Hope Valley
Carson Pass / Hwy 88 · near Markleeville / Woodfords · Sierra Nevada / Yosemite
Nordic & Snowshoe
At a glance
- Best season
- Dec–Apr; high, dependable Carson Pass snow (~7,300 ft)
What is here
- Activities
- backcountry · snowshoe · classic
- Setting
- meadow
- Amenities
- Stunning open meadow · Gentle ungroomed touring · Aspen groves & peaks · Nearby lodge & rentals
- Best for
- Scenic, gentle meadow touring
- Features
- Spectacular Sierra meadow · Gentle beginner terrain · Aspen & peak scenery · Carson Pass access
Worth knowing
- Hazards
- Ungroomed — self-navigate · High elevation & cold · Storms close Hwy 88/89 · Sno-Park permit; layers
- Good for a first timer
- Yes
Guides, rentals and operators
- Rentals
- Yes
Nordic & Snowshoe detail
- Venue
- sno-park
- Ability
- beginner
- Snow
- 4
- Trail notes
- A breathtaking high meadow at the foot of Carson Pass — gentle, ungroomed classic skiing and snowshoeing across open snowfields ringed by peaks and aspen, a Sierra Nordic dream
- Terrain note
- ~7,300 ft open meadow & aspen; ungroomed; dependable snow
- Intl tip
- A broad, beautiful meadow beneath Carson Pass where Hwys 88 and 89 meet — one of the Sierra's most scenic, beginner-friendly Nordic spots. In winter the valley floor becomes a vast open snowfield ringed by peaks and aspen, perfect for gentle, ungroomed classic skiing and snowshoeing at your own pace. Local operators offer rentals, lessons, and marked routes. Dependable snow at ~7,300 ft, but it's ungroomed (self-navigate) and storms can close the highways — check road conditions, dress warmly, carry a Sno-Park permit where required. Pure Sierra magic.
The guide
Hope Valley, a broad, achingly beautiful meadow cradled beneath Carson Pass where Highways 88 and 89 meet, is one of the most s…
In the Guidebook
Everything above is yours for free. The written guide to Hope Valley — what it is actually like, and what we would tell a friend before they went — comes with the Guidebook.
Getting there
- Coordinates
- 38.76, -119.94