Photo Tips USA – Yosemite NP – Motifs along Route 41 – Between Wawona and Yosemite Valley

If you are traveling from the south on Rt-41, you will first pass the turnoff to Mariposa Grove right at the south entrance (48 km / 30 mi south of Yosemite Valley) of the park. It is only 3,2 km (2 mi) from here to this largest Sequoia grove in the park, and there is a distinction between the Lower Grove, which is directly at the end of the road, and the Upper Grove, which is 3,2 km (2 mi) further and 240 m (787 ft) higher. The road from Wawona up to Mariposa Grove is closed from November until at least May because of snow. During the rest of the year, the road closes multiple times daily due to the high number of visitors filling the limited parking spaces. To get around this, you should use the free shuttle buses that connect the Mariposa Grove Arrival Area with the Sequoia Forest. They give you access to Mariposa Grove, regardless of visitor volume.

Once you enter the forest on the main trail, you will see the Fallen Monarch on your right. Biologists suspect this tree has been there for several hundred years. Tannic acid in the wood prevents the initial formation of fungi and bacteria and holds off the decay of an uprooted redwood for a long time. Only when the tannin has been washed out of the wood by rain and melted snow does the tree begin to decompose. Look at the roots of the giant. Redwood trees do not have deep taproots. Instead, the roots spread out to absorb water just below the soil surface. The roots usually go no deeper than 2 m (6.5 ft), but they can spread farther than 45 m (148 ft) to give the tree a stable base for its massive trunk.

The trail, which is located above the Fallen Monarch, is lined with numerous young redwoods. Such saplings are rarely found in the forests because they need site conditions such as a little direct sunlight, adequate moisture, and uncovered mineral soil. Regular fires are also necessary to rid the soil of needles and debris as well as to allow the cones to open and release their seeds. After the discovery of the redwoods, man began suppressing naturally occurring forest fires with the good intention of protecting the trees, thus preventing some of their reproduction. Only in the early 1960s did we begin to understand and practically apply the relationship between reproduction and natural forest fires (caused by lightning, for example) to controlled fires. You can often find remarkable egg-shaped cones on the Bachelor and Three Graces trees.

The Grizzly Giant is the largest tree in Mariposa Grove and also the fifth largest Sequoia ever. Estimates put it at around 1,800 years old. Approach the tree and gaze upwards. The huge branch on the south side is nearly 2 m (6.5 ft) in diameter, larger than the diameter of any other tree trunk in the forest.

About 45 m (148 ft) away is the California Tunnel Tree, which was hollowed out in 1895 to allow the passage of horse-drawn carriages. To accurately depict the size of the hollow and the tree in the picture, it is helpful to include a human figure for comparison. There are only a few large redwoods along this dry slope between the upper and lower portions of Mariposa Grove.

About 700 m (765 yards) from the California Tunnel Tree is the Faithful Couple of trees. The trunk at the bottom joins the two large trees, but further up, they clearly separate. Two smaller trees on the opposite side of the trail could potentially be the next „faithful couple“ in 500 years.

A good 400 m (437 yd) further along the trail, you will find the Clothespin Tree. Several fires have created a natural tunnel wider than a car. Again, be sure to add scale to your pictures.

About 1000 m (1,100 yd) past the Mariposa Grove Museum, an easy trail branches off to the left to Wawona Point, 400 m (437 yd) away, which offers a very rewarding view of Wawona Dome to the north and Wawona Meadow to the west.

The giant trees make rewarding subjects at any time of day, and it’s best to divide your time between taking the shuttle to the Upper Grove and walking the trail back. By the way, the sizable sequoias are especially beautiful subjects in winter, when their distinctive brown bark shimmers through the freshly fallen snow.

Back on Rt. 41, after 8 km (5 mi), you pass the small town of Wawona, where you can look at some restored houses from the pioneer days of the West and a covered bridge also restored to its original state (Pioneer Yosemite Historic Center). You can photograph the latter especially well with the river, the South Fork of the Merced River, in the foreground. On the following winding 17,7 km (11 mi) to the intersection with Glacier Point Road, Rt-41 repeatedly gives beautiful views of the Sierra National Forest terrain lower to the west. Unfortunately, there is little parking along the narrow road.

It is another 24 km (15 mi) from Chinquapin Junction to the end of the road at Glacier Point, more than 900 m (2,953 ft) above Yosemite Valley. In winter, only the first third of this stretch to Badger Pass Ski Area is open; in July, you’ll find lots of wildflowers, especially in the Mono Meadow area. At mile 13.2, you will reach the Taft Point Parking Area. Two trails, each approximately 3.2 km (2 mi) in length, begin here, and if you are familiar with their endpoints, choosing between them can be challenging.

The first leads northwest to Taft Point (60 m / 197 ft elevation gain), which gives you a view of the western length of Yosemite Valley from the top of a cliff that seems to float free above the abyss. Between June and August, this is one of the best points for sunrise and early morning, as the sun then highlights El Capitan first and Yosemite Falls later. In October and November, it illuminates El Capitan once again in the late afternoon. Additionally, from this vantage point, you can capture stunning photographs of the Cathedral Rocks located directly to the west.

The second trail takes you northeast to the 2475 m (8,120 ft) high Sentinel Dome (120 m / 394 ft elevation gain). Here, you will encounter the Jeffrey Pine, an iconic feature of the park captured in thousands of photos due to its unique location and crooked growth pattern. Outgrown from pure granite, it had to give in to the excessive drought of 1979 and died. At sunrise and sunset, however, the sun continues to bathe its weather-beaten trunk in warm light, making it an ideal foreground subject for pictures of the high country to the north and Half Dome to the east. But you can also get excellent shots of Yosemite Falls and El Capitan from here.

As I said before, deciding which trail to take is no easy matter! No matter which one you take, if you want to wait for the sunset, plug in a flashlight for the way back.

After another 1,7 km (1 mi) on Glacier Point Road, you’ll reach Washburn Point, which is located on a large park strip. With the telephoto lens, look down on the steps of Nevada and Vernal Falls from here in the best shooting position. Now there is only one more mile to go to the Glacier Point Parking Area at the end of the road. Without exaggeration, Glacier Point stands as the most spectacular vantage point in the park, if not the entire Sierra Nevada. The outstanding bird’s-eye view falls on the otherwise hardly visible northern part of Yosemite Valley, on the mighty crest of Half Dome, and above all on the vast highlands of the Sierra Nevada to the northeast, broken by many peaks. The soft red of the sunset and especially of the short moment afterwards provides this panorama the final touch, giving it almost supernatural beauty.

This sets the stage for an amazing day in this area, starting with the sunrise and morning at Sentinel Dome and Taft Point, followed by a trip south to Mariposa Grove, and culminating in the late afternoon and sunset at Glacier Point. With an RV or tent, you can even save driving to the valley and spend the night at Bridalveil Campground on Glacier Point Road. Fans of a well-groomed march will also get their money’s worth here. The Four Mile Trail leads from the valley (Southside Drive at Sentinel Rock) over 7,7 km (4.8 mi) and strenuous 960 vertical meters (3,150 ft) up to Glacier Point (minimum 3 hrs). To not overdo it, you can have a bus take you up and then enjoy the beautiful views on the way down.

Don’t miss Tunnel View, the final viewpoint before entering Yosemite Valley, situated on the east side of the Wawona Tunnel on Rt-41. Yes, if possible, it should even be at the beginning of your stay in the park. – From nowhere else will you experience the important overall impression of the valley like from here: El Capitan to the north and the pointed spires of Cathedral Rocks to the south open up views of the valley widening to the east that seems to end before the barrier of Half Dome and Clouds Rest. Thanks to the understated construction of Yosemite Village, the view is still as fresh and unspoiled as Ansel Adams captured it back in 1925 in Yosemite Valley from Inspiration Point. The sun low in the west gradually bathes the individual parts of the scene in flat, warm light in the late afternoon and at sunset. Often, a rainbow then forms at Bridalveil Fall below Cathedral Rocks. The sun only properly positions itself to light both sides of the valley simultaneously around the solstice dates of 21 March and 21 September (note: Bridalveil Fall carries more water in the spring than in the fall).

The clouds of an oncoming or departing storm add variety to the sky at any time and enrich any photo. 35 mm of focal length captures the whole panorama. A light telephoto is ideal for picking out particularly well-lit details or capturing the moonrise just after sunset behind Half Dome a few days before the full moon date.

In case it’s too crowded for you at Tunnel View, a hiking trail leads from the south side of the parking lot in front of the tunnel to two elevated points with similarly good views. After 150 m (490 ft) of elevation gain, or just over 1 km (0,6 mi), you’ll hit the pavement of the old Wawona Road. If you follow it to the left towards the valley, you will reach Artists Point after 800 m (0,5 mi). If you turn right, it’s just a short distance to Inspiration Point, which is situated above the tunnel. You should calculate 40 minutes of time for the in-parts steep way in any case.

Next Yosemite NP – Yosemite Valley

Next Yosemite NP – The eastern Valley

Next Yosemite NP – Tioga Road

Previous Yosemite NP

If you found this post useful and want to support the continuation of my writing without intrusive advertising, please consider supporting. Your assistance goes towards helping make the content on this website even better. If you’d like to make a one-time ‘tip’ and buy me a coffee, I have a Ko-Fi page. Your support means a lot. Thank you!