April in Yosemite National Park is a good month: highs around 65°F, lows around 39°F. Crowds: moderate — #6 busiest of the park's 12 months. Waterfalls surge; dogwoods bloom along the Merced. The editorial best window here is May–June. You get about 13h 11m of daylight. To finish Half Dome (7h 45m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 11:50 AM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Good A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 65° high / 39° low |
| Crowds | moderate · #6 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What April is like | Waterfalls surge; dogwoods bloom along the Merced |
| Best window (whole year) | May–June |
| Peak crowds (whole year) | Jun–Aug |
CROWDS: RELATIVE SEASONALITY FROM NPS VISITATION STATISTICS · TEMPS: APPROXIMATE NOAA NORMALS AT MAIN VISITOR ELEVATION — HIGH COUNTRY RUNS 10–20°F COLDER
DAYLIGHT ON APRIL 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (PDT)COMPUTED FROM THE PARK'S OWN COORDINATES FOR THE 15TH — THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH STANDS FOR IT, AS IT DOES FOR CLIMATE NORMALS. WITHIN A MONTH THESE TIMES SHIFT BY UP TO AN HOUR
LEAVE THE TRAILHEAD BY — TO FINISH BEFORE DARK ON APRIL 15WALKING TIMES ESTIMATED FROM EACH TRAIL'S MEASURED DISTANCE AND ELEVATION GAIN — A PLANNING FIGURE, NOT A PACE. ADD YOUR OWN MARGIN FOR PHOTOS, REST AND CROWDS. WATER AT THE COOL-WEATHER RATE, BECAUSE THIS MONTH AVERAGES 65°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT APRIL ASKS OF YOU HEREYosemite National Park in May — Best window, highs around 73°F, crowds: busy (waterfalls at full thunder — the classic yosemite month).
Our verdict for April is "Good". A solid visit with a caveat — usually crowds or heat. Expect highs around 65°F and lows around 39°F, with crowds at the "moderate" level. Temperatures are approximate NOAA normals at the main visitor elevation; crowd levels follow published NPS visitation statistics.
Across the full 12-month review, the best window is May–June, and the peak-crowd months are Jun–Aug. April itself we rate "Good".
May we rate "Best window" against "Good" for April, with highs around 73°F and crowds at the "busy" level.
About 13h 11m on April 15: the sun rises around 6:22 AM and sets around 7:34 PM local park time (PDT). Computed from the park's own coordinates, so it is the light you actually get at the trailhead, not the nearest city's.
Half Dome takes about 7h 45m of walking, so on April 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 11:50 AM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 7:34 PM local park time (PDT). Walking times are estimated from each trail's measured distance and elevation gain, so treat them as a planning figure and add your own margin for photos, rest and crowds.
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