The forest in winter is a special, quiet place where nature sleeps but for the wind in the trees. Join one of Tenaya's nature guides and experience this special world where the stars shine extra bright in the cold air and learn about winter in the forests near Yosemite. Snowshoes are included!

The winter Milky Way, when we're looking out toward the outer edge of the galaxy is not as bright as the summer Milky Way when we're looking in toward the center, but on a clear night it still shines to the naked eye. The Milky Way has inspired artists, philosophers, scientists and poets for thousands of years, and yet in 80% of America, it is invisible because of light pollution from the city. In fact, 99% of Americans live in places where the Milky Way is no longer generally visible, according to National Geographic.

Of course, we can control the weather and can't guarantee a clear night, but when the moon is new and the skies are clear up here at an elevation of over 5,000 feet, far from the bright lights of the city, the Milky Way shines in the sky like it did for our ancestors. And under a full moon, you can walk the forests by the light of the moon as did the first people to walk these lands.

Fun Fact: The Milky Way weighs 700 billion times as much as our sun! (source: National Geographic).