Take a leisurely nature walk through the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias
Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park is filled with giant Sequoias. It is the largest grove of giant sequoias in the park, with several hundred mature examples of the tree. Two of its trees are among the 30 largest giant sequoias in the world. They’ve recently renovated the area with nice walkways and a clearly marked trail system. There are a few trails that are leisurely nature walks, and a longer trail you can take that’s about a 7 mile loop.
Hiking Info
Park at Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza, there is a free shuttle that takes you from there up to the Grove Trails (Oct 2021 update: Shuttle is currently not operating due to COVID)
No pets allowed
Restrooms available
Water available at the Welcome Plaza
There are 4 trails to choose from; Big Trees Loop Trail: 0.3 mile, Grizzly Giant Loop Trail: 2 miles, Guardians Loop Trail: 6.5 miles, Mariposa Grove Trail: 7 miles
When to go
The best time to visit Yosemite is in the Spring or Fall, when the weather is mild and the crowds are a bit lighter. Although most of the year the park is pretty crowded.
Big Tree Loop Trail to the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail
Walk this well marked trail to view these hundreds year old Sequoias towering high above.
The Fallen Monarch
The Fallen Monarch, shown in the image below, should give you an idea of just how large these sequoias are. This is the root of one that has finally fallen down, and it’s 15 feet across.
It’s hard to even get a good photo of these giants because they are so large you can’t get an entire one into frame.
View the California Tunnel Tree
This giant tree is the only living Sequoia that has a tunnel cut into it that you can walk through.
Definitely add this to your Yosemite list!