Yosemite National Park, CA
A longer loop reaches quiet upper groves beyond the famous sequoias.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
“You're coming up on the Welcome Plaza for Mariposa Grove, Yosemite's largest grove of giant sequoias.”
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 trailhead
Mariposa Grove and Grizzly Giant“You're coming up on the Welcome Plaza for Mariposa Grove, Yosemite's largest grove of giant sequoias.”
Plays as you drive up to this 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
The 6.3-mile Perimeter Trail is a loop from Mariposa Grove Arrival Area, joining Big Trees and Grizzly Giant paths before circling the upper grove and returning to the arrival area. It gains about 1,050 feet; plan on roughly five hours. The extra distance reaches quieter woods beyond the lower grove’s best-known stops. The 2-mile Grizzly Giant Loop is a shorter choice if you mainly want the famous trees.
The route climbs more gradually when you take the east side of the Grizzly Giant loop on the way up; reversing it makes the ascent steeper and more concentrated. Past the Grizzly Giant access area, the perimeter climbs through the upper grove, crosses Mariposa Grove Road near the Wawona Point junction, and circles back along the north side. Stay on the perimeter branch there. Wawona Point is an uphill road spur, while the Mariposa Grove Cabin, Telescope Tree, and Fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree each need a short side trip.
Park at Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza and use the free seasonal shuttle to reach the Arrival Area; only vehicles displaying a disability placard can drive the grove road. When road and shuttle access are closed, the walk from Welcome Plaza adds 2 miles each way by Washburn Trail or Mariposa Grove Road, with about 500 feet of climbing. Dogs are prohibited throughout the grove. Horses are allowed only on this trail. Water is available at Welcome Plaza year-round and at the Arrival Area seasonally; the upper and northern stretches have little shade.
Mariposa Grove holds more than 500 mature giant sequoias. The loop passes the Galen Clark Tree; nearby lower-grove landmarks include the roughly 3,000-year-old Grizzly Giant and the California Tunnel Tree. The Galen Clark Tree’s small name sign sits at the trunk’s base, a useful detail to include in a photo. The grove was protected in 1864 and became part of Yosemite National Park in 1906.
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
ModerateGrizzly Giant Loop Trail2 mi · 2 hr · At the trailheadStand beneath a 3,000-year-old sequoia on a lower-grove loop.
ModerateMariposa Grove Trail to Wawona Point7 mi · 5 hr · At the trailheadA long climb through giant sequoias ends above Wawona Meadow.
EasyBig Trees Loop Trail0.3 mi · 38 min · At the trailheadA level loop to the Fallen Monarch's enormous, upturned roots.
ModerateBiledo Meadow Trail8.5 mi · 6 hr · At the trailheadCabins and summer flowers wait beyond the sequoia grove.
ChallengingGuardians Loop Trail6.5 mi · 5 hr · At the trailheadA sequoia climb to a quieter loop in the upper grove.
EasyGrizzly Giant Accessible Trail0.3 mi · 36 min · 0.5 mi awayTwo famous sequoias on a short, nearly level accessible walk.
ModerateWashburn Trail4 mi · 2 hr · 1.1 mi awayA wooded alternative to the shuttle, with 500 feet of climbing.
EasyWawona Swinging Bridge Trail0.6 mi · 30 min · 3 mi awayA short, mostly flat walk to a bridge that really swings.
Sight · At the trailheadMariposa Grove of Giant SequoiasA flat loop sees the giants; Wawona Point takes a strenuous climb.
Sight · 0.6 mi awayGrizzly GiantA fire-scarred giant sequoia at the heart of Mariposa Grove.Sight · 1.3 mi awayWawona PointA long climb through giant sequoias ends in a wide valley view.
Sight · 2.8 mi awayWawona Swinging BridgeA swaying bridge over granite boulders and a popular swimming hole
Sight · 3.4 mi awayWawona HotelAn 1879 Victorian hotel with roots in an 1856 trail-side cabin.
Campground · 3.5 mi awayWawona Horse CampA small stock camp beside the South Fork Merced River.
Visitor center · 3.5 mi awayWawona Visitor Center at Hill's StudioAn artist's Yosemite studio turned into a useful park stop.
Sight · 3.5 mi awayYosemite History CenterA covered bridge, old wagons and stories from the park’s working past.Parkwolf’s Yosemite ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
