Stay on trails to protect growing plants and plan for wet feet. Marked trails may be hard or impossible to follow; hikers should have GPS, as well as map and compass (and know how to use them). Tioga Road is typically open to vehicles from late May or June until sometime in November.
A: Tioga Road, Glacier Point Road, and the Mariposa Grove Road close seasonally in the winter to vehicular traffic. Tioga Road is closed just past the entrance to the Tuolumne Grove (the trees are accessible year-round) all the way to the Tioga park entrance on the other side.
things to do in novemberThere are a number of options in Mariposa Grove, Hetch Hetchy, and Wawona that offer great views and snow-free areas to explore without the aid of snowshoes. Some of the valley trails, such as Bridalveil Falls and Vernal Falls, may still be open, although the waterfalls will be low.
November is one of the least crowded times in Yosemite. Parking lots that fill by 9am in the summer are half-empty at noon in November. Nature is quieter too. Bears are typically busy putting on fat for hibernation and, if the snows come early, may even bed down for the winter before the end of November.
Tioga Road. Tioga Road closes due to snow, usually from sometime in November through late May or early June. The road closure extends from the Tuolumne Grove, just east of Crane Flat, to Tioga Pass Entrance Station.
There are so many incredible hiking trails along Tioga Road that offer spectacular views. Hiking in Yosemite's “high country” is perfect for the day-hiker who wants to escape the crowds of the Yosemite Valley and enjoy the serene beauty of the Yosemite Wilderness and breathe in the fresh alpine air.
What areas of Yosemite can I visit? You can drive to Yosemite Valley, Wawona, Crane Flat, and Hetch Hetchy all year (although, tire chains may be required). Additionally, the Badger Pass Ski Area is open from about mid-December through March. YARTS provides bus service to Yosemite Valley.
Most of the trails in Yosemite Valley that don't lead up the valley walls are open year round. Bridalveil Fall, Lower Yosemite Falls, Mirror Lake, and the Vernal-Fall-footbridge section of the Mist Trail are all hikable, except after unusually heavy snowfalls.
Chains are often required on roads both inside and outside of Yosemite from November through March, less often in October and April, and rarely in September or May.