The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias: Grizzly Giant, California Tunnel Tree & Shuttle Guide

Located at the South Entrance of Yosemite National Park (on Highway 41, 1 hour south of Yosemite Valley and 25 minutes north of Oakhurst) sits the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, the largest of Yosemite's three sequoia groves, protecting over 500 mature Giant Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum). This grove convinced President Abraham Lincoln to sign the 1864 Yosemite Grant and hosted John Muir and Theodore Roosevelt's 1903 camp.

1. How the Free 'Mariposa Grove Shuttle' Works (Spring to November)

Following a restoration that replaced tarmac car parks with wooden boardwalks, cars park at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza (inside the South Entrance Gate, with 300 free spaces and toilets). From the plaza, hop aboard the free Mariposa Grove Shuttle Bus (running every 10 to 15 minutes from spring to autumn), which drives 3.2 kilometres up to the trailhead in 8 minutes. In winter or early spring when the shuttle is off, visitors walk the 3.2 km Washburn Trail on foot or snowshoes.

2. Choosing Your Trail Inside the Grove

1. The Big Trees Loop Trail (0.5 km Flat Boardwalk, 30 Minutes, Wheelchair Accessible): circles from the drop-off past the upturned root system of the Fallen Monarch, whose tannin-rich wood has remained intact for 300 years.
2. The Grizzly Giant Loop Trail (3.2 km Round-Trip | 90m Gain | 1.5 to 2 Hours): continues past the Bachelor and Three Graces to the two highlights of the lower grove:
   • The 3,000-Year-Old 'Grizzly Giant': standing 63.7 metres tall with a trunk circumference of 29 metres, it is the oldest sequoia in Yosemite; its south branch 30 metres up is 2 metres in diameter.
   • The 'California Tunnel Tree' (Carved in 1895, Still Living): walk 150 metres past the Grizzly Giant to walk through a living Giant Sequoia that had a stagecoach tunnel cut through its heartwood in 1895.
3. The Guardians Loop to the 'Upper Grove' & Wawona Point (10.5 km Round-Trip | 4 to 5 Hours): climbs to the Telescope Tree, Mariposa Grove Cabin and over 300 upper sequoias.

3. Stop at 'Wawona' (1857 Covered Bridge & Pioneer History Center)

Ten minutes north of Mariposa Grove toward Yosemite Valley, pause in Wawona to walk through the 1857 Covered Bridge into the outdoor Pioneer Yosemite History Center near the 1879 Wawona Hotel.