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Visiting Yosemite in the Spring — March, April, May
Spring in Yosemite means WATER.
Powerful rushing rivers tempt you to get closer. Huge waterfalls rumbling.
Spring is the best time to see the incredible waterfalls throughout Yosemite and noticeably less crowded than
summer
. Weekends are busy, and the fervor builds every weekend until Memorial Day. However, even as late as May,
weekdays are calm and peaceful
, and you may find yourself with a giant meadow, trail or viewpoint all to yourself. Snow shines down from the high country and sometimes, especially in March and April, snow will start falling again, with winter not quite ready to give up.
May is our second-favorite month of the year in Yosemite (after
October
)
.
Days are long, the weather almost always nice, and every corner holds a promise of new life. Park services reduced or closed during the winter reopen. Spring comes a little later in the mountains and we love the small flower buds, bright green tips of new life on trees, and the water flowing everywhere. Hiking and climbing is pretty perfect.
Pros:
Considerably less crowded than summer, huge waterfalls and high water in the river, best waterfall viewing time for the year, weather improving constantly to reach “very nice” most of the time in May, with usually perfect weather that entire month, good temperature for early season hiking.
Cons:
Early season will have limited hiking trails open above the level of the Valley Floor, unlikely to access directly from the Eastside (Highway 120/Tioga Pass closed until early summer), can be cloudy, raining or snowing, especially in March and April, some services are not open in early spring, including possibly cannot visit Glacier Point until closer to May 1. Mosquitos are very active by May.