Hiking Project Logo

A Yosemite Wilderness hike through meadows and burnt forest.


Your Rating: Rating Rating Rating Rating Rating      Clear Rating
Your Difficulty:
Your Favorites: Add To-Do · Your List
Zoom in to see details
Map Key

3.3

Miles

5.2

KM

Point to Point

7,635' 2,327 m

High

7,079' 2,158 m

Low

601' 183 m

Up

80' 24 m

Down

4%

Avg Grade (2°)

23%

Max Grade (13°)

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers

Description

This trail leads from Bridalveil Creek at the Lost Bear Meadow to the junction to Deer Camp. The first mile of the hike alternates between wildflower meadows and sparser forest of lodgepole pines. After half a mile, you cross a tributary to Bridalveil Creek by hopping over a few boulders. The cutoff trail to Ostrander Lake is to the left soon thereafter. Continue right.

At about 1 mile, the scenery changes dramatically as you enter a section of the trail that was burnt very recently. The black leafless trunks are still standing as if it was yesterday. But this area is far from dead. Larger patches of spectacular wildflower meadows are slowly reclaiming this section of the forest.

As you make your way through this surreal landscape, the trail starts to ascend moderately up the slope until it reaches a sunny ridgetop clearing at 2.5 miles that was not affected by the fire. Even though you are at about 7,650 feet, you only get a few views west over the forested Yosemite Wilderness. The trail drops slightly after that and leads through a few more meadows until it reaches the Deer Camp junction at 3.3 miles.

Contacts

Land Manager: NPS - Yosemite

Shared By:

Tilman Giese

Trail Ratings

  3.5 from 2 votes

#25823

Overall
  3.5 from 2 votes
5 Star
0%
4 Star
50%
3 Star
50%
2 Star
0%
1 Star
0%
Trail Rankings

#2,711

in California

#25,823

Overall
2 Views Last Month
147 Since Apr 3, 2019
Intermediate Intermediate

0%
0%
100%
0%
0%
0%

Photos

This section of the trail was burnt a few years ago. It still looks as if it was yesterday.
Apr 2, 2019 near Yosemit…, CA
Wildflowers line both sides of the trail in spring and summer
Apr 2, 2019 near Yosemit…, CA
Islands of green meadow have found their way into the burnt forest with some trees burnt half way up.
Apr 2, 2019 near Yosemit…, CA
A big wildflowers meadow is right before the junction to Deer Camp.
Apr 2, 2019 near Yosemit…, CA
The ridgetop clearing at the highest point of the trail to the Deer Camp junction
Apr 3, 2019 near Yosemit…, CA
Burnt trees almost reach to the very top of this trail.
Apr 3, 2019 near Yosemit…, CA

0 Comments

Weather


Current Trail Conditions

Unknown
Add Your Check-In

Check-Ins

Join the Community

Create your FREE account today!
Already have an account? Login to close this notice.

Get Started.