by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 4:15 PM ET, Tue December 5, 2017
The winter beauty of California's iconic Yosemite National Park was forever immortalized by famed photographer Ansel Adams.
Images of the park's stunning granite cliffs, such as El Capitan, blanketed in snow are among the photographer's most famous works.
The pictures are a vivid representation of the winter wonderland the park becomes each year, ideal for holiday vacations.
Located in the Sierra Nevada mountains, Yosemite, a place naturalist John Muir once described as being "full of God's thoughts" provides the backdrop for a variety of activities including cross-country skiing and snowshoeing along several winter trails that are available from mid-December through March.
Yosemite's Ski & Snowboard Area, formerly Badger Pass, is also home to the oldest downhill skiing area in California. Don't have skis or any other winter gear? No problem. Yosemite Hospitality rents downhill and cross-country skis, as well as snowboards and snowshoes. There's also skiing and snowboarding lessons for the truly uninitiated.
Snow tubing is another option here, as well as ice skating at an outdoor rink located in the shadow of one of the park's other famed granite formations known as Half Dome, which rises 4,700 feet off the valley floor.
For even more quality time communing with nature, there are snowshoe walks led by rangers at the northern California park.
In Yosemite Valley, many of the shops and restaurants remain open through the winter season, according to Associated Press. Among the notable attractions are the Yosemite Museum and the Ansel Adams Gallery, where prints of the photographer's renowned black-and-white landscapes of the area are on display.
When it comes time to retreat indoors and warm up, one of the top choices is the Majestic Hotel, a storied national park lodge opened in 1927. The property has hosted everyone from President John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama to Queen Elizabeth and Walt Disney.
If those names are not impressive enough, the hotel is also outfitted from top to bottom with decorations during the holiday season and offers a special seven-course dinner complete with costumed performers.
One last bonus that comes with exploring Yosemite this time of year? Far fewer people. The crowds of summer are long gone.
But keep in mind you will be visiting during winter conditions, which means it's a good idea to bring chains with you.
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