December 29, 2025 – Yosemite National Park officials ask the question… 

Have you ever wondered what it was like to visit Yosemite National Park before cars existed? How about in winter?

Today Yosemite welcomes visitors year-round, but the park was once a three-season travel destination with the winter months reachable only to the boldest adventurers braving the snow. In the summer, spring, and fall, a journey to Yosemite from San Francisco took four days by stage, train, or early automobile. When winter arrived, deep snow and scarce services turned that journey into a daunting challenge, making the park nearly unreachable until spring thawed the way. At the sight of the first snowflake, even the most seasoned locals would migrate to lower, warmer elevations, with a bold few staying behind year-round.

In the twentieth century, visiting the park during its coldest months became a possibility as infrastructure was developed to help make this winter wonderland more accessible to the public. Lodges and restaurants soon offered refuge from the cold, while the opening of the Badger Pass ski area and the Curry Village ice rink encouraged winter-time activities. Then, with the arrival of the modern automobile and the construction of the all-season Highway 140, adventure in Yosemite awaited, no matter the season.

Thanks to these advancements, Yosemite National Park invites visitors today to experience its breathtaking winter beauty, transforming what was once a formidable journey into a cherished seasonal tradition.

This picture (below) of Wawona Tunnel, taken in December 1934, shows just how snowy higher elevation routes into the park like Highway 41 can get. Your car may not be a stage or early automobile, but snow still turns any park road icy enough to cause dangerous conditions. Chain restrictions or even road closures can occur at any time.

For the most up-to-date road condition information, please call (209) 372-0200 (then 1,1) or check out go.nps.gov/chains for more.

Source & photo: NPS