• View of Half Dome and Washington Column in Yosemite Valley

    Yosemite

    National Park California

Winter Sports

Cross-Country Skiing and Snowshoeing
Several marked winter trails are available, generally from mid December through March. Yosemite Valley usually doesn't have sufficient snow for skiing or snowshoeing.

Brochures (including maps) for each of the areas with winter trails are available as PDF files (200-500 kb in size).

In addition, the National Park Service offers ranger-led snowshoe walks from mid-December through March (conditions permitting). See Yosemite Guide for a schedule of current programs.


Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding
Badger Pass ski area is home to the oldest downhill skiing area in California and offers downhill skiing and snowboarding from mid-December through March.

Lessons, Equipment Rentals, and Lift Tickets
DNC Parks & Resorts at Yosemite rents downhill and cross-country skis, snowboards, and snowshoes at Badger Pass. DNC also offers skiing and snowboarding lessons at Badger Pass. Snowshoes (but not skis) are also available for rent at the Crane Flat store.

Ice Skating
An outdoor ice skating rink in Yosemite Valley (at Curry Village) is open from mid-November to mid-March.

 

Did You Know?

Sierra Sweet Bay

In Wawona and downstream, the South Fork Merced River provides habitat for a rare plant, the Sierra sweet bay (Myrica hartwegii). This special status shrub is found in only five Sierra Nevada counties. In Yosemite, it occurs exclusively on sand bars and river banks along the South Fork Merced River downstream from Wawona and on Big Creek.