Yosemite National Park is open year-round with recreational activities for every outdoor enthusiast. Campsites fill by noon during the summer; plan ahead to pick a site. Staying in the park limits your carbon-footprint and puts you close to the activities. There is plenty to do in every season: Hiking trails turn into snowshoe paths in winter when the Yosemite Valley is less crowded.
Campgrounds
Yosemite has 13 campgrounds; five are on a reservation system only: Hodgdon Meadow, Wawona, Upper Pines, Lower Pines and North Pines. First-come, first-served camping is available at Camp 4, Bridalveil Creek, Tamarack Flat, White Wolf, Yosemite Creek and Porcupine Flat. Half of the sites at Crane Flat and Tuolumne Meadows are on the reservation system. Glen Aulin, May Lake, Sunrise, Merced Lake and Vogelsang are backcountry campgrounds reached by hiking; they can't be reserved, but they require a backcountry permit.
Winter
Winter brings deep snow and road closings in Yosemite; Tioga Road closes in November and reopens in late-May. Glacier Point/Badger Pass Road is plowed to the Badger Pass Ski Area from mid-December to early April. Tires chains may be required on park roads. Open drive-in campgrounds include Hodgdon Meadows, with 105 sites; Wawona, with 93 sites; and Upper Pines, with 238. Camp 4, which is on the National Register of Historic Places because of its history in the development of sport rock climbing, has 35 tent sites. Rent skates and go ice-skating at Curry Village.
Spring
Warmer temperatures bring melting snow, filling the park's waterfalls with run-off. Lower Pines and North Pines Campgrounds open in mid-March. Sunny, warm days are possible, but prepare for cooler nights and the possibility of spring snowstorms. Backpacking trails are limited until all of the snow melts, so concentrate on hikes located in the Yosemite Valley, Wawona and Hetch Hetchy districts. At an altitude of more than 4,000 feet, spring is too early for wildflower walks.
Summer
Expect crowds when visiting Yosemite in the summer. With the Tioga Road opening in June, all the campgrounds and roads are open. Valley wildflowers bloom in June, while up in the Tuolumne Meadows, sub-alpine flowers will appear in July. Horseback and mule rides are offered through stables at Tuolumne, Yosemite Valley and Wawona. Ninety-five percent of Yosemite is wilderness, with 750 miles of trails; take a day-hike or backpack for a night or two.
Fall
The vast majority of trees are evergreen, but the few deciduous trees change their colors around mid-October. Come prepared to camp as though it was early winter; snow can occur at any time at higher altitudes, and the Tioga Road has no services after September. Stream and river fishing ends Nov. 15, but lake and reservoirs can be fished year-round. The backcountry closes for the season, so check the weather forecast and hike on a trail in the valley.
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