A Few Wintery Days in Yosemite National Park

Written by Sarah Marino

After Christmas last year, we planned to head to Death Valley National Park but my injured ankle didn't seem healed enough for the region's rough terrain. We quickly changed our plans, with the California coast, a few the wildlife refuges along the way, and maybe a few days in Yosemite Valley rounding out a loose itinerary.

In the introductory essay for my collection of photos from the coastal portion of the trip, I talk through some of my thoughts about photographing places with a rich photographic history and although the examples are specific to the Big Sur area, the overall lessons apply to Yosemite National Park as well. Of all the national parks in the United States, Yosemite has one of the strongest associations with creative nature photography, both because of Ansel Adams's legacy and because so many contemporary masters and emerging talents have been drawn to create in the park. 

When I am out photographing in the same place for more than a few days, I often find that a particular narrative or question to consider comes to dominate my thinking during the quiet moments between compositions or while wandering around looking for ideas. With this particular trip, thinking about making personally meaningful photos in places with a deep photographic history felt like a bit of a mental trap when we were in the Big Sur area but instantly faded when we arrived in Yosemite. 
 
In retrospect, it feels like this should have been reversed, primarily because many of the photographers I admire most have chosen Yosemite as a photographic home. Over years of studying the work of these photographers and getting to personally know some of them, I now have a deep catalog of Yosemite photography and personal stories about the landscape stored in my mind. While threads from these photographers are undoubtedly woven throughout this collection of photos, I was able to avoid the feeling of self-imposed pressure to perform or compare, instead just following the little details that spoke to me while wandering around. 

We visited the park during the first week of January, when it felt very empty with few other visitors and when the hotels offered significant post-holiday discounts. I'd always wanted to stay at the historic Ahwahnee Hotel after hearing about special experiences staying there from friends and remembering a few lovely meals in the grand dining room during my own previous trips. With very short windows of daylight, its convenient location in Yosemite Valley would be helpful for Ron who needed to work each day. 
 
By the end of our visit, we agreed that the location was excellent but that we would likely never stay in a hotel inside the park again. Although our spacious cabin was right next to the Merced River and provided a perfect starting point for wandering the Valley's network of trails, we needed to keep two space heaters going at all times to keep the room habitable (camping in the back of our truck would have been almost as comfortable---and a lot less expensive!). Hotel guests are required to use valet parking and having our truck held hostage turned early mornings and spur-of-the-moment midday departures into a massive hassle, despite promises to the contrary when we raised the issue at check-in. And the rodents… If you don't know about the rodents that have invaded the hotels and restaurants operated by Aramark in the park, you can trust me that it is all a disgusting, unsafe mess (or you can click here to read more). Fortunately, our time outside exploring and photographing made up for this unpleasantness. 

My mental narrative for our few days wandering around Yosemite Valley centered around gratitude for finding intimate landscapes and small scenes years ago and having the ability to make this type of photography a central focus for my creative endeavors. It would have been easy to be disappointed in the conditions during our visit. Except for one morning with pillowy (almost too) pink clouds, the skies were completely clear. It was very cold, with no snow in the forecast. The trees were bare and all the plants were either dead or in their winter dormancy. Instead of disappointment though, I found a burst of productivity and inspiration in winter's drab landscape. 
 
When I teach photography, I often share that I easily find inspiration and things to photograph in any natural landscape. I frequently hear in response that I am only able to say this because I live in Colorado and often photograph in national parks. While both of these things are true, this gallery of photos from Yosemite might help support my claim. Yes, I was in Yosemite but most of these photos feel anonymous, with few clues as to where I created them. 

Scenes like the one above, of Yosemite Falls, are iconic and impressive. Yet, with a focus on intimate landscapes and smaller scenes, all you need is a bit of ice, some frost, and a swath of forest plus attention to detail, curiosity, and open-mindedness to find numerous points of connection with the landscape---either in Yosemite National Park or in the quiet nature reserve near home. While I still love photographing grand landscapes when interesting conditions align and would have been excited to have some of these opportunities while in Yosemite, one of my favorite aspects of the “small scenes” approach to photography is knowing that I will find more ideas and inspiration than I could ever actually pursue, regardless of where I am in the world. 
 
As we enter winter in the Northern Hemisphere, I hope you will take this approach with you as you head out for photography. Even a landscape that looks drab at first glance is full of opportunity, both in terms of creating photos for your portfolio and for keeping your skills sharp for when spring rolls around. 

You can view my full Yosemite in Winter - 2025 photo gallery here.