These are the best times to visit Yosemite National Park

29.03.2024 - 10:11 / lonelyplanet.com / El Capitan

From the moment you arrive, Yosemite dazzles with its natural good looks. One of America’s most iconic national parks and its third oldest, it captivates with myriad waterfalls, sky-grazing sequoias, gemstone-hued lakes, subalpine wilderness areas and granite cliffs and buttresses, like El Capitan and Half Dome.

High in the Sierra Mountains, Yosemite experiences four seasons, each offering something special for visitors. Summer is your best bet if you want to be practically guaranteed good weather, with May and June being the best months for peak flow at the waterfalls. But winter, when snow often blankets the park, is less crowded and has its own magic too. Here's our guide to the best times to visit Yosemite National Park.

Yosemite National Park attracts about 75% of its annual visitors between May and September. These months correspond with the best weather and are also when all the roads, trails, lodging, shuttles and attractions in the park are open. That includes its most famous drive, Tioga Rd, a 64-mile-long scenic byway that closes when the snow begins to fall.

On the downside, you’ll see the most crowds during the summer months, particularly in July and August. Still, if you've never visited Yosemite, going in late spring, summer or early fall really is best, as you’ll experience blue skies, impressive waterfalls and the most lodging choices.

Tip: Book early as peak-season lodging fills quickly, including the campgrounds.

To witness the stunning natural phenomenon known as the Yosemite firefall, you’ll want to visit in February. The firefall happens at sunset at Horsetail Falls, which tumbles over El Capitan’s eastern edge in winter. During the magic hour, the falls appear to be flowing lava, glowing yellow, orange and even red. It makes for a sweet video or photograph. 

If you’ve come to Yosemite to experience its countless waterfalls, you’ll want to visit in May or early June, when most of the winter snow melts away to create the most impressive waterfalls. By August many of them, including Yosemite Falls, will be reduced to a trickle or completely dry.

May and June are also great months to score swing-season lodging deals. Besides campsites, Yosemite has half a dozen in-park lodging options, from full-service hotels to traditional cabins and canvas-sided tents. Accommodation inside the park is usually fully booked at least a year in advance. However, when that isn't the case, May is the month you're most likely to find an available room nearer the time.

For the most comfortable temperatures and best chances of blue skies, visit in June or September, when daytime highs average between 70°F and 80°F and nighttime temps drop below 60°F.

Yosemite receives 95% of its rainfall between October and May,