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FeedWinter Wonderland
Visit Yosemite now that the crowds have gone.
Ice Skating in Curry Village Kerri Holden/DNC Parks and Resorts in Yosemite, Inc.
When you drive into Yosemite at dusk in winter, you feel as if you have the park all to yourself. Forty minutes later, after a drive through stunning mountain vistas, you arrive on the valley floor to discover that you’re not entirely alone.
A small community of Yosemite employees resides in the valley and keeps it a cozy destination for winter visitors, whose numbers are smaller and whose effect is tamer than that of the park’s summer throngs.
Lines are short, traffic is nonexistent, and the options for recreation are world-class, from snowshoeing while learning about red fir trees, to wine tasting, to floating in a steaming pool surrounded by snow-laced granite walls, to delving into a five-course dinner and hobnobbing with famous chefs, to skiing at the park’s quaint resort.
Ice Skating
Lace up your skates and twirl in the moonlight beneath Half Dome at the rink in Curry Village, a short distance from The Ahwahnee. Just don’t forget your scarf, mittens, and hat! Admission is $8 for adults, $6 for children. Skate rentals are $3
Skiing and Snowboarding at Badger Pass
Badger Pass ski resort was built in Yosemite National Park in 1935, and the lodge’s slanting wood ceilings, antique ski displays, and black-and-white pictures of Nic Fiore and other pros of decades past give the place a retro feel. A free shuttle runs twice daily from the valley to the resort, which is at an elevation of 7,200 feet. Badger Pass is not for black-diamond skiers (the longest drop is only 800 feet), but with 90 acres of groomed trails, first-rate instruction, and breathtaking alpine beauty, it’s an ideal setting for cross-country skiers, those just learning, and families with young children. The resort offers lessons to kids as young as four, as well as babysitting. All-access passes (including lessons and equipment rental) are $59 for adults and $49 for children
Snowshoeing at Badger Pass
Snowshoeing at Badger Pass
If you want to explore the snowy woods but you’re a nonskier, take a guided snowshoe walk with one of Yosemite’s well-informed rangers. The walks depart from the Badger Pass rangers station, where you’ll be outfitted with snowshoes and taken on a two-hour trek up Old Glacier Road, near the pass where horses and buggies once crossed the mountain. Along the way, you’ll take many breaks (snowshoeing is tiring!) and learn about the flora and fauna of the Sierra Nevada. Walks depart around 10:30 a.m. daily, and a $5 donation is requested.
Valley Floor Tours
Once you’ve expended all your energy snowshoeing and skiing, you might be in the mood for an easy bus tour of the valley. The spacious buses are heated, and the driver–tour guide stops at the best lookout locations for Half Dome, El Capitan, and Yosemite Falls. Tours depart several times daily from Yosemite Lodge. Tickets are $22 for adults, $18 for seniors, and $11.50 for children.
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| Chris Falkenstein/DNC Parks and Resorts at Yosemite, Inc. |
The Digs
The Ahwahnee, the most formal of the park’s three hotels, offers programs throughout the winter. You don’t have to be a guest there to participate in the events, but with its 10-foot-tall fireplaces, Native American meets art deco wall and tile motifs, and stately Great Lounge, The Ahwahnee offers a unique historic atmosphere. On our visit, the staff was courteous, lines were short, and guest rooms were newly renovated. The hotel keeps the outdoor pool hot in the dead of winter; the water is as warm as a bath. The experience of floating, as you gaze up at mountain walls, is transcendent.
Where to Eat
Where to Eat
The Ahwahnee Dining Room is gorgeous, and the Gala Dinners are unforgettable, but prices in the dining room run high, so stick with omelets at breakfast and French onion soup at lunch. For dinner, the Mountain Room at Yosemite Lodge has a wonderful, warm atmosphere, with soft lighting and exposed wood in the dining room. The menu satisfies with entrées such as pan-seared trout and braised lamb shank. Rooms at The Ahwahnee are outfitted with refrigerators so you can bring snacks to tide you over between meals, or duck into The Ahwahnee Bar for a quick bite or a drink. Don’t miss the free afternoon tea on The Ahwahnee’s mezzanine, where cookies are served fresh from the oven.
Bracebridge Dinners
A renaissance pageant and seven-course, four-hour feast, in which 100 park employees in period costumes play servants, minstrels, and the Lord of Misrule. The Bracebridge tradition at The Ahwahnee dates to 1927, when the hotel was built. Dinner for two, $375. Mid-December through Christmas.
Vintners’ Holidays
Meet top winemakers, attend tasting seminars, and enjoy a five-course Gala Dinner at The Ahwahnee. Two- and three-night packages for two from $941. Late October through early December.
Chefs’ Holidays
Hobnob with famous chefs, attend cooking demonstrations, and enjoy a five-course Gala Dinner prepared by one of the visiting chefs at The Ahwahnee. Two- and three-night packages for two from $1,025. Early January through early February.
Heritage Holidays
Tour The Ahwahnee, which was built in 1927, and learn how it once embodied the spirit of the roaring ’20s. Attend a modern-day speakeasy and a period ball in the dining room with a 12-piece jazz orchestra and a dance performance by the Deco Belles. Two- and three-day packages for two from $699. Early March
Don’t Forget
If you're planning a winter visit to Yosemite, youll need to pick up some chains for your tires. A set usually costs less than $30. Signs inside the park will indicate if you need to put on your chains.
