Hike Mariposa Grove

Walk Amongst the Giant Sequoias

4.8-mile loop with 1,000-foot elevation gain.

Mariposa is by far the largest of Yosemite’s three groves of giant sequoias. A walk among the world’s largest living things is one to remember.

Expect lots of company in Mariposa Grove. The enormous trees--combined with easy access, close proximity to the park’s south entrance, a gift/snack shop, and a tram tour no less--really draw a crowd.

The magnificent sequoias of Mariposa Grove, along with the wondrous Yosemite Valley, prompted President Abraham Lincoln to set aside Yosemite as reserve and grant it (temporarily) to the state of California for its protection. Thus it’s not exaggeration to say that this grove of giant sequoias inspired the first steps toward the establishment of our entire system of national parks.

At times, Mariposa Grove rivaled Calaveras Grove and the groves of big trees in Sequoia National Park in popularity. The modern visitor can visit named trees that have captured the imagination of several generations of visitors.

No visit of a century ago was complete without a stage ride through a drive-through tree. Thousands of wagons, then cars drove through Wawona Tunnel Tree, from 1881 when a tunnel was bored through it, until 1967 when it fell. California Tunnel Tree, another sequoia with a tunnel through its midsection, still stands--though its drive-through days are over.

Grizzly Giant, a 200-foot tall behemoth that measures 30 feet in diameter, is estimated to have sprouted some 2,700 years ago; it’s believed to be the oldest sequoia in Mariposa Grove.

It’s easy to guess, by observing the spacing of the Three Graces, the Faithful Couple and the Bachelor Tree how these trees got their names.

You might spot some sequoias with blackened bark. In years past, the park service resolutely suppressed all wildfires. However, with the realization in the 1970s that sequoia reproduction depends on fire, the occasional lightning-caused blaze has been allowed to burn, and some controlled burns have been proscribed in order to simulate natural conditions.

To learn more about sequoia ecology and history, check out the exhibits at the Grove Museum. The museum is located in the Upper Grove on the site of Yosemite guardian Galen Clark’s 1864 cabin.

Directions to trailhead: From Highway 41 at Yosemite’s South Entrance Station, drive east two miles to Mariposa Grove.

The hike: At the start of the trail, pick up a copy of the park service’s “Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias” pamphlet from the dispenser and begin walking the gentle path. You’ll soon visit the Fallen Monarch, the Bachelor and Three Graces, and at the 0.8-mile mark, the Grizzly Giant that leans perilously like the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Not far from old Grizzly is the one-time drive-through California Tunnel Tree; it’s the unofficial “tourist turnaround;” from here to the Upper Grove, you’ll proceed with less company.

Your path steepens, passes a trail leading to Clothespin Tree, and climbs to a junction with the tram road and a meeting with the Upper Loop Trail 1.5 mile from the trailhead. Bear right and walk among the sequoia. Keep an eye out for the famed and fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree. After visiting this curiosity, meet the tram road, then join the Museum Trail which descends to the museum.

Continue past the museum to rejoin the Upper Loop Trail. On your return visit the odd, fire-fashioned Clothespin Tree and the sequoia twosome known as the Faithful Couple. Revisit the Grizzly Giant and retrace your steps to the trailhead.