Parking
Park at Wawona Hotel or at the Wawona Store and Pioneer Gift Shop lot just north of it. The hotel-side trailhead is across the road from Wawona Hotel.
Overview
About Wawona Meadow Loop Trail
Why go
- Mostly flat loop with meadow and forest scenery
- Leashed pets and bicycles are allowed
Heads up
- Uneven footing and a small creek crossing can make the walk less smooth
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation3,993–4,206 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 coming up on historic Wawona, where the Yosemite History Center makes a good short break from the mountain roads. Park near Wawona Store and wander among the covered bridge, old wagons, cabins and blacksmith shop.”
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
Historic Wawona0:00 / 0:32
“You're coming up on historic Wawona, where the Yosemite History Center makes a good short break from the mountain roads. Park near Wawona Store and wander among the covered bridge, old wagons, cabins and blacksmith shop.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Yosemite Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Wawona Campground and Picnic Area
- The Buzz That Frees the Pollen
- Chilnualna Falls
- The Empty Skin by the Pond
- 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 Wawona Meadow Loop Trail
The loopWawona Meadow Loop is a mostly flat 3.
Wawona Meadow Loop is a mostly flat 3.5-mile loop from the trailhead across the road from Wawona Hotel. Allow 2 to 3 hours. The approach crosses the golf course on pavement, then turns onto an unpaved fire road that circles the meadow. Expect an easy walk beside open grass and through forest, not a climb to one of Yosemite’s big overlooks.
The route is shaped like a horseshoe between two signed trailheads a short distance apart. Follow the road-side connection between them to finish the loop. A longer southward detour crosses Highway 41 and makes the outing about 5 miles; it is a separate option, not part of this route.
Footing, water and rulesThe trail is mostly flat, but the surface is uneven.
The trail is mostly flat, but the surface is uneven. A small creek crossing can leave your feet wet. There is no drinking water along the trail; a fountain is near the restrooms in the Wawona Store parking area.
Leashed pets and bicycles are allowed here. That makes this an unusual choice in Yosemite if you want a low-key walk with a dog or a short ride alongside the meadow.
The old roadThis route follows a remnant of the Wawona Stage Road.
This route follows a remnant of the Wawona Stage Road. A trail-side interpretive sign traces its history to a horse trail built in 1856, then a wider stage road in 1870. That gives the otherwise quiet circuit a connection to the old travel route through Wawona.
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.
