Hiking the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail in Yosemite National Park
Distance: 2.1 miles / 3.4 km
The Grizzly Giant Loop Trail in Yosemite National Park is a local and visitor favorite within Mariposa Grove because the trail makes for a nice intermediate adventure between both the very short Big Trees Loop Trail at the very beginning of Mariposa Grove and the much longer Perimeter Trail around the grove.
Distance aside, the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail is a favorite because it leads not only to the biggest tree within Mariposa Grove, but also one of the biggest in the world!
For these reasons, I highly recommend hiking the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail when visiting Mariposa Grove, at the very least, and know that other destinations off the loop—such as those on the Perimeter Trail and Guardians Loop—can be reached by taking a number of different out-and-back side trails that branch off the upper portion of the loop.
Grizzly Giant Loop Trailhead Parking
Parking for all the day hikes within Mariposa Grove is located at one of two areas.
The first is the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza, adjacent to the south entrance. This is the parking lot that the vast majority of park visitors will utilize, as the upper parking area—at the far end of the Washburn Trail and the beginning of Mariposa Grove—is only available to vehicles displaying a valid disability placard.
This is true throughout the year, meaning that during the winter off-season, when shuttles aren’t running, visitors without disability placards are required to hike the Washburn Trail to access Mariposa Grove.
However, when shuttles are running—typically from mid-April to the end of November (check dates and times here)—visitors can utilize the free park shuttle to get to and from the Welcome Plaza.
Google Maps Directions: Grizzly Giant Loop Trailhead (Mariposa Grove)
Hiking Checklist - Yosemite
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Yosemite National Park.
That said, bear spray is purposefully excluded from this list because, while the Sierra Nevadas are home to a large Black Bear population, bear spray is not allowed in Yosemite National Park.
Hiking the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail
The Grizzly Giant Loop Trail begins at the Mariposa Grove Trailhead, the same trailhead that serves all the hikes within the grove and beyond.
To skip ahead to the start of the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, click here.
The Grizzly Giant Loop Trail begins and ends on the Big Trees Loop Trail, which is exactly why the very beginning and end of this post will closely mirror my separate article about the Big Trees Trail.
In any case, the one thing to note is the time of day these photos were taken.
I say this because Mariposa Grove is one of the busiest locations outside of Yosemite Valley, which is why I highly recommend visiting first thing in the morning, as shown here.
That said, hiking the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail early will likely mean that shuttles won’t be running, and you’ll have to hike the Washburn Trail to get to Mariposa Grove.
However, I truly believe the Washburn Trail is worth the effort because hiking the busiest parts of Mariposa Grove early, without the crowds, is an incredible experience!
This Sequoia alongside the boardwalk is the Fallen Monarch—not the second tree to the left of the junction up ahead.
East Grizzly Giant Loop-Big Trees Loop Junction
When the Big Trees Trail reaches the uppermost part of the loop, go right to begin the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, as the trail to the left is simply where the Big Trees Loop continues and where the Grizzly Giant Loop will return at the end.
Read My Separate Post: Big Trees Loop Trail
This split to the left is nothing more than a short side trail that leads out to a beautiful viewpoint within the meadow.
After the viewpoint, the Grizzly Giant Trail begins ascending slowly, but the best thing about hiking the loop in the direction shown here is that all the elevation gain is very gradual!
Conversely, this means that the ascent is steeper and more condensed when hiking the loop in the other direction.
Other than the Giant Sequoias, Sugar Pine trees dominate Mariposa Grove, which are easy to spot by finding one of their giant cones on the ground!
Upper Grizzly Giant Loop-Mariposa Grove Road Junction
What is Mariposa Grove Road/ ‘Trail’?
Some visitors, and even the National Park Service, refer to Mariposa Grove Road as the Mariposa Grove Trail, but my personal opinion is to avoid Mariposa Grove Road altogether because it really is just that—a road, not a trail.
Essentially, Mariposa Grove Road climbs the hill from the Big Trees Loop Trailhead to Wawona Point, avoiding the best of the Sequoias that can be seen on the various trails throughout the grove.
This is why I would never treat Mariposa Grove Road as its own adventure, outside of using the road to quickly climb up to Wawona Point for sunset.
My thoughts aside, go straight across the road at this junction to stay on the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail.
Officially speaking, the National Park Service still considers this to be the Mariposa Grove Trail, but it will brach away to follow the road immediately after the Grizzly Giant Sequoia up ahead.
East Grizzly Giant Loop-Perimeter Junction
The next time the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail splits is when it meets the path that leads out to Mariposa Grove Road, and the Perimeter Trail shortly thereafter.
That said, go left to stay on the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, but if you are interested in leaving the loop here to hike the Perimeter Trail, I still recommend going left first to see the Grizzly Giant Sequoia, as the tree is less than 0.1 miles (0.2 km) from this junction.
Read My Separate Post: Perimeter Trail (Coming Soon)
Grizzly Giant
At roughly 0.75 miles (1.2 km) into the hike, the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail reaches the Grizzly Giant, the largest Sequoia tree in Mariposa Grove!
Estimates put the Grizzly Giant at around 3,000 years old, give or take a few centuries!
Grizzly Giant Loop-Mariposa Grove Junction
On the far side of the Grizzly Giant, the Mariposa Grove Trail leaves the Grizzly Giant Loop to meet with Mariposa Grove Road for the rest of the hike to Wawona Point.
Here, go left to stay on the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail.
California Tunnel Tree
This is the California Tunnel Tree, and it was carved in 1895—which is quite impressive, as it’s the only one of two Sequoias hollowed out during this era that is still standing in Mariposa Grove today!
Grizzly Giant Loop-Mariposa Grove Road Connector Junction
This is the second time the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail splits with a route that connects with the Mariposa Grove Road after the Grizzly Giant, and it’s where hikers can go to get to the Mariposa Grove 'Trail' that can be found shortly after the California Tunnel Tree.
Now, I say 'trail' because it truthfully isn’t—since the trail portion ends where the two meet at Mariposa Grove Road, about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) ahead—meaning that the rest of the hike up to Wawona Point follows the much less scenic road.
I should also say that, while I’m not a fan of the road itself, walking it can be a great way to get to the Guardians Loop Trail inside the Perimeter Trail faster, which is the second-best place to see the Giant Sequoias in Mariposa Grove.
All that aside, go left to stay on the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail.
After the California Tunnel Tree, the return loop continues through a forest dominated by Sugar Pine, with very few Sequoias, until the trail begins to descend toward the Big Trees Loop Trail near the very end.
This is another reason why I prefer to hike the Grizzly Giant Loop in this direction, as all the Sequoias before the Grizzly Giant are great places to take it slow on the uphill, while the less scenic half is easier to move through more quickly because it’s mostly downhill.
These markers are for staying on the trail during the winter off-season, which is always interesting to see how high they are placed, as it shows how much snow Mariposa Grove gets on average.
West Grizzly Giant Loop-Perimeter Junction
Just before the trail starts its final descent, the loop meets the other side of the Perimeter Trail, which first left the Grizzly Giant Loop at the junction right before the Grizzly Giant Sequoia itself.
That said, go left to remain on the Grizzly Giant Loop and return to the Mariposa Grove Trailhead.
Read My Separate Post: Perimeter Trail (Coming Soon)
This is where the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail begins to descend back toward the Big Trees Loop Trail at the beginning of Mariposa Grove.
I hope these switchbacks show what I meant about the west side of the Grizzly Giant Loop being a steeper climb—should you decide to hike the trail in reverse.
After the second switchback, the beginning of Mariposa Grove Road should start to become visible through the trees.
Lower Grizzly Giant Loop-Mariposa Grove Road Junction
The second time the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail crosses Mariposa Grove Road is just before the loop meets back up with the Big Trees Loop Trail from the beginning.
Here, go straight across the road to find the next junction immediately ahead.
West Grizzly Giant Loop-Big Trees Loop Junction
This is where the Grizzly Giant Loop returns to the Big Trees Loop Trail, with the Mariposa Grove Trailhead located just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) to the right of this junction.
Read My Separate Post: Big Trees Loop Trail
Just like the beginning, this final section will mirror my separate Big Trees Loop Trail article.
This Sequoia footprint bears a striking resemblance to the footprint on the General Sherman Tree Trail in Sequoia National Park, but if you’ve ever seen both, note how different the two are in size, as the one featured here is significantly smaller than the General Sherman Tree’s—the largest tree on Earth!
After 2.1 miles (3.4 km), the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail returns to the beginning, where the free shuttle picks up hikers to return to the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza.
This 3D map at the Mariposa Trailhead is a really cool way to see how all the Giant Sequoias are spread throughout Mariposa Grove.
