When morning light illuminated Yosemite Valley this week, the upper tier of Yosemite Falls was a thin stream of silver, its edges cast in ice, and the first drop fell 1,400 feet to a jumble of boulders glazed in Arctic white.

Meanwhile, in the snowbound backcountry, wilderness ranger Laura Pilewski provided a photo from 9,449-foot Lembert Dome, with Tuolumne Meadows in the background, where 24 inches of snow last week has compressed and brought the snow pack up to 4 feet across the high country for miles, with higher amounts on wind-driven slabs.

The return of winter has turned Yosemite National Park into a spectacle. It’s not only world-class beautiful, but there also is an array of recreation: photography, short walks, ice skating, snowshoe treks, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, tubing, a terrain park for boarders and several options for wilderness travel. Lodging availability is the best of the year, both in the park and in the nearby towns of Mariposa, El Portal, Groveland and Fish Camp. Access is free to the park on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Here is the best of it, right now:

Yosemite Falls: At dawn, Yosemite Falls is frozen, as if suspended in time. By mid-morning, you’ll see a wispy trickle framed in ice. From Yosemite Lodge at the falls, you only have to walk across the street for a spectacular view. My favorite view is from the meadow along South Side Drive near Yosemite Chapel.

Vernal Fall: From Happy Isles, it’s a short walk on the Mist Trail to a view of ice-bound 317-foot Vernal Fall, and the ambitious few can take the John Muir Trail up to a view of 594-foot Nevada Fall. Expect snow and ice. Note: The Mist Trail is closed from just above the footbridge at the junction with the John Muir Trail, to the brink of Vernal Fall. The John Muir Trail is closed higher up, from Clark Point to the top of Nevada Fall.

Yosemite “firefall”: This isn’t the old firefall in which a crew pushed a bonfire off Glacier Point. This “firefall” is when the sunset hits the ice at Horsetail Fall just right and then refracts in reds for about 15 minutes to make it look like it’s on fire. The phenomenon is best seen from the picnic area near the base of El Capitan (Northside Drive), with the best chance this year Feb. 25-28.

Ice skating: This is really fun with a friend or family, skating at the Curry Village Ice Rink, with cheap skate rentals, great views (I don’t care that I look like Frankenstein staggering around amid all the youngsters). The rink is at the Curry Village Recreation Center, near Shuttle Bus Stop No. 13A. $11 adults, $10 children, $4.50 skate rentals, helmets available free upon request, (209) 372-8319, www.yosemitepark.com/ice-skating.aspx.

Badger Pass downhill: It’s a small hill — four lifts, nine runs, with a vertical drop of only 800 feet. That’s why most fast, experienced skiers or boarders bypass the place. That’s also why it can be the best place to learn how to ski or board, or to get your legs back if you’ve been away for a few years. With 2 feet of fresh snow last week, snowpack is at 30 to 48 inches. All-day lift ticket, $48.50; beginner package with two lessons, gear, lift ticket, $82. Info: (209) 372-8430, ext. 5, www.yosemitepark.com/badgerpass.aspx.

Badger Pass Terrain Park: For the first time in years, there’s enough snow for two terrain parks with hills and mounds for jumps, rails and boxes. The upper park is for newcomers, and the lower park has bigger jumps. $25. Part of the Badger Pass Ski Area.

Badger Pass tubing hill: Most ski areas have surface lifts for groomed tubing hills with lanes. Safe and fun. This hill is open from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and then again, after being groomed, from 2 to 4 p.m. $17. Part of the Badger Pass Ski Area.

Dewey Point snowshoeing: Your destination is 7,385-foot Dewey Point, perched on the south rim above Yosemite Valley. Directly across, 7,573-foot El Capitan rises up in a single monolith. To your right is Cathedral Spire, Taft Point and beyond to Half Dome and miles of wilderness. From Badger Pass, rent snowshoes (or bring your own) and walk up Glacier Point Road 1.4 miles (stay out of the tracks for cross-country skiers). At Summit Meadow, look for the signed winter trailheads for the Dewey Point Meadow Trail. Turn left there. The route is marked on trees as an 18 inside a gold triangle. From Glacier Point Road, the route is 2.5 miles to the junction with the Dewey Point Trail, and then it’s one more mile to the rim. 9.8-mile round trip. Badger Pass Nordic Center, snowshoe rentals, $24 full day, guided trips available, (209) 372-8444, www.yosemitemountaineering.com.

Badger Pass cross-country skiing: This is one of the top launch points for cross-country skiing in North America. Fresh tracks are set every week or two, depending on the weather. Destinations: Summit Meadow (1 mile one way), Bridalveil Creek (3.3 miles), Clark Range view (5.7 miles), Glacier Point (10.5 miles). Badger Pass Nordic Center, snowshoe rentals, $24 full day, guided trips available, (209) 372-8444, www.yosemitemountaineering.com.

Glacier Point Ski Hut: 10.5 miles one way, Badger Pass to Glacier Point. Self-guided overnight trips, $138 per person, six-person minimum, (209) 372-8444; reservations required, www.yosemitepark.com.

Ostrander Hut: 10-mile trip one way, Badger Pass to the rock cabin called the Ostrander Hut near Ostrander Lake. $35 per night Mondays through Thursdays, and $55 Fridays through Sundays. Discounts for members of the Yosemite Conservancy. Info and required reservations, (209) 379-5161 or at yosemiteconservancy.org — click on “Experience Yosemite” and on the left column “Ostrander Ski Hut.”

Tuolumne Meadows: In winter, Tuolumne Meadows is remote, quiet and world-renowned for the handful who trek there. Access is by cross-country skiing, heading in from the east side of Highway 120 and Tioga Pass out of Lee Vining. Tuolumne Ski Hut has 10 bunks, first come, first served, plenty of firewood, no electricity. Surface conditions are ideal this week, reports wilderness rangers Robert and Laura Pilewski. Wilderness Ranger Station (winter), (209) 372-0450 (leave message); Yosemite Wilderness Office, (209) 372-0740.

Tom Stienstra’s Outdoor Report can be heard Saturdays on KCBS (740 and 106.9) at 7:35 a.m., 9:35 a.m. and 12:35 p.m. E-mail: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom

If you want to go

Cost: $25 entry fee per vehicle, good for a week, through March.

Free entrance: Monday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

Road conditions: Caltrans, (800) 427-7623, www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi; carry chains in winter.

Yosemite winter lodging: Ahwahnee (four diamond), Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, Curry Village. Reserve at www.yosemitepark.com/lodging or (801) 559-4884.

Lodging outside the park: Tenaya Lodge (four diamond), four restaurants and deli located near Wawona at Fish Camp; reserve at www.tenayalodge.com or (888) 514-2167. Lodging available outside park in Mariposa, El Portal, Groveland and Fish Camp; listed at www.yosemiteexperience.com.

Winter camping in Yosemite Valley: Upper Pines, RVs up to 35 feet, trailers up to 24 feet, plus tent sites, $26 per night; Camp 4 (walk-in tent sites only), first come, first served, $6 per person per night.

Winter camping outside Yosemite Valley: Hodgdon Meadow on Highway 120 near Big Oak Flat entrance station, Wawona on Highway 41; both open, first come, first served; $26 per night, (209) 372-0266.

Info: Yosemite National Park, (209) 372-0200, www.nps.gov/yose; Mariposa County Visitors Center, (866) 425-3366, www.yosemiteexperience.com.

Getting there in winter

Highway 140/Arch Rock: Highway 140 goes through Mariposa, along the Merced River and through El Portal to the Arch Rock entrance (2,850 feet). A one-lane detour provides a bypass around a common rockslide area. To reach Yosemite Valley, you never climb above 4,000 feet.

Highway 120/Big Oak Flat: Highway 120 goes through Groveland to the Big Oak Flat entrance (with a turnoff available to Hetch Hetchy). To reach Yosemite Valley, you climb to 6,192 feet, and chains are often required in winter on this route.

Highway 41/southern entrance: Highway 41 splits off Highway 99 at Fresno and goes through Oakhurst and Fish Camp to the southern entrance of Yosemite near Wawona. To reach Yosemite Valley, you climb to 6,000 feet near the turnoff for Glacier Point Road/Badger Pass.