Sight · Yosemite National Park
A swaying bridge over granite boulders and a popular swimming hole
Overview
Map
Plan your stop
“You're coming up on historic Wawona, where the Yosemite History Center makes a good short break from the mountain roads. Park near Wawona Store and wander among the covered bridge, old wagons, cabins and blacksmith shop.”
Yosemite Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Yosemite National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Yosemite audio tourRecorded for this place
Historic Wawona“You're coming up on historic Wawona, where the Yosemite History Center makes a good short break from the mountain roads. Park near Wawona Store and wander among the covered bridge, old wagons, cabins and blacksmith shop.”
Plays as you drive up to Wawona Swinging Bridge in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“We just drove through Yosemite and it made our trip listening to this app as we drove through. Like having a tour guide in the car with you.”
Guide
Wawona Swinging Bridge is a wooden suspension footbridge over the South Fork Merced River, with a popular swimming hole set among granite boulders below. It’s a small, easy river stop rather than a longer hike; come for the bridge and time by the water. From the Swinging Bridge Trailhead at the end of Forest Drive, allow about 30 minutes for a mostly flat 0.6-mile round trip.
The plank deck sways lightly as you cross, with cables anchored into granite on the banks. Most people spend more time at the water’s edge than on the bridge: sit on the smooth rock, wade, or swim when the river is warm and slow. Summer can be popular around the swimming hole, so expect company on a hot day.
Spring snowmelt can leave the South Fork cold, high, and swift. The timing changes with the year, so don’t assume it’s safe to swim just because the walk is short. There’s no lifeguard.
The roughly 40-foot wooden span was built and donated to the park by the Seventh-day Adventist Camp in 1959. It gave hikers a shortcut that avoided six miles of difficult travel. The bridge still does its practical job, but the little sway underfoot is part of the fun.
Drive Forest Drive to its end; the walk starts at the Swinging Bridge Trailhead. A vault toilet and dirt parking area are at the trailhead, not beside the bridge. NPS lists no drinking water on trails; there’s a fountain near the restrooms in the Wawona Store parking area, so fill up before the walk. For a photo, include the boulders below the span and a stretch of river to show how the bridge fits into the swimming spot.
Wildlife
732 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
1,747 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
332 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
11 sightingsPeregrine FalconMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
276 sightingsPikaMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
677 sightingsYellow-bellied MarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Yosemite. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
EasyWawona Swinging Bridge Trail0.6 mi · 30 min · 0.3 mi awayA short, mostly flat walk to a bridge that really swings.
ChallengingBuena Vista Range Loop26.7 mi · 18 hr · 0.8 mi awayTwo lakes and a granite crest, reached by a serious backcountry loop.
ChallengingCrescent Lake Trail19.2 mi · 13.5 hr · 0.8 mi awayA long climb to a high lake beyond Chilnualna's tiered falls.ChallengingChilnualna Falls Trail8.2 mi · 6 hr · 0.8 mi awayFive granite cascades reward a long, steep climb above Wawona.
ChallengingAlder Creek Falls Trail12 mi · 8 hr · 1.6 mi awayA full-day pine-forest climb to a 100-foot cascade.
ChallengingWawona to Mariposa Grove Trail4.9 mi · 3.5 hr · 1.8 mi awayAn uphill forest connector from Wawona toward Mariposa Grove.
EasyWawona Meadow Loop Trail3.5 mi · 2.5 hr · 1.9 mi awayMostly flat meadow loop with leashed pets and bicycles allowed
ModerateWashburn Trail4 mi · 2 hr · 2.4 mi awayA wooded alternative to the shuttle, with 500 feet of climbing.
Campground · 1.6 mi awayWawona Horse CampA small stock camp beside the South Fork Merced River.Sight · 1.7 mi awayChilnualna FallsFive granite cascades reward the climb above Wawona.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayWawona HotelAn 1879 Victorian hotel with roots in an 1856 trail-side cabin.
Sight · 1.8 mi awayYosemite History CenterA covered bridge, old wagons and stories from the park’s working past.
Visitor center · 1.8 mi awayWawona Visitor Center at Hill's StudioAn artist's Yosemite studio turned into a useful park stop.
Gas station · 1.9 mi awayWawona Store and Gas StationA handy stop for fuel and camp basics.
Sight · 1.9 mi awayWawona PointA long climb through giant sequoias ends in a wide valley view.
Picnic area · 2.6 mi awayWawona Picnic AreaA practical riverside meal stop on Wawona Road.Parkwolf’s Yosemite ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
