Hiking and driving options are limited in Yosemite in the wintertime, but the crowds are much smaller. From December to February, only 9 percent of the park’s 5 million-plus annual visitors show up, according to park visitation statistics. Yosemite’s winter weather can be cold, especially at the higher elevations. The Yosemite Valley is at 4,000 feet elevation and even if it snows. The Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area is at Badger Pass. It includes a terrain park along with beginner and intermediate slopes, making it a good place for kids and others just learning to ski.

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Located in central California, Yosemite National Park was established in 1890. It is managed by the National Park Service, covers an area of 747,956 acres and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. About 3.8 million people visit Yosemite each year: most spend the majority of their time in the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley.

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Yosemite’s first residents were Native Americans who may have first inhabited the region as many as 10,000 years ago. Yosemite National Park was created in 1890, largely due to the efforts of writer and naturalist John Muir. On October 1, 1890, the U.S. Congress set aside more than 1,500 square miles of reserved forest lands, soon to be known as Yosemite National Park. Many species of native wildflowers and trees can be found in Yosemite. Trees include the Giant Sequoia, which can live up to 3,000 years and are considered to be the largest living thing on the planet. It is also home to several animal species, some of which have been saved from extinction. Bighorn sheep, golden eagles and peregrine falcons are just some of the creatures that have comfortably increased their numbers. There are between 300 to 500 black bears.

Wildcat Falls Rock

Full Moonrise over Tunnel View

Yosemite Falls Reflection

Moonrise over Bridalveil Fall

Merced River Ice

Cathedral Rocks

Columbia Rock

El Capitan

Three Brothers Morning

Sunset on Half Dome

Moonrise over Tunnel View

Moonrise over Tunnel View

El Capitan Reflection

Moonrise Over Half Dome

Wildcat Falls Reflection

Wildcat Falls

Tunnel View

Gates of the Valley Mist

Three Brothers in Morning Light

Three Brothers Reflections

El Capitan Mist

Cathedral Rocks in Mist

Cascade Creek Falls

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