The Best Time To Visit
Yosemite National Park
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PROS: The crowds are gone, and room rates are lower after New Year's. During the week it's not uncommon to be able to get a room at the Ahwahnee and Yosemite Lodge on a walk-in basis. The weather is definitely unpredictable, so carry tire chains at all times; they are legally required to be in your car anyway. This is an excellent time for photography of Yosemite Valley. Storms bring clouds that hang over the cliffs and valley floor like cotton candy. Spectacular shots can be had all over. Ice skating and cross country skiing is incredible after a snowfall. Badger Pass is usually open by now for mediocre downhill skiing. CONS: Days are very short and the Valley is the only part of the park that's open. Glacier Point and Tioga Roads are closed. The hiking is very limited due to snow. |
PROS: Same as January, except the days are slightly longer. President's Weekend is kinda crowded, though. CONS: Same as January |
PROS: Same as February; days definitely getting longer, and waterfalls are flowing stronger. Weather very volatile. Starting to warm slightly. CONS: Same as January. Skiing is not very good below 7,000 feet. |
PROS: Snow is melting in earnest now, but do not be deceived; the weather in April can go from perfect to terrible in 24 hours. Some backcountry trails below 6,000 feet might be open, so BE CAREFUL! You'll go in for some backpacking and get caught in a strong storm. Waterfalls are flowing strong! CONS: Same as January. The Glacier Point and Tioga Roads usually do not open before Memorial Day Weekend. Badger Pass closes usually by April 1st. at the latest. |
PROS: BEST TWO MONTHS (June) TO VISIT YOSEMITE!! You can put away your chains as of May 1st. Snow is melting big time; waterfalls are nearing their peak high flows and are spectacular. Valley is greening up; trees are blooming, wildflowers are out. High country trails are accessible below 7,000 feet; higher toward the end of the month. In most years the Glacier Point and Tioga Roads are open by Memorial Day Weekend. Half Dome cables go up the week before Memorial Day weekend. Rain is very unlikely but not impossible.
Temperatures are warm, but mosquitoes are not out yet. |
PROS: BEST TWO MONTHS (May) TO VISIT YOSEMITE!! The entire park is now open. Unless it's a very wet year with an unusually heavy snowpack, Tioga Road and Glacier Point Roads are usually open. High country is open up to about 8,000 feet. Tuolumne Meadows area is open. Rain is very unlikely but not impossible. |
PROS: Yosemite is in full swing! Everything is open, the high country is open to 10,000 feet and higher as the month progresses. Blue skies and low humidity are the rule! if it rains, it's usually a pathetic (by east coast standards) thunderstorm that passes very quickly. This happens only about twice a month. Rain is very unlikely but not impossible. |
PROS: Same as July. High country is open all the way to 12,000 feet. PERSEID METEOR SHOWER happens the second and third week of August! Unbelievable at Tuolumne Meadows! Rain is very unlikely but not impossible. |
PROS: Same as July, however, crowds disappear after Labor Day. It's still warm, and trails are still open. High country will be deserted, so if it's solitude you want, this is the time for you! Backcountry ranger stations do not close until October so have at it! Rain is very unlikely but not impossible. |
PROS: Crowds are GONE! It's still warm, and trails are still open. Backcountry ranger stations are closing up now, so if you're going into the backcountry BE CAREFUL! Beware this is the time that weather can become treacherous. Usually October is pretty calm, but it's not unheard of to get a real strong storm. In 2004, many people were caught in the back country by an unusually heavy storm and either had to be rescued or they abandoned their equipment and literally ran out. I had a friend who did that and went back to get it in late June 2005. Autumn is starting to evidence itself. The end of the month brings the peak color change of the foliage. Photography is getting interesting again. The best time to see the fall colors is the last two weeks of October through the first week of November!! This is when you begin to be able to get a room without a lot of notice. During the week you can get a room at the Ahwahnee or Yosemite Lodge on a walk-in basis. (Weekends are always booked 100%.) Rain is
a 50-50 proposition. ***************************************
Special note: This couple from
Florida made a trip to Yosemite and sent me a detailed description of
their experiences. I include it here to provide more information on
a late September/early October visit:
"We hiked for four and a half days (we arrived on
Sunday and though we were tired, we immediately drove up Glacier Point Rd.
and hiked up to Sentinel Dome). The weather was spectacular - not a cloud
in the sky with nice cool temps. during the day - perfect for hiking. One
day, we drove up Tioga Rd. to do a hike in the high country, and the
temperature at the trailhead in the Tuolumne Campground was 23 degrees
when we set out. Fortunately, we packed our ski hats and gloves, even
though it was 90+ degrees here [in Florida] when we left. We walked up to
Elizabeth Lake where we ate a picnic lunch and didn't see another soul on
the trail until we were almost back to the trailhead. (I've enclosed a
photo I took of Marcia standing on the shore of the Lake which had the
beginnings of ice on the surface.) In addition to our Elizabeth Lake hike, we took
the day hikes you recommended, all of which were as spectacular as
advertised. We also took one hike Marcia picked from a book we had. It's
called the McGurk Meadow trail (I'm sure you know every trail up there, so
you're no doubt familiar with that one) that wanders through the woods and
across a couple of alpine meadows and then climbs up to Dewey Pt. We loved
that hike, in part because we enjoyed the variety of terrain, in part
because we met no one at all during the entire hike. We ate our lunch
sitting on the rocks at Dewey Pt. enjoying the magnificent view in total
solitude. In fact, the only time we encountered a crowd was on our last
day in the park when we hiked from the village up to Nevada Falls. We did
the trip the other way too - from Glacier Pt. - and met very few fellow
hikers. As you advised, we didn't attempt to climb Half Dome this time,
but intend to do that one on a future visit. We saw a number of deer, a
pile of lynx scat, but no lynx, and no bears, although we did get a very
strong bear smell in McGurk Meadow. My guess is that the bear was quite
nearby, maybe even tracking us, but like I said, we never saw it.
In any event, we're now totally hooked on
Yosemite and plan to return, next time backpacking into the back country.
We told our son all about it and hopefully he'll be able to get a couple
of days off from work to come with us. Once again, our deepest thanks for your kind
and invaluable assistance. Marcia and I are deeply grateful to you. I hope
all is well with you and that you're able to do some late fall hiking of
your own."
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PROS: Crowds are gone until Thanksgiving week. It's cooler and NICE! The first two weeks have really nice foliage colors still out, and it's a WONDERFUL time to hike on the valley floor. Backcountry ranger stations are closed, so if you're going into the backcountry BE CAREFUL! This the month when hard-core winter weather is likely, especially toward the end of the month. Leaves are falling in earnest, and storms are likely. You can still get a room or campsite during the week without any notice. (Weekends and Thanksgiving week are always booked 100%.) Rain is
likely. |
PROS: Crowds are gone until the week before Christmas. Again, hiking on the valley floor is a very romantic, calming endeavor. The first week of December you can still get a room or campsite during the week without notice. From the week before Christmas through the first week in January rooms are always booked 100%.
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