source check: October 21, 2026. Design and emphasized source review: 2026-10-21. A design review does not refresh every underlying record.