Bridalveil Creek Trail

Bridalveil Creek Trail is a 6.6-mile out-and-back from Ostrander Lake Trailhead on Glacier Point Road to Bridalveil Creek Campground. Most of it is flat and smooth, with about 100 feet of elevation gain; allow three to six hours. You get meadow openings first, then a longer stretch following the creek. The distance is easy to underestimate because the ford is the main obstacle, not the climbing.

This suits hikers who want a half-day walk with little climbing and are prepared to judge an unbridged stream crossing. A 5.5-mile loop option returns along Glacier Point Road, but its narrow or missing shoulders make the out-and-back a better choice.

Follow the shared Ostrander Lake Trail for about 1.4 miles through meadows and seasonal streams. Take the right fork toward Bridalveil Creek; the left branch continues toward Ostrander Lake. After about another 0.3 mile, ford Bridalveil Creek and turn right again. The left branch leads toward Ostrander and more remote routes. From there, follow the creek upstream for about 1.6 miles to the campground, then retrace your route.

Bridalveil Creek is the water that later flows over Bridalveil Fall, but this route stays upstream and is not a waterfall-view hike. No food stop is available along the walk; the nearest reported snack stop is at Glacier Point, about seven miles farther east, with seasonal service. Yosemite rules prohibit pets on hiking trails.