Yosemite-A Winter Wonderland

A photo essay on the best season to enjoy its magic and solitude

Photos by John Williamson

Tunnel View, Yosemite

Half Dome and the Merced River from Sentinal Bridge

An alpine meadow blanketed in snow

Snowshoeing at Badger Pass

A majestic view from the Badger Pass X-Country Trail

El Capitan

Yosemite Falls

Bridalveil Falls

If You Go

Winter in Yosemite is the best season to enjoy the magic of breathtaking scenery without the crowds. And sightseeing on snowshoes preserves its solitude. Snowshoes can be rented at the Badger Pass ski area.

A wide range of accommodations are available inside the park from heated cabins in Curry Village to the very affordable Yosemite Valley Lodge, and for those who want to splurge the historic Ahwahnee Hotel.

Also see these other stories about Yosemite published in BATW’s Stories of Travel, Culture, and the World:

Yosemite Ranger Shelton Johnson by Erin Deinzer

Explore the Wild Side of Yosemite by Inga Aksamit

Yosemite’s Sierra Point by Anne Sigmon

Do you want to visit Yosemite this Summer but don’t have a Reservation? by David Laws

Yosemite in Winter by Carol Canter