Biledo Meadow Trail

Biledo Meadow Trail is an out-and-back from the Mariposa Grove Arrival Area through giant sequoias and the Perimeter/Outer Loop to a flower meadow in Sierra National Forest. This line follows connected paths through the grove and the named Biledo spur for about 8.5 miles round trip. Allow 5–7 hours; it is a long moderate day with a steady climb and time to look around the old cow camp.

Several ways through the grove reach the spur. An older account reports 9.7 miles but does not provide a route line, so its distance cannot be matched to this approach. Extra grove loops add mileage; follow the mapped route if you want to stay near this guide's estimate.

Start at Mariposa Grove Arrival Area & Trailhead. Park at Welcome Plaza and, from late April through November when conditions allow, take the free shuttle to the Arrival Area. When it is not running, Yosemite describes a two-mile uphill walk each way by Washburn Trail or Mariposa Grove Road. That access walk is not part of the 8.5-mile hike. There is no food service at Welcome Plaza or in the grove. Drinking water is available at the parking area year-round and at the trailhead in summer only; there is none on the trails. Carry what you need rather than relying on the reported meadow spring.

The route passes through the Big Trees and Grizzly Giant parts of the grove, then follows the Perimeter/Outer Loop toward the Biledo spur. Its sign sits a little away from the main tread and is easy to miss. The spur climbs east through pine and fir around Mount Raymond, then opens onto dry slopes near 7,000 feet and crosses a forest-road spur before the meadow approach. The named path is mapped to the west side of the meadow; the cabins lie beyond its mapped end, and no current agency route line for that last stretch was found. The hike crosses from Yosemite into Sierra National Forest, so confirm access with the land managers before setting out.

Biledo Meadow was a high-elevation cow camp and mining site. Log cabins and scattered mining debris remain. One cabin is credited to Thomas Biledo, a French-Canadian miner, and historical accounts date it to 1890; a roughly 7,000-foot ore tram once connected the area with Star Mine across the ridge.

The high-elevation flowers are usually best in July and August, but the display varies from year to year. Coneflowers, leopard lilies, paintbrush and other meadow blooms have been reported. For a photo, frame the weathered cabin with flowers in the foreground and conifers behind it, staying on established tread. The upper slope is open and dry, with less shade than the grove. Yosemite prohibits pets on Mariposa Grove trails and roads, so pets are not allowed on this route.