Mariposa Grove to Wawona Lodge

The trail from Mariposa Grove to Wawona Lodge is 5.1 miles from the trailhead, but the trailhead itself is about 1 mile from the Mariposa Grove parking lot (but if you are already exploring the grove, head over to the trail after visiting the Clothespin Tree and The Faithful Couple to save a little distance.

The initial part of the trail is a significant amount of elevation loss, which can be difficult on the knees after a day of hiking through the grove. Take your time and enjoy the scenery as you give your knees a well-deserved break.

A little after halfway, the trail almost touches Hwy41 and then just as quickly leaves the road again. There is a short path to the road if you want to shorten the trail, but you will need to arrange for someone to pick you up ahead of time, because there is no where else to go once you reach the road.

After the road you will reach a fork in the road. Take the path to the left and continue on towards the Wawona Lodge.

During the last mile or two of the hike you will leave the cover of the trees and enter a more open area. This section is significantly more exposed than the first part, so plan ahead and put on plenty of sunscreen and cover your shoulders, remember that the air is thinner around 5,000ft and the UV rays are stronger.

After another 0.5 miles through a wooded area you will arrive at the backside of the Wawona Lodge, and your trip will be complete. Consider going to the Golf shop near the meadow for a snack or a cold drink while you rest your feet, or cool off with an afternoon dip on the cold pool.