Snowshoeing through a Yosemite forest after a snowstorm, when a profound quiet settles on the land, is not to be missed.

The Sierra National Forest surrounds Tenaya Lodge, offering miles of potential snowshoe trails without even getting in your car. Just a couple miles up the road, you have access to snowshoe trails leading into the Mariposa Grove, where you will be awed by the quiet of the grove in winter as you meander among the giants. The Mariposa Grove in winter is an unforgettable experience and Tenaya Lodge is the perfect basecamp. We offer the closest accommodations to the the grove.

A little farther afield, hundreds of miles of trails await you at Badger Pass. Badger Pass is the center of Yosemite winter activity and snowshoeing is no exception. Depending on your fitness level, you can explorer the forests right around Badger Pass, hike out to Dewey Point for incomparable views of El Capitan and Yosemite Valley, or make the long but rewarding trek out to Taft Point and Sentinel Dome.

At the end of a perfect winter’s day, stop by one of Tenaya Lodge’s blazing fire pits for a nightcap and s'mores.

For those without snowshoes of their own, Tenaya Lodge offers snowshoe rentals for your Yosemite and Sierra National Forest hikes.

For a guided snowshoe experience, join a Tenaya guide for a snowshoe hike in the Sierra National Forest. Snowshoes provided. After dark, explore the Sierra National Forest by starlight on a mile-plus guided snowshoe hike by flashlight.  

Suggested Snowshoe Walks

Please note that these walks may or may not have snow depending on conditions at that elevation.

• Tenaya Lodge Nature Trail (elevation: 5200 feet). A casual walk of a bit more than a mile through the forests around Tenaya Lodge.
• Jackson Road. Leave right from Tenaya and walk out Jackson Road (snowshoes generally not needed except soon after snowfalls) and pick a side trail through the woods. The horseback trails are nice and the Tenaya concierge can give you a map to the small waterfall about 2.5 miles away on a spur trail off Jackson Road.
• Goat Meadow (elevation: 5200 feet; see Google Maps). Goat Meadow is a jumping off point for many miles of trail up to Mount Raymond, Biledo Meadow and even the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. The trails were once marked with good signs by the Forest Service, but many signs have fallen down, so a GPS is needed to find your way here.
• Mariposa Grove. When the road to the Mariposa Grove is closed due to snow, it makes for a moderate and very easy to follow track into the grove and the magic of giant sequoias in winter with few other visitors around.
• Dewey Point (elevation: 7,200 feet). An area classic. From Badger Pass parking area, follow Glacier Point Road for about half a mile and then choose between the Dewey Ridge Trail or the Dewey Meadow Trail a bit further along. Trail maps available in the Nordic Center at the Yosemite Ski and Snowboard Area (at Badger Bass).