Hiking the Washburn Trail in Yosemite National Park
Distance (One Way): 1.9 miles / 3.1 km
The Washburn Trail in Yosemite National Park is a connector trail between both the Mariposa Welcome Plaza and Mariposa Grove.
That said, the Washburn Trail is not the most scenic day hike in Yosemite. However, it can be quite useful for one of a few reasons—all centered around the free Mariposa Grove Shuttle provided by the National Park Service.
By this, I mean that the vast majority of visitors are not permitted to park at the Mariposa Grove Trailhead, but rather at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza, which you can read about in more detail below.
This is why most visitors rely on the free shuttle to get to and from Mariposa Grove.
However, the shuttle does not run at all times throughout the day or during the winter off-season months, meaning the Washburn Trail may be the only way to access Mariposa Grove. This means that if you arrive before the shuttle starts running in the morning—which I recommend to enjoy Mariposa Grove without the crowds—then the Washburn Trail is your only option to reach all the day hikes within the Grove.
In addition, the Washburn Trail can be a great option for getting back to the parking area after hiking in Mariposa Grove, as the lines to take the shuttle back tend to get long in the mid-morning and early afternoon hours during the peak summer travel season.
Washburn Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Washburn Trail 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 Mariposa Grove Trailhead parking lot 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: Washburn Trailhead (Welcome Plaza) / Washburn 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 Washburn Trail
The Washburn Trail could begin at either the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza or the Mariposa Grove Trailhead.
That said, this article is written beginning from Mariposa Grove—the East Washburn Trailhead—as this is a common direction that visitors hike the Washburn Trail, in order to avoid the busy lines for the shuttle heading back.
Initially, the Washburn Trail begins through the burn scar from the 2022 Washburn Fire, where the National Park Service worked tirelessly to save all the Sequoias within Mariposa Grove!
Yes, not a single Sequoia tree was lost during this fire!
One of the best things about hiking the Washburn Trail from Mariposa Grove to the Welcome Plaza is that it’s an almost all-downhill trail, making it a fairly easy adventure after having hiked some of the other trails in Mariposa Grove, like the Grizzly Giant Loop Trail.
If you plan to hike the Washburn Trail midday, I strongly suggest wearing a hooded sun shirt, as it can certainly be useful here and on adventures throughout Yosemite National Park!
Where Did the Washburn Trail Get its Name?
The name Washburn—as seen in the Washburn Trail and Washburn Point off Glacier Point Road—comes from three brothers: John, Albert, and Edward Washburn.
These brothers moved to California from Vermont and were instrumental in the early history of Yosemite, prior to the establishment of the National Park in 1890.
Together, they developed Yosemite’s southern gateway by building the Wawona Hotel, constructing the Wawona Road, and operating the Yosemite Stage and Turnpike Company to bring early tourists into the park.
Washburn-Mariposa Grove Picnic Area Junction
The only time the Washburn Trail splits between Mariposa Grove and the Welcome Plaza is about 0.8 miles (1.3 km) into the hike from Mariposa Grove, or 1.1 miles (1.8 km) from the Welcome Plaza.
That said, go straight at this junction to continue on the Washburn Trail, as the path to the right simply leads out to Mariposa Grove Road and the adjacent picnic area.
After the junction for the picnic area off Mariposa Grove Road, there are no more splits in the Washburn Trail.
Again, I could not overstate the importance of wearing a quality sun shirt, as one would not only useful for Yosemite National Park, but also for a trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon as well.
This final stretch through the trees can feel a bit long and tedious, especially after a longer adventure in Mariposa Grove, like the Perimeter Trail.
This bridge is always a nice sight after the somewhat tedious hike through the trees.
That said, I still—and always will—see the Washburn Trail as a great option, because Mariposa Grove is a much more enjoyable experience if you use the Washburn Trail to beat the morning crowds!
West Washburn Trailhead (Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza)
This is the West Washburn Trailhead, where the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza and shuttle bus drop-off can be found just a short distance ahead.
