Hiking the Perimeter Trail in Yosemite National Park
Distance: 6.3 miles / 10.1 km
The Perimeter Trail in Yosemite National Park is more or less one big loop around Mariposa Grove and all the Giant Sequoias within.
This loop is a great option for those interested in exploring more of Mariposa Grove than just the Big Trees Trail and Grizzly Giant Loop, as the Perimeter Trail climbs to the uppermost Sequoias within Mariposa—particularly a number of notable trees off the Guardians Loop Trail near the top.
That said, I personally don’t see the Guardians Loop Trail as its own separate day hike in Mariposa, like the others mentioned, because all of the best trees to see on the Guardians Loop can easily be seen by hiking the Perimeter Trail and leaving the loop at a handful of different points.
All this to say, the Perimeter Trail is the longest day hike in Mariposa Grove, which is exactly why so few hikers explore the full loop in its entirety.
Perimeter Trailhead Parking
Parking for all the day hikes within Mariposa Grove is located at one of three 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 Mariposa Grove Trailhead parking lot and Grizzly Giant Accessible parking area are 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: Perimeter Trail (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 Perimeter Trail
The Perimeter 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 Perimeter Trail, click here.
The Perimeter Trail begins and ends on both the Big Trees Loop Trail and the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, which is exactly why the very beginning and end of this post will closely mirror my separate articles about these trails.
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 Perimeter 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/ Perimeter Trail 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 branch away to follow the road immediately after the Grizzly Giant Sequoia up ahead.
East Perimeter-Grizzly Giant Loop 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 right to begin the Perimeter Trail, but if you aren’t planning to hike the Grizzly Giant Loop, I 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: Grizzly Giant Loop Trail
This is where the Perimeter Trail officially begins, leaving behind the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail until the very end.
This split is simply where the Perimeter Trail follows Mariposa Grove Road out to the Grizzly Giant Accessible Trailhead shortly ahead.
Grizzly Giant Accessible Trailhead
After just 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Perimeter Trail meets the Grizzly Giant Accessible Trailhead.
Here, go left to walk across to the far side of the parking lot to find where the Perimeter Trail continues.
The Perimeter Trail continues past this gate.
After the Grizzly Giant Accessible Trailhead, the Perimeter Trail typically becomes much less trafficked and remains quiet until it meets the side trails that branch off the Grizzly Giant Loop toward the Guardians Loop Trail.
Perimeter-Sierra National Forest Junction
The first time the Perimeter Trail splits is where it meets the side trail that heads south toward Mt. Raymond Road, outside of the Yosemite National Park boundary.
That said, go left here to continue on the Perimeter Trail toward the Guardians Loop Trail.
Along this quiet stretch of the Perimeter Trail, there are a number of Giant Sequoias spread throughout, which makes this half much more enjoyable, as Sequoias are few and far between in the more remote stretches of the loop past the Wawona Point junction.
Perimeter-California Tunnel Tree Junction
When the Perimeter Trail reaches the California Tunnel Tree junction, go straight (right) to continue around the loop.
This junction is also where the Perimeter Trail gets busier once again, because hikers who leave the Grizzly Giant Loop typically hike up from this direction to get to the Guardians Loop Trail up ahead.
In total, there’s about 1,050 ft. (320 m) of elevation gain on the Perimeter Trail, but since the loop is so long, the ascent is fairly spread out.
To me, the Perimeter Trail is a lot like the North Boundary–Lone Pine Loop Trail in Kings Canyon National Park to the south, except that the Perimeter Trail receives much more traffic in comparison.
Perimeter-Guardians Loop-Mariposa Grove Road Junction
When the loop reaches this five-way intersection, take the first right to stay on the Perimeter Trail.
However, this intersection is the first of a handful of places off the Perimeter Trail that are great for leaving the loop to see some of the best parts of the Guardians Loop—much like the Grizzly Giant Sequoia at the beginning of the Perimeter Trail.
That being said, this first junction is the best place to leave the Perimeter Trail to reach the historic Mariposa Grove Cabin, just 0.2 miles (0.3 km) off the trail.
Mariposa Grove Cabin
The Mariposa Grove Cabin is a historic cabin in Yosemite National Park that was built in 1864 by Galen Clark to serve as an office and a place of refuge for visitors.
However, the cabin standing today is not the original but rather a newer version that was built in 1930, which is quite incredible considering how many wildfires it has withstood near Mariposa Grove over the years!
This is the Perimeter Trail continues past the five-way intersection before the Mariposa Grove Cabin.
Perimeter-Telescope Tree (Guardians Loop) Junction
After the initial Guardians Loop Trail junction, the Perimeter Trail begins to pass a number of named Sequoias, both on the Perimeter Trail and just off on the Guardians Loop.
Here, the Telescope Tree is the first one that can be found just down the hill to the left, but to stay on the Perimeter Trail, go right (straight) to continue toward the top of the loop.
Perimeter-Biledo Meadow Junction
Along the uppermost part of the Perimeter Trail, the loop meets the Biledo Trail, one of the three routes that leave Mariposa Grove to head off into the remote Sierras.
From here, go straight to remain on the Perimeter Loop Trail toward the Galen Clark Tree and Wawona Point shortly ahead.
Perimeter-Fallen Wawona Tree Tunnel (Guardians Loop) Junction
The Fallen Wawona Tree Tunnel is the third place to see off the Perimeter Trail, which can be reached fairly easily at only 0.1 miles (0.2 km) down the hill.
However, to remain on the Perimeter Trail, go straight once again to keep hiking around the loop toward the Galen Clark Tree.
Fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree
The Fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree is a Giant Sequoia that fell in February 1969 under heavy snow, but it got its name from a tunnel that was carved into a fire scar in the tree in 1881.
When it stood, it looked much like the California Tunnel Tree below.
Past the Fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree junction, the Perimeter Trail continues toward the Galen Clark Tree, less than 0.1 miles (0.2 km) ahead.
Galen Clark Tree
The Galen Clark Tree is a Giant Sequoia, named in honor of Galen Clark—the discoverer of Mariposa Grove in 1857.
Today, it’s quite incredible that the Galen Clark Tree didn’t succumb to the Washburn Fire in July 2022, when the National Park Service worked hard to protect the tree with sprinklers and protective wrapping.
Perimeter-Guardians Loop Junction
Shortly after the Galen Clark Tree, the Perimeter Trail splits with the Guardians Loop.
Here, go right to continue on the Perimeter Trail toward Mariposa Grove Road.
Perimeter-Wawona Point (Mariposa Grove Road) Junction
Almost immediately after the Guardians Loop junction shown above, the Perimeter Trail meets Mariposa Grove Road.
This is where the road continues up toward Wawona Point, a panoramic lookout that makes for a great place to catch the sunset!
In any case, the Perimeter Trail continues straight across the road to begin what is typically considered the 'second half' of the loop.
Note that the 6.6-mile (km) distance to Wawona is not the Perimeter Trail distance back to the Mariposa Grove Trailhead.
Instead, this reflects the Perimeter Trail and the Wawona Trail down to the small town near the Chilnualna Falls Trail.
This Sequoia is one of the few on the northern half of the Perimeter Trail.
As previously mentioned, the Perimeter Trail between the Wawona Point junction and the Grizzly Giant Loop below is the least-trafficked side of the loop, which largely reflects the fact that there are very few Giant Sequoias that the Perimeter Trail passes.
This is really where the Perimeter Trail feels like the North Boundary–Lone Pine Loop in Kings Canyon National Park.
Upper Perimeter-Mariposa Grove Road Junction
This first junction on the northern half of the Perimeter Trail is the first of three separate times the loop splits with a side trail toward Mariposa Grove Road.
At this first, go right to continue on the Perimeter Trail.
This grouping of Sequoias is only the second time the Perimeter Trail passes by any between the Wawona Point junction and the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail.
Middle Perimeter-Mariposa Grove Road Junction
Just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) past the first junction, the Perimeter Trail reaches the second split.
Here, go right once again to continue down the Perimeter Trail toward the Wawona Trail split—about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) away.
Since there is very little shade midday on the Perimeter Loop Trail, I highly recommend hiking in a hooded sun shirt to stay safe, as one can be especially useful for the burn areas shortly ahead!
When the Perimeter Trail switches back to the west, only 0.5 miles (0.8 km) remain before reaching the Wawona Trail junction.
Snow Plant is always a beautiful, unique species to find across the Mountain West, as it is known for being a non-photosynthetic, parasitic plant!
Perimeter-Wawona Junction
The Wawona Trail junction is the third and final time the Perimeter Trail meets a route that leaves Mariposa Grove to head into a remote section of the Sierras.
That said, go left at this split to remain on the Perimeter Trail, back toward the beginning of the loop.
This is part of the burn scar from the 2022 Washburn Fire, which came close to consuming all the Giant Sequoias in Mariposa Grove.
However, thanks to the incredible work of the National Park Service and the teams that fought the fire, not a single Giant Sequoia was lost!
That is truly something worth appreciating, as the same cannot be said about the Sequoias in Sequoia National Park, particularly along the Moro Rock Trail.
With a passion, I hate hiking through dense Bracken Ferns like this in the Sierras, because there is no way to see rattlesnakes—which love to hide within!
That said, there’s really no advice I have except to be careful as you walk through. I have seen them in very similar Bracken Fern areas like this before, so be careful and consider using hiking poles to help push the ferns aside as you walk through.
Lower Perimeter-Mariposa Grove Road Junction
After the Wawona Trail, the next time the Perimeter Trail splits is when it meets the third and final route toward Mariposa Grove Road.
Here, go right and the Perimeter Trail will return to the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, just 0.1 miles (0.2 km) down the hill.
West Perimeter-Grizzly Giant Loop Junction
When the Perimeter Trail returns to the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail, the Perimeter Trail is officially over.
This is why I said at the beginning that the Perimeter Trail closely mirrors my separate article about the Grizzly Giant Loop, as well as the Big Trees Loop Trail, since the remaining 0.8 miles (1.3 km) is all the same.
That said, go right here to return to the Mariposa Grove Trailhead.
Read My Separate Post: Grizzly Giant Loop Trail
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 6.3 miles (10.1 km), the Perimeter 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.
