Soda Springs Trailhead

Soda Springs Trailhead sits at the quiet, high-country end of Tuolumne Meadows, where a short, nearly flat walk leads to a natural spring of cold, carbonated water bubbling up through a historic log enclosure. The full walk out to Parsons Memorial Lodge and back runs about 1.4 miles round-trip, making it one of the easiest ways to take in Tuolumne's open granite-and-meadow scenery without committing to a full day hike.

What You'll Find

The Soda Springs itself is the draw: mineral water pushed up by underground carbon dioxide, protected inside a rustic log crib built to keep it from being trampled. A short distance further sits Parsons Memorial Lodge, a stone-and-timber building the Sierra Club put up in 1915 near the meadow's north edge. It isn't always open, but on summer days it sometimes hosts exhibits and interpretive talks on the area's natural and human history, worth a look if the doors happen to be unlocked.

Getting There

You can start this walk from three spots: the Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center, the Parsons Lodge parking area, or Lembert Dome parking and picnic area a bit further down Tioga Road, all leading to roughly the same easy, level walking. Because Soda Springs sits deep in Tuolumne Meadows, it's only reachable when Tioga Road is open, typically from early summer into the first snows of fall — the road and this trailhead close for the winter the rest of the year.

Good to Know

• Dogs are not permitted on this trail.
• The path draws a steady stream of hikers and trail runners, so expect company, especially midday.
• Elevation here runs around 8,600 feet, noticeably higher and cooler than the Valley floor, so pace yourself if you've just driven up.