Mariposa Grove Trail

Mariposa Grove is the largest sequoia grove in Yosemite, tucked into the park's southern end near Fish Camp and Wawona, with over 500 mature giant sequoias spread across upper and lower groves. It reopened in 2018 after a major restoration that pulled the old paved road out from among the trees and replaced it with proper trails, so the big names here now get room to breathe: the Grizzly Giant, an estimated 3,000 years old, the California Tunnel Tree, the Clothespin Tree, and the Bachelor and Three Graces cluster.

Pick Your Distance

• Big Trees Loop — 0.3 miles, easy, wheelchair accessible, passes the Fallen Monarch
• Grizzly Giant Loop — 2 miles, moderate, reaches the Grizzly Giant and California Tunnel Tree
• Guardians Loop — 6.5 miles, strenuous
• Mariposa Grove Trail — 7 miles round trip up to Wawona Point, strenuous, links the lower and upper groves

Getting There

From mid-April through November, park at the Welcome Plaza (about 300 spaces, plus restrooms and a bookstore) and ride the free shuttle roughly two miles up to the grove — private vehicles are restricted to disability placard holders during shuttle season. Once the shuttle stops running for the winter, you can still reach the grove on foot, snowshoe, or cross-country skis via the closed grove road or the Washburn Trail, about two miles each way from the plaza.

Before You Go

No pets are allowed on any trail or road in the grove, and horses are limited to the Perimeter Trail. Drinking water at the Welcome Plaza runs year-round, but there's none once you're out among the trees, so fill up before you go.