Tuolumne Grove of Giant Sequoias
Distance: 2.5 miles (4 km) round trip
Elevation at trailhead: 6,200 feet (1,860 meters)
Elevation Gain: 400 feet (120 meters) elevation loss to the grove.
Why visit the Tuolumne Grove? If you're a dessert-first kind of person, the Tuolumne Grove trail was made for you: the entire trip to the grove is downhill. Oh, and the grove itself contains a couple dozen mature Giant Sequoias, including one you can walk through (although it's dead - but then, you would be too).
Hiking Time: 1.5 - 2.5 hours
Best Time to Visit: The Sequoias should be equally scenic whenever Tioga Road is open - June through October, generally. We like visiting in the Autumn, when the deciduous trees are changing colors. Sometimes we've found parts of the trail closed late in the year, though.
Difficulty: It's an easy hike over a short, smooth trail. The only downer (so to speak) is that you'll have to climb 400 feet on the route back to the trailhead.
Crowd Factor: Not as crowded as the Mariposa Grove, but you'll still find no shortage of fellow travelers unless you're there during inclement weather or very late in the season.
Parking: Large lot at the trailhead.
Nearest Bathrooms: at the trailhead (outhouse variety)
Nearest Snacks: at Crane Flat gas station, half a mile back towards Yosemite Valley
Getting There: From Yosemite Valley, take highway 120 ten miles (16.8 km) to the Crane Flat/Tioga Road turnoff, then take Tioga Road half a mile (0.8 km) east to the Tuolumne Grove parking lot. From Yosemite's east entrance at Tioga Pass, take the Tioga Road west 47 miles (75 km) to the lot.