The Yosemite Glide: Beauty and the Blade

Winter in Yosemite National Park is already an experience steeped in magic. Add to that the free-wheeling feeling of gliding over the ice beneath Glacier Point with thrilling views of Half Dome and the experience becomes sheer bliss.

Since the 1930s, Curry Village has been perfecting the art of outdoor skating as a traditional favorite winter activity for guests. Not only is the ice satin-smooth, the scenery is both beautiful and humbling. Heat things up with some cocoa and s’mores enjoyed fireside, or do an après glide snack at the nearby Pizza Deck or Ahwanee Hotel to put a feather in the cap of a delightful skate.

Soft series skates with toe picks, hockey skates, and helmets are available rentals at the rink in both child and adult sizes. Sessions on weekdays run from mid afternoon to 9:30 in the evening, and on weekends from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Extra sessions are added during the holidays to accommodate festive skaters.

Skating at Tenaya Lodge’s 40 x 80 foot rink nestled into the Sierra National Forest makes for an idyllic day, Mid-November through Mid-March. Slip on your blades and get ready to glide, because this rink is ranked one of the top ten in the country by many publications. Get ready for an on-ice experience with panache.

In the rare event that Tioga Road is still open when Tenaya Lake freezes sufficiently, skaters enjoy this grand natural arena rimmed by peaks and majestic pines. Skating this massive lake is an experience like no other, with unlimited space and smooth, glassy surface. It is storybook perfection that nature doles out to a privileged few, so take advantage of the good fortune when it presents itself.