Wawona Swinging Bridge Hiker Reviews

If you arrive in Wawona in the late afternoon and want to get a quick hike in before sunset, this totally works. Short, sweet, and gets you in the mood for the longer hikes to come.

This hike is not generally crowded to begin with, but in winter you may have it all to yourself. My daughter and I did this hike in winter, 2013. Good boots are necessary to get through the snowy areas without too much discomfort, but snowshoes will not usually be necessary. The beginning part of the hike from the Wawona Hotel area to the swinging bridge is really beautiful in the winter with snow-covered trees. It is also mostly flat, which allows you to get warmed up. After crossing the bridge, we followed what appeared to be the main trail back to Chilnualna Falls Road (the hike description cites 3 options, though). Shortly after crossing the bridge (about 1/8 mile later) you will find yourself at the base of the Chilnualna Falls trail. For my money, the first 3/4 mile of the Chilnualna Falls hike is the best part -- with its violent, crashing cascades that you can approach quite easily (within 15 feet in some places). We added this short section of the Chilnualna Falls hike to our "Swinging Bridge" hike to make it far more interesting (and more of a hike than a long walk). The bottom cascades at Chilnualna are more spectacular in spring than any other season, but if you are there in late winter, you could see raging water just the same, and you are almost certain to see some water since Chilnualna runs virtually year round. After the Chilnualna detour, the hike can return to Chilnualna Falls road, then turn right and follow the road to the Pioneer Center. Along the way, you will see houses, cabins, a grocery store, a library and a small school. I recommend this as a winter hike, which will give you about 6 miles of hiking when you add in the Chilnualna detour.