Parking
Follow Forest Drive to its end in Wawona; the Swinging Bridge Trailhead is there. A small unpaved lot and portable toilet serve the access; the lot is reported to hold about 20 cars.
Overview
About Wawona Swinging Bridge Trail
Why go
- A short, mostly level walk to a real swinging bridge and river swimming hole.
Heads up
- The river can be cold and swift, especially early in the year.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation4,140–4,213 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
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
- Chilnualna Falls
- The Buzz That Frees the Pollen
- The Park Before the National Park
- The Chef Behind Wawona’s Dining Room
- 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 Swinging Bridge Trail
A short walk to the South ForkWawona Swinging Bridge Trail is a 0.
Wawona Swinging Bridge Trail is a 0.6-mile out-and-back from the end of Forest Drive to a suspended footbridge over the South Fork Merced River. The National Park Service gives it about 30 minutes and a mostly flat grade. It is an easy Wawona outing when you want a little river time; the bridge and swimming hole are the payoff, not a big Yosemite panorama.
The way inStart at the Swinging Bridge Trailhead where Forest Drive ends.
Start at the Swinging Bridge Trailhead where Forest Drive ends. A broad dirt path heads through the trees to the river; it stays mostly level. Cross the narrow bridge, look upstream and downstream, then retrace your steps. Paths continue beyond the far bank, but they are longer walks and are not part of this short trail's mileage.
The bridge and riverThe suspended deck moves as you cross, with granite boulders and pines around the South Fork.
The suspended deck moves as you cross, with granite boulders and pines around the South Fork. A view from downstream puts the bridge in its river setting. The South Fork Merced is a federally designated Wild and Scenic River, but the water can still be cold and fast.
Parking, pets and waterFollow Forest Drive to its end in Wawona; the trailhead has a small unpaved lot and a portable…
Follow Forest Drive to its end in Wawona; the trailhead has a small unpaved lot and a portable toilet nearby. The lot is reported to hold about 20 cars. Yosemite does not allow pets on this unpaved trail. The river can be swift and cold, especially early in the year, with hazards hidden under the surface. If you swim, use a sandy beach and skip the water when the current is strong.
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.
