Yosemite in March

[Sydkid]

I will be heading out to Yosemite in mid-March, and was wondering if there were any "must-shoot" locations I should include while there. I would really like shots of a waterfall, a lake, a mountain peak, a sunset/sunrise. I'd like to take some from different locations, so they're not just your same-old-everyday shots of the Park. Thanks.

 

[Jeff Canes]

How much snow did the park get this year? I was there in March of 2004, I recall that being a heavy snow year. At that time only the southwest road in to village was open to cars without chains. The parts of the north road were open only to skiers and snowmobiles

 

[EasternSierra]

It's been snowing heavily on the eastern slope of the Sierras over the last 2 weeks. And by heavily I mean that 2 weeks ago...we had about 80 inches of snowpack in the mountains. Today, we have about 185 inches.

So if you are heading to the Valley from the south or west side of the mountains, you *should* be OK. The valley floor sits between 2,000 and 4,000' in elevation, so the snow *should* be minimal in the valley, giving you access to all of the classic valley shots...El Cap, Half Dome, the Merced River, Bridalveil and Yosemite Falls...all *should* be accessible from the west side in mid-March.

However...as a frequent visitor to the park in the summer...my favorite areas are in Tuolomne Meadows...higher elevations, and to the east of the valley. Up in the Meadows, you're at an elevation of anywhere from 6,000' to 11,000' while still on the road, so snow pack could be an issue. In fact...I can guarantee that highway 120 will be closed LONG before you get to Olmstead Point from the west, and will remain so until mid-June at the earliest.

IMO...that's where you will find your best photo ops. Wildlife in the meadows in June is tough to beat. Plus, you have the large and meandering Tuolomne river... not to mention the ALWAYS photogenic Dana Fork of the Tuolomne River.

Just some logistical points to consider on your trip. In mid-March, you're most likely going to be limited to the valley floor due to snow and road closures. So your best opportunities are going to be to capture new perspective on the old favorites...

 

[Sydkid]

Thanks for the advice. I figured I'd be pretty limited to the Valley floor, but that is okay with me. I am still quite a newcomer and figured there'd be enough in the Valley to keep my attention. Thanks for the list of locations to check out - that will help narrow things down. I heard they just got dumped with snow this last week (as did we here in UT), so hopefully some of that will last until March.

 

[EasternSierra]

Thanks for the advice. I figured I'd be pretty limited to the Valley floor, but that is okay with me. I am still quite a newcomer and figured there'd be enough in the Valley to keep my attention. Thanks for the list of locations to check out - that will help narrow things down. I heard they just got dumped with snow this last week (as did we here in UT), so hopefully some of that will last until March.

It's snowing above 7,000' right now, so most of the upper elevations *should* be covered when you get there...