First, there is no cell phone reception so print directions…read more Second, you do need an SUV. This is not a joke. There is about two miles of serious dirt road with very uneven surfaces. Third, it is lovely and quiet (even in the summer on a weekend) and the trees are so majestic.

The road to get there is pretty rough. We should've taken my boyfriend's Subaru Outback which is a…read more4 wheel drive but took my Passat ( a sedan ) and we were pretty nervous about going up on this dirt road with lots of potholes and a stream crossing but we made it. I highly recommend driving either a pickup truck or SUV four wheel drive just to be on the safe side. But as a reminder, the road is very narrow, barely one car fits. I'd be nervous if there were cars coming from the other side but luckily we had no on coming traffic today. The stream and the waterfalls at Big Ed trail is really beautiful and just the whole area is peaceful and smells like pine trees and relaxing. There are several trails you can take like Chimney Tree Trail , Bull Buck Trail , etc... there's a campground by the stream also. Bull Buck tree is impressive, it's 2,700 years old and it's huge !!!! It's only a short 1/4 mile hike from the campground so it's worth seeing. Unfortunately after the 2017 fire in the area , the shadow of the giants trail is closed.

I wanted to leave a review because the beginning of this trail can be tricky. At least it was for…read moremy friend and I. I hiked this trail about 2 weeks ago (December 2025). You will park at a designated parking lot. The lot says you have to pay $10. There is an envelope and you write your license place number and name on it. It says to drop thr payment at a local store. I don't know if they check if you have paid or not. The trail head is not far from the parking lot. It will be to the left of you if you are facing away from the road. The trail is beautiful you start off along the river. You will hike along the trail for a short while then it dead ends and opens up to the road. You will cross the road and there is a sign that says trail, follow that trail. There is somewhat of a fork go to the left, you will cross a wooden "foot bridge". There is also a sign telling you to be careful on the slippery rocks. Then you follow the trail, it is easy to miss the turn off where the trail continues and goes up the mountain. At a point it goes up to the right and there will be another sign that says "trail". We missed it, and could not figure out where to go. Because the trail continues a long the river but then dead ends. We back tracked and realized there is another trail where we were supposed to turn and go up the mountain. It gets steep after you go up, but you get amazing views. It's worth the climb. This trail eventually dips back down and you are along the river again and get river access again.

This experience was definitely one for the books. We took a dip in the natural spring water which…read morewas quite COLD. I'd say this hike was medium to difficult, but we were able to get over rocks, stumps, and loose gravel with sneakers. The temperature and the time of day were just too much to bare and we stopped whenever we'd come across a small body of water. The water streams were quite peaceful. The wind brushing again the trees and birds chirping was just magical.

Been having mariposa court send me threating letters, threatening to steal my money. over a traffic…read moreincident that i was not involved in, i was not driving, it was not my vehicle, and i was not in mariposa. How this ended up being my problem is a mystery, either way. if i ever get a ticket in mariposa, i not only expect, but it will be mandatory for it to be somebody elses problem, rather then mine. since at this moment somebody elses problem is costing me $600. EAT SHIT MARIPOSA. Pathetic when the courts/and Police are acting like any other local Meth Heads.

Amazing history. This place is still a working courthouse which was a surprise. Unfortunately it's…read morejust open during working hours (weekdays) and closes early 3pm so coming in Friday around 4:30 pm we missed getting to go inside to see but was an impressive site during the first rain of the season on Saturday morning when we took these pics.

This is not the safest area to be later in the evening/ night. I would recommend being a group of…read moreindividuals with you. Several events are hosted here throughout the year. These events are safe.

We had a picnic here one evening after returning from Yosemite. It's not a great park. The picnic…read moretables were not clean. We didn't feel entirely safe picnicking in this park. We ate our sandwiches and left quickly. I recommend that the city of Oakhurst upgrade this community park to make it safer, more family-friendly and more charming for visitors.

A must stop! Great view of the falls and the Merced River from the bridge. A nice place to…read morepicnic, but if the weather is good, you will have lots of company. At any rate, the view is fantastic from the bridge, and there is a walking trail where you can take gorgeous photos of the surrounding area. By the way, there is no "swing" in the Swinging Bridge. The original swinging bridge was replaced with a permanently fixed bridge after being damaged in the 1965 flood.

Came here mid November w/ old snow/ice on the grounds. Small parking lot. We got here probably…read moreafter 10a. We're able to get parking. The bridge doesn't swing anymore. Beautiful view of Yosemite falls in the background I believe. Was able to walk down to the water which was shallow and had some ice in it. The kids had fun playing around in the little beachy area. There are restrooms here but my husband said it's those port spotty styles with a hole in the ground. I didn't even want to attempt it. Luckily we drove maybe 5mins out to base camp eatery (Yosemite valley lodge) and use the rest rooms there.

It would've been a better attraction if the vocals came from the bear vs a speaker behind it…read more The script was loaded with information but it did not keep my interest.

This is a nice stop to visit the information center and to hear a background on the California…read moreGrizzly Bear. It's more educational than entertaining, but low maintenance and easily found on the east side of Highway 41. I was hoping that the bear would move or provide some insight into the Yosemite Valley, but free is hard to beat!

We went to Yosemite in mid March when Glacier Point Road and Tioga Road were still closed for the…read moresnow season. Tuolumne Grove is located right before the closed section of Tiago Road. The trail was wide which was great for social distancing. The entire path was covered in snow so it was more workout for our 2.5 mile in-and-out trek with 400 feet elevation change. Our experience was rather secluded compared to the crowd factor in the Valley. It was great to admire the enormous size of the trees by ourselves, it made the experience more special and enjoyable.

The Mariposa Grove is currently under construction so we decided to visit Tuolumne. It is about a…read more1.5 hours drive from the south entrance of Yosemite. Parking is limited at the Grove. There are restrooms located at the entrance. The paved trail takes you about 1 mile downhill to the Grove entrance. The trail turns into dirt but is is a very easy hike. The Grove circle is less than 1 mile in length. There are several giant sequoias to view but my favorite was the sequoia with the large tunnel cut out. Short hike and not too many trees to view but it was a fun stop.

Ever since we made our return reservations almost a year ago; I've been looking forward to this…read moreroad being open! Usually it's open from late May to October or November directly depending on the amount of snowfall. Once we turned onto the Glacier Point road it was roughly 16 miles until we reached the spectacular viewpoint area. There are numerous places to pull over. Some are viewpoints, other's are hiking trails. Plan on bringing your own food & water. Can't beat the views for a nice bag lunch! It has been many moons since I first laid eyes on the beautiful snow flower. Imagine my surprise and delight in spotting the snow flower (sarcodes sanguinea) along the edges of the roadway! For those of you unfamiliar these plants are located in montane areas of the California Floristic Province, above 5,000 feet. Since I don't live in elevations above 5,000 feet it's rare that I see them. A large parking lot, some port a potties, a gift shop plus numerous hiking trails await you at the viewpoint area.

It's been 3+ years since I have been back to Yosemite, so I am going back through my photos and…read morewriting this review and can't wait to come back! I love the Glacier point, love Yosemite and love the hikes. It's a great viewing spot especially if you want a break from hiking but enjoy the breathtaking views