Dewey Point via Badger Pass Ski Area

Take the one-hour shuttle ride from the Yosemite Lodge to the Yosemite Ski Area, so that you don't have to worry about driving in the snowy conditions, or finding parking. If you don’t own snowshoes, you can easily rent a pair from the rental shop for the day. Current rates are $24.00 for a full day, and $21.00 for a half-day.

There are several trails in the area for both snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, but we thought Dewey Point would be the most scenic as it takes you about 3.5 miles out to the edge of the cliffs overlooking Yosemite Valley. The trail starts right outside of the rental shop, and begins with a slight ascent up the Glacier Point Road for about one mile. There are two trails that intersect with the road, that will take you to Dewey Point. The first you will come across is Ridge Trail, which is a bit more strenuous than Meadow Trail, which you will find just a bit further down the road. At the end of each you will be rewarded with stunning views of Yosemite Valley from above.

If you are taking the shuttle, be sure to check the schedule and plan your adventures carefully, as you will most likely have a slower pace snowshoeing than you would hiking. When we went there were two shuttles in the morning up to the ski area (I believe 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.), and two in the afternoon to take you back (2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.). We thought we would take the early shuttle out and back, but our hike took longer than we anticipated. We ended up getting back to the ski area around 3:00 p.m., so we missed the shuttle we intended to take. Luckily, we still had another option, otherwise we my have been stuck!

For more information about this adventure in the summer, check out Backpack to Dewey Point.