Talk about big views: This Yosemite ice rink has Half Dome as its noble neighbor

SKATING ACROSS YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK? Such a notion must remain in the realm of fancies and daydreams. A person rocking a pair of ice skates wouldn't get too far, not with major granite cliffs and snow-covered meadows comprising a sizable section of the park's celebrated landscape. But there is a way to glide, twirl, and savor the chillsome pastime within Yosemite, and with one of those gargantuan granite wonders in view, too. Curry Village has long been the skate-it-up spot in the national park, at least for most of the last century, and there just happens to be an unparalleled feature adding atmosphere to the airy attraction: Half Dome, that mega, and mega famous, Yosemite icon. It's a behemoth batholith, a natural wonder that is way, way, way older than a century, and it is delighting ice skaters at the view-blessed outdoor rink.

WINTERTIME IN THE VALLEY? While the colder months are not the Big Y's most hectic time, plenty of visitors adore the silent snowfall moments, the chances to crunch-crunch-crunch while on a hike, and yes, enjoy some glide time on the one-of-a-kind attraction. You can rent skates at the rink, if you don't have your own, and your admission is good for two hours of skating. The final day of the 2023-2024 season? This is for sure a "weather permitting" sort of thing, per Yosemite Hospitality: It's March 5, when the first drip-drip dewiness of springtime begins its annual overture. Yosemite National Park has other bundle-up pastimes when the frost settles over the land; check out more chilly charms on this site now.