El Capitan Hotel, part of JdV by Hyatt

Please drive in past the first gate on Shell Road. Do not park in front of houses, as this is private land. You may park off road along the dirt road between first and second gate. You may also park between the second gate and the restroom. Please follow trail markers as the trail is surrounded by private land.

Sierra National Forest advises that hikers use the trailhead off of Highway 41 to access the trail. The Highway 41 trailhead features a large paved parking area. It is not recommended to access this trail from the smaller north and south trailheads. This popular trail can get crowded on the weekends so it is a good idea to arrive early to get a parking spot!

Marvel at nearly two dozen mature giant sequoias in the Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias. Begin at Tuolumne Grove parking lot and follow the Old Big Oak Flat Road-one of the first roads into Yosemite Valley-steeply downhill through sugar pines and white firs. The trail drops 500 feet (150 meters) in one mile. The way down can seem much easier than the uphill return to the parking lot. The trip is moderate on the uphill portion. Within the Tuolumne Grove there is an easy, half-mile,...

This trail takes you from the Mariposa Grove Welcome Plaza to Mariposa Grove, which features giant sequoia trees. The trail is a wide path with views of the surrounding hills. During the winter months, you may have to park 2 miles from the trailhead due to road condition closures so please prepare for the additional 4 miles roundtrip.

This is the direct route to Pincushion Mountain and one most often traveled by hikers looking to get to the top. The trail forks about halfway through and veers to the right leading to a very challenging climb to the top. You will definitely feel like you earned the views. This is also the route used by the Pincushion Hill Climb Race, which happens each year in September.