Riverside Lodge Minutes from Yosemite National Park

After it leaves Yosemite National Park, the Merced River picks up speed, its frothy whitewater rapids smoothing and polishing the boulders in its path. Lined on both sides by towering pines, the river rushes past the Yosemite View Lodge, which is tucked into the Sierra Nevadas along the park's western border. The secluded hideaway offers comfortable lodgings amid the stunning wilderness visible from guest-room balconies.

A private balcony or terrace overlooking the river is attached to each queen river-view room. After admiring the swift-moving waterway, guests can retire inside to warm up by the fireplace or brew a pot of coffee in the kitchenette. A slew of outdoor hot tubs burbles on the river's edge, enabling guests to enter a splash war with passing trout. To fuel up for outdoor adventures, the mountain-cabin-esque River Restaurant and Lounge serves upscale, traditional American breakfasts and dinner year-round. For a lighter bite, the Yosemite View Convenience Store sells an array of groceries for lodgers looking to prepare their own meals and snacks.

El Portal, California: Gateway to Winter Adventure in Yosemite National Park

California Route 140 follows the snaking Merced River 20 miles into Yosemite National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that welcomes millions of visitors every year. Thanks to low elevations, much of the iconic Yosemite Valley, as well as the Wawona area farther south, remain accessible to drivers, hikers, and snowball poachers throughout the winter.

Crowds are much smaller in the cooler months than during the summer rush, allowing for leisurely exploration of the park as well as an introduction to its rare, cold-weather phenomena. During a short span in late February, the Horsetail Fall cascade often glows orange at sunset, flowing down El Capitan like a plume of flaming lava. And during early March mornings, frazil ice formed from the frozen mist of waterfalls can transform Yosemite Creek into churning plumes of slush.