Escape into the natural wilderness of Yosemite National Park. One of California’s premier physical wonders—and just a four-to-five hour jaunt from Reno—the rugged trails, streaming waterfalls, and vibrant rainbows make the outdoorsman’s paradise look like a scene straight out of a fairy tale.
The landscapes here are ever changing, which makes slipping into a stay any time of year both adventurous and nuanced. You can visit when it's quiet and snow falls over giant sequoias, or come during peak season when camping inside of the park is a comfortable experience. Regardless of the season, vacations in Yosemite promise to be both momentous and still, filled with equal parts adventure and tranquility, finding connection while you simultaneously unplug.
Winter
If you want to see Yosemite like you’ve never seen it before, visit during the winter months. Perhaps the region’s most spectacular winter offering is the natural phenomenon called Firefall, sparking a festival each year (Feb. 8-23, 2025). Called “the firefall,” the spectacle is created when the setting sun illuminates Horsetail Fall. The effect makes the side of the mountain appear as if it is on fire or doused in a river of gold.
The event has become so popular that reservations are required for many dates in February when the firefall is visible. While it’s impossible to predict exactly when firefall will be most brilliant, looking for a clear western sky, a flowing waterfall, and studying the angle of the sunlight gives some cues.
Yosemite National Park and the surrounding valley is also routinely doused in snowfall, and while some of the access roads between Reno and Yosemite close for the season, you can add just 30 minutes or so to your drive and make your way around the closures.
Inside Mariposa, Badger Pass Ski Area offers lift service inside of the national park—one of three national parks with this feature. There’s a challenging terrain park, plenty of runs accessible by chair lift, and miles of groomed trails for cross country skiers. You can even partake in snow tubing and snowshoeing.
If you don’t want to do it on your own, opt for a guided experience through the Yosemite Mountaineering School & Guide Service for cross country ski lessons, or consider a Glacier Point ski hut trip.
Since 1928, The Curry Village Ice Rink has been a staple of the park allowing guests to enjoy outdoor ice skating in the heart of Yosemite Valley. And when you’re finished, you can hunker down with a warm beverage around a fire pit with views of Half Dome in the distance.
Spring
Spring offers the quiet before the chaos. From April to October, park reservations are often required in order to mitigate the crowds that flock here. Early spring creates an opportunity for a spur of the moment visit. While there may still be snow perched on the peaks, plenty of the trails are easily accessible this time of year, and with the waterfalls flowing and wildflowers blooming, it’s also, perhaps, the most colorful time to visit.
A hike up Vernal Fall is ideal for taking in the best this season has to offer. It’s open year round (with an alternative route in winter) and offers a steep, rock staircase to the top. If you’d like to see what the beginning of the Half Dome trail is like, this is your chance; everyone who hikes over Half Dome starts here. It’s also your starting point to Nevada Fall, which you can reach by moving a couple more vertical miles after finishing Vernal.
The trail itself is known for getting slippery, in large part because it passes by one of Yosemite’s best waterfalls, proffering rainbow views from several stop offs as well as a waterfall viewing point at the base, called The Mist Trail.
Other hikes ideal for waterfall viewing include Upper Yosemite Falls, Half Dome via the John Muir Trail (of course you’ll need a separate reservation to hike Half Dome), Alder Creek, and Waterwheel Falls.
Then, there’s the wildflowers. Most blooms open in mid-spring, and several trails are specifically noted for their wildflower bursts. In all, there are more than 1,400 wildflower species inside of the park. In early March, it helps to stay at lower elevations. The first showings of the floral blanket to come tend to pop up near the Merced River Canyon or in Hetch-Hetchy. You can also catch early risers along Cook’s Meadow Loop and Wawona Meadow Loop. At higher elevations, you may notice pops of red in the snow-covered hills; these belong to the first higher elevation flowers of the season.
Summer
Summer is Yosemite’s busy season, and for good reason. The valley floor tends to stay cooler than surrounding climates, but it’s still warm enough to wander the park in short sleeves and shorts. This time of year, the trails are all open, the snow has melted off, and the ability to camp inside of Yosemite National Park is alluring, with campgrounds offered through the National Park Service.
Another benefit of visiting in peak season is most of the amenities are open, so you’re less limited by seasonal restaurant closings.
A great place to start with summer adventures is (again) the Yosemite Mountaineering School & Guide Service. This tour operator provides guided hikes, rock climbing lessons, and overnight backpacking trips throughout Yosemite Valley.
Perhaps the best part of summer in Yosemite, however, is treating your vacation like family summer camp. Stays at Firefall Ranch, Evergreen Lodge, and Tenaya Lodge all offer these camp-like experiences. The first is akin to a sprawling camp campus complete with a 24-hour pool, nightly smores roasting, a volleyball court, 18 holes of mini golf, a nine-hole disc golf course, complimentary cruiser bikes strewn about the property, and other games and events. With onsite restaurants, you never have to leave the resort until you’re ready to go into the park. And as an added bonus, in Groveland it’s closer to Reno than most.
Evergreen Lodge is the sister property to Firefall and includes many of the same amenities with a more rustic vibe. Meals are made on site and can be eaten indoors or outside on large picnic tables. There are individual cabins for families, a communal game room, and plenty of firepits and other outdoor games.
Tenaya Lodge takes summer vacations very seriously and caters to the family crowd. You could have a staycation here without even visiting Yosemite and it would still be worth it (although we don’t recommend skipping the park if you’ve never been).
In the morning, a breakfast buffet makes getting the day started easy followed by complimentary smores each night. A board filled with on-site activities uses every corner of the sprawling property to maximize the experience. We personally enjoy archery lessons hosted amongst the trees and free mountain bike rentals and trail maps that can even lead you to a hidden waterfall. There’s a full spa (open to all guests of the resort, and with paid treatments), an indoor game room featuring everything from video games to skiball, and an indoor pool that plays dive-in movies. (There’s an outdoor pool, too).
The vast array of dining options makes Tenaya an easy choice for those who crave variety. In addition to Jackalope’s Bar & Grill, Parkside Deli, and Embers (a fine dining restaurant) in the main lodge, a short walk to Timberloft Pizzeria (still on site) is always an option. Plus, lodging includes both private cabins and hotel rooms inside of the main building.
Fall
As the leaves change from vibrant shades of green to fiery oranges, reds, and yellows, Yosemite National Park transforms once more. The waterfalls start to dry up and the wildflowers have come and gone, but the weather has also begun to cool and the busy park is slowing for the season.
This time of year, the vast array of trails are open so you can traipse through the forests and the foothills in search of changing leaves. There are several coves on the valley floor that come alive with the colors of autumn. The Mirror Lake Trail, a short, paved option, and along the base of El Capitan, one of Yosemite’s looming mountains reaching a captivating 7,573 feet in elevation, are positive places to find surges of color. This can also be a good time of year to brave Half Dome if you can stomach the journey, but remember you’ll need a specific hiking permit to do so.
Outside of the park, fall is also our favorite time to visit Sierra Cider, a homegrown apple farm and cidery. The married couple who purchased the business to get away from the hustle and bustle of their busy L.A. lives bring in skeletons for decorations, hosts fall festivals and scary apple grove mazes, and even brews themed ciders for the occasion. Kids can pick their own apples while visiting the farm and adults can enjoy the view from the top of the two-story tasting room overlooking the trees.
Regardless of when you book your trip, Yosemite National Park is alive with opportunities to adventure with friends, family, a significant other, or even alone, enjoying the beauty of the great outdoors in a setting that boasts some of the most spectacular vistas and gargantuan rock formations in the world.