Washburn Trail

The Washburn Trail is how you reach Mariposa Grove on foot when Yosemite's free shuttle isn't running, linking the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza near the South Entrance to the park's grove of giant sequoias. It's an out-and-back route of about four miles round trip with roughly 500 feet of elevation gain — a moderate climb through conifer forest rather than a technical hike.

What the Hike Is Like

The trail gains elevation steadily rather than steeply, winding through pine and fir forest with wildflowers showing up in spring and early summer. Most hikers cover the one-way stretch in under two hours. It follows a section of the long-abandoned Washburn Road, rebuilt as a rustic forest path with help from a 2018 Yosemite Conservancy restoration grant — a bit of trail history most day-hikers walk right past.

When You'll Actually Need It

This is the trail to know about on any day the seasonal Mariposa Grove shuttle isn't operating, since it becomes the primary way in and out on foot. It's open and maintained year-round, though snow can linger on the upper section into late spring. Once you reach the grove, the Washburn Trail connects directly into the loop trails past Grizzly Giant and the grove's other named sequoias.