December in Yosemite National Park is a shoulder month: highs around 48°F, lows around 28°F. Crowds: quiet — #8 busiest of the park's 12 months. Quiet, festive valley; chains required after storms. The editorial best window here is May–June. You get about 9h 33m of daylight. To finish Half Dome (7h 45m) before dark, leave the trailhead by about 8:56 AM.
Month data reviewed · how we check this
| Verdict | Shoulder Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. |
|---|---|
| Temps °F | 48° high / 28° low |
| Crowds | quiet · #8 busiest of the park's 12 months |
| What December is like | Quiet, festive valley; chains required after storms |
| 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 DECEMBER 15 · LOCAL PARK TIME (PST)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 DECEMBER 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 48°F. TRAILS WE HAVE NOT MEASURED ARE LEFT OUT RATHER THAN GUESSED
WHAT DECEMBER ASKS OF YOU HEREYosemite National Park in January — Shoulder, highs around 48°F, crowds: quiet (valley open and quiet; tire chains often required).
Our verdict for December is "Shoulder". Quiet and rewarding if you accept reduced services or weather. Expect highs around 48°F and lows around 28°F, with crowds at the "quiet" 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. December itself we rate "Shoulder".
About 9h 33m on December 15: the sun rises around 7:06 AM and sets around 4:40 PM local park time (PST). 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 December 15 you would need to leave the trailhead by about 8:56 AM to finish before dark — the sun sets around 4:40 PM local park time (PST). 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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