Best month to go to Yosemite?
 

We have a cabin pretty close to Yosemite and want to visit the park when the waterfalls are at their best. What month would you think that would be this year, given the warm, dry weather we've been having?

If waterfalls is your primary goal, then April is a great month.

Personally, I like early to mid June better. Warm enough to enjoy the valley, high country starts to open, yet July/Aug crowds aren't there yet. (till school gets out). Foot trails tend to be much drier by June as well.

April can be cold, damp air, soggy ground, and shorter days.

June it is then! I'm sure the kids will appreciate it better then too. And if we guess wrong, we'll just do better next year.

If you can wait, the Yosemite NP's website posts when the waterfalls are full. We went there at the end of May
2 years ago.

We were there last year in April and the waterfalls were going pretty good as they do in the spring. Then in May they had record snow melts & they said the waterfalls were the best in 10 years! They also had flooding in the valley.

We have been several times in April and it was warm enough to wear shorts on the Vernal Falls trail. We've been in May and had a couple of inches of snow in Yosemite Valley. Spring is very unpredictable.

If you are flexible, then I'd say wait for a great weekend in April, May or early June and go.

Utahtea

Definitely early June. Right AFTER memorial day weekend.

We went in mid-May last year, just after the flooding. I've never seen the falls that full!

Lee Ann

We are having hot Santa Ana winds and forest fires in February in California, which is unheard for this time of the year. It is the total opposite from last year's record rains.
So far this year has been a total drought in California, so I'm guessing the water falls will be a very low flowing in the summer months. Go mid Spring when the snow is melting and flows are guaranteed high.
I would call or check the park website and see when the water fall flows will be at their best.

Hey all you people who think this is a warm year. Not really true. The snow survey in Yosemite showed that the snow fall is 125% of normal. I'd expect a good show but unless it cools down the show may be earlier than usual. April, May and June are good months with June being a bit more corwded.

California is full of micro climates and climate in one part of the state does not reflect the climate of the entire state. While it's true that southern CA has had some really warm weather and lower than normal rainfall and as unbeleiveable as it seem fires during the winter, those of us in northern Ca have had rainfall that is a bit above normal. I was in Mammoth a couple of weeks ago. Mammoth is just over the hill, so to speak, from Yosemite and the snow depth was unbelievable. Their website claimed that the snow level was the highest of any snow resort in the US, now that's alot of snow. The snow report also found that the water content of the snow in Yosemite is great than average for this time of year so expect the waterfalls to be really heavy this year.

We went to Yosemite last April and the waterfalls and the Merced River were just gushing. It was warm enough to wear shorts and the hike to Vernal Falls was amazing as the Ouelette Falls in front of us, but way up the canyon, was clearly visable and behind us on the hike we could see the gushing Yosemite Falls. By the end of the weekend there were unnamed falls everywhere in the park as the snow began to melt. I bet this weekend will be just fantastic. Anyone lucky enough to have to opportunity to go should report back. Right now there is no snow on the valley floor so getting around will be great.