Bloody Canyon Trail

Bloody Canyon Trail follows an old trans-Sierra route on the eastern edge of Yosemite, climbing from the sagebrush flats near Lee Vining up to Mono Pass and the Yosemite National Park boundary at roughly 10,600 feet. The name comes from the injuries pack stock suffered scrambling over its loose rock before wagon roads existed, and the terrain hasn't softened much since. This is a working historic corridor, not a groomed park path, and it rewards hikers who don't mind steep, rocky ground.

Getting There and What to Expect

The trailhead sits off Highway 395/158 near Grant Lake, reached via dirt road 1S23 along Sawmill Creek — an Inyo National Forest access point, not a Yosemite entrance station. From there the trail climbs past Lower and Upper Sardine Lakes, with views opening across Walker Lake and, higher up, back down toward Mono Lake's pale basin. AllTrails rates the route to the Sardine Lakes as challenging, with loose, sharp rock that makes footing tricky in spots. Hikers continuing past the lakes climb on to Mono Pass, where the trail crosses into Yosemite proper. May through October is the reliable season; snow lingers on the upper switchbacks earlier in the year.

Permits and Backcountry Rules

• Day hikes need no permit.
• Overnight trips require a wilderness permit, with a daily quota of 8 people from May 1 through November 1 and groups capped at 15.
• No campfires at Lower Sardine Lake or anywhere above 10,000 feet.
• No camping in Parker Canyon on the Yosemite side of the pass.
• This is recovering Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep habitat — give any sheep you spot plenty of room.