Bridalveil Creek Trailhead

Bridalveil Creek Trailhead sits about nine miles along Glacier Point Road, sharing its parking and trail junction with the Ostrander Lake route. It's the start of one of the flatter, quieter hikes on this side of the park — a walk through open meadows into shaded forest, following the same creek that later drops over Bridalveil Fall down in the Valley.

On the Trail

Hike it as a 6.6-mile out-and-back or a 5.5-mile loop, starting from a 7,000-foot trailhead with only around 100 feet of elevation gain — plan on 3 to 6 hours depending on which option you take. The trail fords Bridalveil Creek itself, which can run knee-deep early in the season, and crosses a few downed logs along the way. Meadows here fill with wildflowers from late June through July.

• Distance: 6.6 mi out-and-back or 5.5 mi loop
• Trailhead elevation: 7,000 ft
• Elevation gain: roughly 100 ft
• Difficulty: easy, aside from the creek crossing

Getting There

Reach the trailhead via Glacier Point Road, about 9 miles from that road's junction with Highway 41 (Wawona Road). That junction itself sits roughly 9 miles from Yosemite Valley or 17.3 miles from the park's south entrance. The route ends at Bridalveil Creek Campground, and two forks along the way branch off toward Ostrander Lake and Chilnualna Falls, so stay right at both junctions if you're following the Bridalveil Creek path. Bring insect repellent — the meadows and creek banks are prime mosquito territory.