Parking
The access is behind Big Trees Lodge, about 50 yards uphill from Moore Cottage. The hotel is a landmark, not a verified public trailhead lot; confirm visitor parking in Wawona before starting.
Overview
About Wawona to Mariposa Grove Trail
Why go
- A direct, forested link between Wawona and the grove-side trail network.
Heads up
- A strenuous one-way climb with no confirmed ride back to Wawona.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Yosemite map
Full mapElevation4,049–5,935 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
- The Buzz That Frees the Pollen
- Wawona Campground and Picnic Area
- 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 to Mariposa Grove Trail
The connectorThis is a point-to-point hike from Wawona toward the west side of Mariposa Grove, about 4.
This is a point-to-point hike from Wawona toward the west side of Mariposa Grove, about 4.9 miles one way with roughly 2,000 feet of climbing. It is a wooded link between the Wawona Hotel area and the Grove-side Outer Loop, not a loop or a walk through the sequoia grove itself. An older area map labels the distance as six miles; detailed route mapping puts it just under five, so plan for about five miles.
Climbing through the forestThe trail starts behind Big Trees Lodge, about 50 yards uphill from Moore Cottage.
The trail starts behind Big Trees Lodge, about 50 yards uphill from Moore Cottage. It climbs along a forested ridge. Around a mile in, Bill’s Hill Trail branches left; stay straight on Wawona Trail to a small saddle. The climb continues in several steep, short pitches and a final set of switchbacks before the route ends at a T-junction with the Outer Loop Trail west of the grove. There are no true viewpoints along this connector, and there is no water on the route.
Plan the finishAllow about three to four hours for the one-way climb, with extra time for breaks.
Allow about three to four hours for the one-way climb, with extra time for breaks. The trail is strenuous and gains about 2,000 feet. Arrange a pickup on the grove side or be ready to return on foot: no shuttle back to Wawona is confirmed. The route ends at the Outer Loop junction, so any extra distance into Mariposa Grove is additional. Confirm where visitors may park in Wawona before leaving a car at the hotel area.
Park rulesDogs are prohibited on Yosemite trails except Wawona Meadow Loop, so they are not allowed on…
Dogs are prohibited on Yosemite trails except Wawona Meadow Loop, so they are not allowed on this route. This connector is also separate from the Wawona Point hike, which is a different route within Mariposa Grove.
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.
