We were impressed with how many incredible hikes were accessible in Yosemite throughout the winter. You can traipse through impressive sequoia groves, hike for grand views, snowshoe, or just explore the valley floor. You can’t go wrong no matter what hike you choose here!

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Parking passes

Leave no trace

Pet-friendly trails

Hikes organized by area:

Parking Passes

To enter and hike within Yosemite National Park, you’ll need to pay for one of two passes. The first, and most expensive, option is the America the Beautiful Pass. At $80, it covers all national park entrance fees for a year from the time of purchase.

The other option is to purchase a Yosemite National Park Pass. These range from $20 per person (consider taking the park’s shuttles) to $35 per vehicle.

Leave No Trace Principles

Following the Leave No Trace Principles while hiking throughout Yosemite is so important. Please stay on trails, respect trails with closures, pack out everything you pack in, and do not feed the wildlife.

Pet-friendly trails

Pets are allowed in the park – on leashes no more than six feet long – on paved roads, sidewalks, and bike paths (except when signs are posted not allowing pets). Pets are not allowed on dirt trails, wilderness and undeveloped areas, meadows, beaches, or waterways.

We’ve marked which trails are pet-friendly below. Please follow B.A.R.K. rules and help protect pets and wildlife in the park.

B: Bag your poop
A: Always wear a leash
R: Respect Wildlife
K: Know where to go

Service dogs are permitted anywhere that visitors can go; however, emotional support, therapy, and companion animals – as well as service animals in training – must abide by all pet regulations.

Hikes organized by area:

Yosemite Valley

Valley Loop

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 20.4 miles

Elevation gain: 1,286 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: Yes

This trail follows the roads and loops around the Yosemite Valley. You’ll likely find yourself on it at least once during your trip because walking from site to site is often more practical than driving or waiting for the shuttle. Along this trail you’ll see signs with mileage – these all tell the mileage from point to point, not round trip.

Bridalveil Falls

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 0.8 miles

Elevation gain: 114 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: Yes

Nearest shuttle stop: None

We preferred hiking to see this waterfall up close over Yosemite Falls. The path to the overlook is uphill and paved, but if that’s unmanageable, walk about 0.2 miles down the paved path to the bridge here – the view from here is just as beautiful and significantly less crowded.

Yosemite Falls

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 1.2 miles

Elevation gain: 55 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: Yes

Nearest shuttle stop: Camp 4, shuttle stop #7

The nearest day parking to Yosemite Falls is at the far east end of Yosemite Village. If you’ll be walking from there, it adds a half mile in each direction. Otherwise, the trail is relatively flat and paved.

Hiking to Upper Yosemite Falls is also popular, although it was closed due to rockfalls along the trail during our visit. This, as well as dangerous icy conditions, is common throughout the winter, so don’t count on this trail being accessible.

Artist Point

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 2 miles

Elevation gain: 761 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: No

Nearest shuttle stop: None

Park at the ever-popular Tunnel View and start your hike on the Pohono Trail to the Old Wawano Road. From there, you’ll find a clearing with a similar view to Tunnel Falls 0.5 miles into the trail and none of the crowds.

Inspiration Point

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 2 miles

Elevation gain: 761 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: No

Nearest shuttle stop: None

Like Artist Point, this trail begins at Tunnel View and offers similar sights. Hike up the Pohono Trail to the viewpoint and hike down the Old Wawona Road just past the overlook to add distance and make it a lollipop loop.

Mirror Lake Loop

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 1.2 miles

Elevation gain: 55 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pas

Pet-friendly: No

Nearest shuttle stop: Mirror Lake Trailhead, stop #17

Our first impression of Mirror Lake was utter disappointment. Thankfully, it wasn’t long until we wandered further around the lake and found the reflections we were hoping for. Afterward, we learned that the lake is seasonal. You won’t find much of a lake before mid-December.

If you’re looking to shorten this trail, start your hike from the Yosemite Valley Shuttle Stop #17 and walk along the Mirror Lake Trail and seldom-used Mirror Lake Road. This makes the trek just under a two-miles roundtrip with very little elevation gain.

We saw the best views across from the bathroom here, and just up the path past them. If you have a vehicle with a disability placard, you can drive and park at the bathrooms (source).

Vernal Falls and Nevada Falls via the Mist Trail

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 6.4 miles

Elevation gain: 2,208 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: No

Nearest shuttle stop: Happy Isles, shuttle stop #16

If you’re a waterfall lover, hike to Vernal and Nevada Falls, located near Curry Village. This route did have a detour due to rockfalls while we visited, so make sure to read trail signs or ask rangers about how to reach these waterfalls safely.

Sentinel Meadow Cook’s Meadow Loop

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 2 miles

Elevation gain: 78 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: No

Nearest shuttle stop: Lower Yosemite Falls, shuttle stop #6

While we were getting our bearing during the first day in the park, we just missed pulling aside to park near the Yosemite Valley Chapel, so we parked at the Yosemite Falls Vantage Point instead. From there, we walked east on Cook's Meadow Loop, over Superintendent’s Bridge, to the chapel and back. This route is approximately a half mile each way.

You’ll see the best views of Yosemite Falls from the meadow here and learn about the 1997 flood. While we may have been tempted to stay in the car if we hadn’t missed the chapel, our little jaunt here was a highlight of our first day in the valley.

Snow Creek Trail

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 9.3 miles

Elevation gain: 2,985 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pas

Pet-friendly: No

Nearest shuttle stop: Mirror Lake Trailhead, stop #17

If you’re up for a strenuous hike, head to Mirror Lake and follow the Tenaya Creek Canyon upriver. Once you’re about a mile past Mirror Lake, you’ll begin climbing switchbacks. Although you can turn around at any point, you’ll know you’ve reached the viewpoint when you get to the footbridge at 2,700 feet.

Come prepared to hike here with microspikes and snowshoes on the lower portion of the trail, although the upper portion usually melts out with good weather.

Badger Pass Ski Area

Dewey Point

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 7.3 miles

Elevation gain: 744 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: No

This is a great moderate snowshoe. Once there is enough snow at the Badger Pass Ski Area, the trail is groomed for cross-country skiing, so it’s easy to follow and it has no avalanche danger along the route.

Respect the ski track and snowshoe to the side of the groomed trail. Rentals are available at Badger Pass Ski Area.

Mariposa Grove

Grizzly Giant Loop Trail

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 2 miles

Elevation gain: 383 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: No

Don’t be fooled by the mileage AllTrails advertises here. This is the correct mileage to hike here in the summer. In the winter, you must hike two additional miles from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza to the Grove Arrival Area in each direction.

Combine that with the loop passing by the Grizzly Giant and California Tunnel Tree and you’re at a total of 6 miles.

Wawona Point

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 10.7 miles

Elevation gain: 1,719 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: No

If you’re feeling adventurous, you can hike five miles into the Mariposa Grove. Make your own route between looping paths or hike to Wawona Point and you’re sure to find solitude.

Big Oak Flat Road

Merced Grove Trail

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 4.2 miles

Elevation gain: 731 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: No

This grove is the smallest in Yosemite, with approximately 20 giant sequoia trees. It’s the least trafficked of the park’s three groves – likely because you have to walk up a large hill on the way back to the trailhead.

Tuolumne Grove Trail

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 2.7 miles

Elevation gain: 623 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: Yes, only on the paved trails throughout the grove, not the side trails

Trek here to see nearly two dozen mature sequoia trees, including walking through the Dead Tree Tunnel, and enjoy interpretive signs along the way.

Hetch Hetchy Reservoir

Tueeulala Falls

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 4.7 miles

Elevation gain: 1,092 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: Yosemite Entrance Fee or an America the Beautiful Pass

Pet-friendly: No

This waterfall is on the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. Park near the dam, walk across it, through a tunnel, and onto the trail as far as Tueeulala Falls. When we visited, the trail was closed beyond that, so you’ll likely be unable to reach Wapama Falls during a winter visit.

Hikes outside Yosemite National Park

Merced River Trail

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 5.6 miles

Elevation gain: 314 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: None

Pet-friendly: Yes

Since this hike has such a small parking area, you won’t encounter many others along the trail. The views of the river canyon and wildlife (look for newts!) are beautiful, and it’s usually snow-free. There is little shade along the trail, so bring sun protection.

Hites Cove Trail

Trail description: Alltrails

Distance: 6.9 miles

Elevation gain: 1,069 feet

Season: Year-round

Parking Pass needed: None

Pet-friendly: Yes

This trailhead is located ten miles up the road from the Merced River Trail. It’s more popular, and parking is on the road across from the start of the trail. It’s very exposed, so bring sun protection.

What to pack

Check this list for all our favorite hiking gear with insider tips on what to look for when shopping for yourself and this packing list for your road trip essentials.