Parking
Start at the signed Dog Lake / John Muir Trail parking area off the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge road, south of Tioga Road. The JMT/PCT access is just south of the parking area; road access is seasonal.
Overview
About Twin Bridges of Lyell Fork Trail
Why go
- Paired timber bridges and a rocky river make a memorable payoff for a short walk.
- The mostly gentle route can fit into a 1–2 hour Tuolumne Meadows outing.
Heads up
- Published distance figures differ substantially; confirm the route at the trailhead.
- Uneven ground and high elevation make this more demanding than a flat paved path.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation8,661–8,750 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
Safety
4 active Yosemite alerts
- ClosureDome Fire closes Glacier Point Road and trailsGlacier Point Road is temporarily closed because Dome Fire smoke reduces visibility and to allow firefighting operations; some trails south of the road are also closed.Official details
- CautionMist Trail access limited during October repairsThe Mist Trail between its John Muir Trail junction above the Vernal Fall footbridge and the top of Vernal Fall has limited access through October for repair work.Official details
“You're approaching the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge road, with access to Lyell Canyon. The seasonal lodge is a cluster of canvas tent cabins beside the river, with beds and wood stoves but no electricity or Wi-Fi.”
Yosemite Tour Guide
Yosemite, narrated.
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
Tuolumne Meadows Lodge and Lyell Canyon0:00 / 0:33
“You're approaching the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge road, with access to Lyell Canyon. The seasonal lodge is a cluster of canvas tent cabins beside the river, with beds and wood stoves but no electricity or Wi-Fi.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lembert Dome
- Why the Sierra Has a Dry Side
- Tuolumne Meadows Store and Grill
- Soda Springs and Parsons Memorial Lodge
- 125 audio storiesacross Yosemite’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Peregrine Falcon, Mule Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 141 trails, 99 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“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
Hiking Twin Bridges of Lyell Fork Trail
The short outingTwin Bridges is an out-and-back from the signed Dog Lake / John Muir Trail parking area to the…
Twin Bridges is an out-and-back from the signed Dog Lake / John Muir Trail parking area to the paired crossings on Lyell Fork. The mapped corridor is about 0.8 mile each way, or 1.6 miles round-trip. Published estimates disagree: one hike description gives 1.8 miles without stating its convention, while the official park page lists 3 miles round-trip. Check the trailhead directions and allow about 1–2 hours.
Across the forksTake the signed southbound spur to the John Muir Trail, then follow the Dana Fork upstream to…
Take the signed southbound spur to the John Muir Trail, then follow the Dana Fork upstream to its bridge. After crossing, the path rises gently over a wooded ridge between the Dana and Lyell Fork drainages. The walk is mostly flat overall, but the ground is uneven, so it is not a paved or stroller-smooth stroll. Read the signs at junctions; the John Muir Trail continues farther into Lyell Canyon beyond the short Twin Bridges destination.
At Twin BridgesThe trees open onto granite slabs and two timber bridges over the rocky Lyell Fork.
The trees open onto granite slabs and two timber bridges over the rocky Lyell Fork. From the crossing, look along the moving water toward the rocky cascades and the meadow beside the river. Cross the bridges to the meadow if you want to linger, then return the same way. A low view from the slabs can frame both bridges and the water together.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Yosemite
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.
