Mount Savage

Mount Savage is a 5,761-foot summit rising just outside Yosemite's south entrance, an easy add-on for anyone already parked at Mariposa Grove. There's no signed trail to the top — you follow a gated service road, then a boot-worn use path kept alive by regional peak-baggers, reaching the summit in roughly 45 minutes to an hour from the grove parking area. The peak takes its name from James Savage, leader of the Mariposa Battalion, whose 1851 expedition is credited with the first documented non-Indigenous entry into Yosemite Valley.

Getting There

Park at the Mariposa Grove parking area, the shuttle hub for the giant sequoias. Walk back toward the entrance roundabout; about 50 feet past it, a service road — usually gated — branches off to the left. Follow it past the park's maintenance yard and a ranger shooting range, then continue roughly ten minutes to a shallow saddle. Mount Savage rises to the northwest from there.

Climbing on the South Face

Below the summit, a series of small cliffs and domes forms a locally known climbing area with single-pitch trad, sport, and top-rope lines. Most anchors are set up for top-roping and don't require leading, which makes the south face a low-key option for climbers looking to get away from the crowds at the main Valley walls.

Know Before You Go

• This is an unmarked use trail, not an official NPS route — bring a map or GPS track and don't count on signage.
• Past windstorms have left downed trees across sections of the path, so expect some scrambling over deadfall.
• There's no water along the route, so carry what you'll need for the round trip.