Bishop Creek Trail

Bishop Creek Trail is a short, little-known descent through black oak and pine forest to the creek that shares its name — a quiet stretch of ground the Mariposa Battalion is believed to have crossed in 1851 on their way into Yosemite Valley. There's no trailhead sign and barely any tread in places, so it feels far more remote than its easy length suggests.

Trail Basics

It runs about 1.3 miles one-way (roughly 2.6 miles round trip) with around 240 feet of elevation change, rated easy to moderate and taking most hikers about 40 minutes each way. The route heads downhill to the creek, so save some energy for the climb back out. Trailhead access is unmarked — look for the bear box in the paved pullout on Wawona Road where it crosses Alder Creek, and the first quarter-mile follows a remnant of the historic Old Wawona Road. Beyond the creek, the path continues on as the much longer South Fork Merced River Trail for hikers who want to keep going.

A Route with History

Bishop Creek is named for Samuel Addison Bishop, a member of the Mariposa Battalion who settled near its banks. The battalion is believed to have passed through in 1851 during the expedition that led to the first documented entry by non-Native Americans into Yosemite Valley, making this one of the few park trails where the path itself carries that history.

Know Before You Go

• Trail-mapping sources describe it as a lightly maintained route with thin tread and no markers — bring a map or GPS track.
• Part of the corridor burned in a 2018 wildfire, and the southwest-facing exposure runs hot in summer, so cooler months are more comfortable.
• Fall brings the best payoff, when the black oak forest along the creek turns gold.