Guardians Loop Trail

Guardians Loop Trail is a 6.5-mile round trip from Mariposa Grove Arrival Area, with a 1.5-mile circuit in the upper grove built into the longer approach. Allow four to six hours and about 1,000 feet of elevation gain; this is a strenuous hike, not a quick add-on to the lower grove. The upper loop is the only loop section: you retrace the approach to return to the Arrival Area.

The lower approach shares the grove's main routes and passes the Grizzly Giant area before climbing farther into the grove. The upper circuit brings you past the fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree, Telescope Tree, and Mariposa Grove Cabin. It is a good choice when you want to walk beyond the best-known lower-grove stops and have most of a day for the grove.

Mariposa Grove is home to more than 500 mature giant sequoias. The Grizzly Giant and California Tunnel Tree are among the notable trees along the lower approach; the upper loop adds a different set of landmarks rather than simply repeating the lower walk. The grove was protected in 1864, when Abraham Lincoln signed the Yosemite Grant, and became part of Yosemite National Park in 1906. At the cabin, frame the small building beneath the sequoia trunks to show their scale.

The trail starts at the Mariposa Grove Arrival Area & Trailhead, not the Welcome Plaza parking lot. A free shuttle usually connects the plaza and trailhead from late April into November, as conditions allow. Without the shuttle, the official walk in is about two miles each way on Washburn Trail or Mariposa Grove Road, adding roughly four miles and about 500 feet of climbing each way. When the road is open, visitors with a disability placard may drive near the Grizzly Giant and Arrival Area. Water is available at the Welcome Plaza year-round and at the Arrival Area in summer only. Pets are prohibited on grove trails, roads, and shuttles.