Dewey Point and Merced Grove: Yosemite Winter Edition

Posted On February 21, 2021

My roommates and I went on a quick overnight trip to explore the snowy version of Yosemite National Park over the weekend. Thanks to the COVID-induced reservation requirement and the fact that it’s winter, Yosemite was the most empty I’ve ever seen it. Even more empty than it was during the crazy fires last September. So consider me a huge fan of winter in Yosemite.

Badger Pass to Dewey Point

We made it to Badger Pass around 9:30 am to start our hike to Dewey Point. The hike started with an easy walk along Glacier Point Road. The road is closed to vehicle traffic during the winter, so only hikers, cross-country skiers, and snowshoers can use it.

After about a mile of road walking, we hit the Meadow Trail, which winds its way 2.5 miles through the forest up to Dewey Point. The trail is easy to follow and well marked with yellow blazes, and very mellow in terms of elevation gain despite the trailhead sign saying the last 1.5 miles were difficult. I think it’d make a great hike for a first time snowshoer. In our case, the snow was pretty packed down and we didn’t need to strap on our snowshoes at all.

Fun story: there are two trails within about 1/3 mile of each other that both lead to Dewey Point. When Megan and I split up with Katherine, I failed to tell her to take the second trail (the Meadow trail), not the first (the Ridge trail). So she and Joe took the Ridge trail while we waited for them at the Meadow trail, not knowing they’d taken Ridge. Lesson learned: make an actual plan before splitting up the group (oops). They’d waited for us after arriving at Dewey Point about 15 minutes before Megan and I did, so things turned out fine. But I still felt like a dumbass.

We spent 1/2 hour enjoying the view and eating our fancy lunchtime charcuterie board. Joe always makes fancy food happen, unlike me who would’ve eaten peanut butter on a spoon for lunch if it’d been my responsibility to feed myself.

We took the Meadow Trail back down to the road and made it back to the car by 3:30. If you want to add about 1/2 mile to this hike and turn it into a lollipop instead of an out and back, take the Ridge Trail back down. I’m told it’s not as well marked as Meadow and slightly more difficult, but nothing too crazy.

We ended the day with a beautiful drive through the valley on our way to the Yosemite View Lodge in El Portal. If you find yourself staying at the same hotel, splurge on a river view room. I could hear the rushing river from my bed. Swoon!

Merced Grove

Day two started at the Merced Grove trailhead. It’d snowed overnight, so when we arrived in the morning, there was a fresh dusting on the trees. So pretty.

The hike down to the grove started with a 1/2 mile road walk to the trail. I could’ve used my snowshoes on the section, but I decided I’d rather posthole every once in a while than have the extra weight on my feet.

The trail got quite a bit steeper after leaving the road. Not unmanageable, and I still opted for occasionally postholing over putting on snowshoes.

After about a mile on the actual trail, we reached out first BIG SEQUOIA TREES!

The hike back up to the road was a pretty steady climb. But how could I be bothered by that while surrounded by blue skies, big trees, and fresh snow?

We may not have had much time for this trip (we were in the area for just over 24 hours), but we managed to see a lot. If you’re pressed for time and want to explore different parts of Yosemite, our itinerary might be just what you’re looking for. And if you’re feeling up for it after a day of hiking, you might be able to catch the firefall if you go around the same time that I did.