Fall ColorDaytime temperatures are mild and perfect for hiking. Less visitors in the park compared to the summer months provide a feeling of solitude. Fall color typically starts late September into early October in Yosemite Valley.
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October in Yosemite is one of the best times of year to be in the park. The number of visitors has severely decreased, making crowds much more manageable. The roads will be clear of traffic and the parking lots more accessible.
Yosemite is home to countless waterfalls. The best time to see waterfalls is during spring, when most of the snowmelt occurs. Peak runoff typically occurs in May or June, with some waterfalls (including Yosemite Falls) often only a trickle or completely dry by August.
May through September is the most popular time in YosemiteThese 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.
One downside: The year-round waterfalls will still be flowing – waterfalls like Vernal, Nevada, and Bridalveil, but unless it's already rained before you arrive, ephemeral waterfalls like the great Yosemite Falls may be dry or barely a trickle.
Yosemite enthusiasts usually visit the Park during off season months. Fall which starts towards the end of September is one of the best months for hiking and a great time to visit when summer crowds decline dramatically after the Labor Day holiday when children start heading back to school.
If you are into light activity and sightseeing, a medium-weight jacket over layers will suffice. Just in case, bring a hat and gloves to ward off the night chill. Day hikers or treaded walking shoes are necessary whether you are walking a valley trail on a ranger-led hike or heading up steeper trails.
In Yosemite National Park in October, there's a 11% chance of rain or snow on an average day. And on the average day it rains or snows, we get 0.57 in (14.5 mm) of precipitation. In more common terms of how much that is, some would describe it as flurries.
Best time to see the Yosemite firefall in 2023Generally, the phenomenon appears just before sunset on clear days, right as the sun hits the waterfall at a particular angle.
Plan on spending two to four days in Yosemite if you want enough time to see all the amazing sights. This will give you plenty of time to see Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, Glacier Point, and enjoy some hiking trails.
Another downside to Yosemite in September is that the waterfalls won't be as full and flourishing. The snow from the previous winter will be all but melted, and with Yosemite's typically dry summers, there will not be very much water to tumble over the cliffs in late summer.
Visiting Yosemite in October means you do not have to reserve an entrance slot for the park. The reservation system begins in May and ends on September 30.
Yosemite in autumn is most notable for the absence of two things: raging waterfalls and raging crowds. If you don't mind the former, you'll certainly appreciate the latter. Those famous Yosemite Valley crowds start thinning out after Labor Day and don't recover again until the following May.
Due to its steep, glacier-carved cliffs, Yosemite Valley experiences many rockfalls each year. Historical records indicate that more than 1,000 rockfalls have occurred in the park during the past 150 years.
American black bears found in Yosemite National Park have long been of intense interest to park visitors and managers. Seeing one of the approximately 300 to 500 black bears in Yosemite can evoke excitement, awe, and fear. If visitors spot a bear while in the park, it is a black bear-not a brown or grizzly bear.
However, the vast majority of visitors show up during the 5-month period from May to October, which means that from November to April, the park is largely crowd-free and wonderfully quiet. If you visit Yosemite National Park during March and April or October and November, you'll avoid the crowds.
Some of the falls, such as Yosemite Falls, usually dry up altogether near late September. While other falls, such as Vernal and Nevada Falls, flow all year, they will be reduced to a trickle. The bugs will buzz about in September, obliging visitors to put on bug spray.
These two mighty waterfalls form a cascade in which the Merced River flows down into the valley and create what is called the “giant staircase.” Another one of our hidden gems in Yosemite, Illilouette Fall can be glimpsed from the legendary Mist Trail, but to really get a good view of it, you need to do some hiking.
Horsetail Fall is a small, ephemeral waterfall that flows over the eastern edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley. For two weeks in February, the setting sun striking the waterfall creates a deep orange glow.