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So few visitors come to this popular national park in the winter, you really can have large portions of it virtually to yourself. It's still accessible and so beautiful. Sporting types will want to head to Badger Pass Ski Area; a free shuttle will get you there from Yosemite Valley or Wawona. Downhill or cross-country skiing are great here, and snowshoeing has mushroomed in popularity. With the Valley's cliff's done up in black and white, it's like an Ansel Adams photograph - take a free camera walk with the AA Gallery staff and bring home your own images of magic. Stroll up to the base of Lower Yosemite Falls to see the creek and cliff coated with ice and snow - so different from summer. At Curry Village is one of California's only outdoor ice skating rink, with a roaring fire for when you need a break. For a fancy treat, see if you can get a ticket for the Ahwahnee Hotel's grand holiday feast, the legendary Bracebridge Dinner. Outdoor athletes can find themselves all alone among the giant trees of the Mariposa Grove; you'll need XC skis or snowshoes to get there. Hardier physique yet is needed to ski out to the cozy Ostrander Ski Hut where you can base for a few days of exploring Yosemite's backcountry ski bowls.
The park is open every day of the year. Call 209/372-0200 for updated road and weather conditions; you'll often need to have tire chains in your car if Sierra snow has come recently.