Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park

Giant Sequoias are probably my favorite trees; they are large, towering, and very beautiful. While Mariposa Grove is not quite as large and it's trees not quite as beautiful as those of Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park to the south, Yosemite's largest grove of sequoias is very much worth visiting. The grove is split into an upper and a lower section and covers a total of 250 acres; the upper section is more interesting than the tourist-packed lower grove. One-hour guided tram tours of the grove are offered, but you should skip these (and save $16) and opt for walking. Trails connect the lower grove parking area (elevation 5,600) to the the famous lower grove trees as well as the Upper Grove, the fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree (elevation 6,600) and Wawona Point (elevation 6,800 feet). At the grove parking lot, you can buy an excellent pamphlet about the grove, written by the late Jon Kinney, a ranger at Yosemite National Park. The pamphlet offers a lot of background information on the trees. Crowds tend to congregate in the lower grove, so hiking the moderate uphill trail from the lower grove to the upper grove, about 4 miles round trip, will bring you solitude. For views and even less tourists, hike the 5 miles round trip to Wawona Point.

1 more image

Located right by the Southern Entrance to the park, Mariposa Grove is home to the Giant Sequoia Trees. And they really are phenomenal, never in my life have I seen anything like it. (Although, having said that, I didn't get the chance to visit the Redwoods of Northern California during my stay there.) It's not just that these trees are astoundingly tall, but the thickness of the trunks and branches is pretty impressive too. There's a 2.5 mile loop trail leading through the trees that starts in the car park, alternatively there's a narrated tram tour around the Grove ($11).

3 more images

This was one of my favorite activities in Yosemite. You've heard of the famous sequoias and redwoods of California - giant sequoias are native only in isolated groups on the western slope of the central and southern Sierra Nevada. It's hard to appreciate their towering majesty until you stand among a forest full of such marvels of nature. They're really unbelievable. You'll feel Lilliputian at the foot of such a tree, looking up...simply surreal.

The easiest and most convenient way to reach the Mariposa Grove is by free shuttle from the Wawona Hotel. If you insist on driving there though, you should plan to arrive in early morning or mid-afternoon. The parking lot fills up quickly.

There is both an Upper and Lower Grove in the Mariposa Grove. All the trails in the Grove are uphill, so it's a good idea to consider riding the tram in between...tickets are around $10 and worth it. After exploring the Upper Grove, you can either reboard the tram, or hike down to the Grizzly Giant which is the famous 2,7000 year old sequoia - the oldest in the park and maybe in the entire country.

At this point, you can either reboard the tram at the Grizzly Giant, or hike down to the parking lot. The full hike from the Upper Grove to the parking lot is 2.5 miles - around 2 or 3 hours. The hike from the Grizzly Giant to the parking lot is just under a mile, and along the way you'll see all kinds of towering sequoias that comprise the Lower Grove.

If you have time for only one hike in the Grove, this is the one.

4 more images

As I recall we paid $16- per person for the tram that tours through what once was a road taken by tourist cars. I recall the family taking that strip of asphalt many times, with the biggest thrill being a drive through the tunnel tree. The tunnel tree though fell over many years ago, and recent conservation efforts forbid any traffic other than the trams. In any case, the tram has a recorded guide system that explains many things about the Sequoia Gigantia trees and the history of the Grove. These are transmitted by a radio system and headphones, so that tourists speaking languages other than English can appreciate the information. As I recall, Spanish, Japanese, German, French, and other languages were available. For 50 cents, once can also buy a printed copy of a pamplet which is available in several languages. If one has plenty of time, wants to save money, avoid the tram, etc., then hiking through the grove on designated trails is permitted. The trees are typically surrounded by fencing so that the root base is protected from the trampling of tourist feet. Souvenirs are available at the Cabin near the top of the ridge, and at the main entrance shop. Unfortunately, the shops are not carefully stocked with multi-lingual reading material. For example, at the time of our visit, I saw a huge stack of German version souvenir guides, but a Spanish one was not available. However, one can buy a seedling of the great tree, which will in fact grow. I have a two foot tall Sequoia Gigantia in my backyard, which grew from a seedling in only two years.

Located 35 miles south of Yosemite Valley is the largest of 3 sequoia groves in Yosemite. This was a pleasant surprise for me since I never associated these giants with Yosemite.

The giant sequoia is largest of all living things and they live for thousands of years. Some are over half hollowed out due to fires but they still thrive and do not die of old age.

It was difficult taking photos of an entire tree since they are so enormous! One must really experience this in person.

There are hiking trails but certain areas are only accessible by tram tour.

A have already mentioned Mariposa Grove but it is a definite must do if your in Yosemite. There's free shuttle buses that run down too which is a bonus.
It's just a magical feeling seeing living things have have been around for so many years.

This is the largest grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite. These trees can li8ve for thousands of years, one of the trees is estimated to be 2700 years old. The trees are beautiful to look at the the grove was quiet and calm. We \visited the grove in November, so we could not take the tram tour that only operates mid-May through October, but there were plenty of these giants to look at in the parking lot.

Within Mariposa Grove, you will find Fallen Monarch, a giant Sequoia. At the entrance to the Grove, you'll see a large signboard with an old photo of the Monarch. It is an amazing sight, showing an entire Cavalry on their horses, not only beside, but on top of the Monarch. The tree is absolutely huge and must have been quite a sight when it was standing.