Yosemite National Park guide · 2 min read
Mariposa Grove's Giant Sequoias
Giant sequoias are the largest trees on Earth by volume, and Yosemite holds three groves of them.
The biggest is the Mariposa Grove, near the South Entrance off Wawona Road, Highway 41. More than 500 mature giant sequoias grow here.
The idea of the national park took root in this grove. In 1864, with the country in the middle of the Civil War, President Lincoln signed legislation protecting the Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley for "public use, resort, and recreation." It marked the first time the federal government set aside scenic natural land to be protected for future generations. The grove became part of Yosemite National Park in 1906.
Visits start at the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza, where you park and ride a free shuttle into the grove. The plaza has restrooms and drinking water, and the drive from Yosemite Valley takes about an hour and fifteen minutes. Inside the grove, trails range from easy to strenuous, and some are accessible. A short walk from the lower area brings you to the Grizzly Giant, roughly 1,800 years old, and the California Tunnel Tree, cut in 1895 so carriages could pass through. Walking from the Lower Grove to the Upper Grove covers three to four miles, depending on your route.
Two smaller, quieter groves sit near Crane Flat, each with about two dozen mature sequoias. The Tuolumne Grove, on Tioga Road, is reached by a historic wagon road that drops about 500 feet over one mile, and a half-mile nature trail loops through the trees. The Merced Grove, the smallest in the park, lies on Big Oak Flat Road about six miles west of Crane Flat. An old road descends about 500 feet over a mile and a half to reach it. Neither grove has water, the climb back out is strenuous, and parking is limited, so bring plenty to drink.
