Yosemite National Park, CA
An old fire road reaches a former CCC camp in southern Yosemite.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
“A mule deer buck grows a whole new set of antlers each year. If you see one in summer, look for the fuzzy covering called velvet. It carries blood to the growing antlers, which harden into bone.”
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 area
A New Set of Antlers“A mule deer buck grows a whole new set of antlers each year. If you see one in summer, look for the fuzzy covering called velvet. It carries blood to the growing antlers, which harden into bone.”
Plays on the road 0.4 mi from the trailhead 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.”
Trail guide
Deer Camp Road is an old fire road now used as a wilderness trail. The mapped leg runs 8.4 miles one way from Deer Camp Trailhead on Glacier Point Road to Deer Camp, a former California Conservation Corps camp. Turning around there makes 16.8 miles. It is a long, remote walk for hikers who want a backcountry route with a historic destination, not a quick scenic stop.
The old road is mostly level overall, with rolling stretches. Overgrowth narrows some sections to singletrack. Deer Camp is the destination on this mapped leg; routes continue from there toward other southern Yosemite destinations, including another Glacier Point Road access. Those onward links are a different itinerary, so plan a real exit if you do not intend to retrace your steps.
Allow about 4½ hours one way at a steady pace; a return is a full-day effort. The trailhead is on Glacier Point Road, which closes seasonally, typically from November to late May or early June. The Deer Camp trailhead has food lockers but no toilet. Day hikes do not require a wilderness permit; any overnight stay in the wilderness does, year-round. Dogs are not allowed on park trails.
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
ModerateDewey Point Trail8.2 mi · 4.5 hr · 4.4 mi awayA meadow and cabin site lead to a sweeping valley rim.
EasyWestfall Meadow Trail2.8 mi · 2 hr · 4.4 mi awayA short forest path reaches a meadow where the tread fades.
EasyMcGurk Meadow Trail1.6 mi · 1.3 hr · 4.4 mi awayA short meadow walk to wildflowers and a weathered cabin.
EasyTurtleback Dome Trail1.2 mi · 1 hr · 4.4 mi awayA short climb ends on granite above Yosemite Valley.
EasyForesta Falls Trail1.8 mi · 1.3 hr · 4.6 mi awayA short road walk to a tucked-away Crane Creek waterfall.
EasyLittle Nellie Falls Trail5.6 mi · 3 hr · 4.6 mi awayA quiet old road leads from Big Meadow toward a small waterfall.
ChallengingStanford Point Trail7.6 mi · 6 hr · 4.9 mi awayA steep south-rim climb ends at a granite valley overlook.
ModerateInspiration Point Trail2.6 mi · 2 hr · 4.9 mi awayA steep climb to a quieter Yosemite Valley viewpoint
Sight · 2.3 mi awayBadger Pass Ski AreaA historic Yosemite ski base for downhill, Nordic, and snowshoe days.
Entrance station · 3.1 mi awayArch Rock EntranceDrive beneath the boulder arch at the Highway 140 entrance.
Campground · 4.4 mi awayBridalveil Creek CampgroundA 7,200-foot base for the Glacier Point Road trails.
Gas station · 4.7 mi awayEl Portal Gas Station and MarketFuel, groceries and EV charging on Yosemite's western approach.Sight · 4.9 mi awayDewey PointEl Capitan anchors a far-reaching view from the granite rim.
Sight · 4.9 mi awayTunnel ViewThe valley opens in one huge panorama beyond the tunnel.
Picnic area · 5.3 mi awayThe Cascades Picnic AreaA shady lunch stop with a waterfall just across the road.
Sight · 5.3 mi awayValley ViewGranite cliffs and Bridalveil Fall framed across the Merced River.Parkwolf’s Yosemite ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
