Bridalveil Creek Trail Reviews

   (2 reviews)   ·   Add a Review


5 Stars for Wildflower Lovers
 ·  Novato, CA  ·  January 21, 2014

This is a great hike for wildflowers. There is a fork that will take you to Wawona by way of Chilnualna Falls if you would like a longer challenge & can have a shuttle.

One for your “if we have time” list
 ·  Little Rock, Arkansas  ·  September 27, 2012

Of the many trails we hiked in Yosemite, this one was the only real disappointment. Maybe that’s due in part to the fact that this trail doesn’t include any spectacular vistas.

We started at the Ostrander Lake trailhead, turned onto the trail to the Bridalveil Creek Campground, then walked along the roadside back to the car (not recommended). The first part of the trail travels through lots and LOTS of fallen, bleached-out trees – a necessary part of the forest ecosystem, perhaps, but not particularly scenic.

There are a couple of trail junctions that aren’t particularly well-marked, so having a good area map is more helpful than usual.

The second leg (toward the campground) includes a stretch through a rather large clearing where it’s difficult to see where the trail continues – just keep going straight and you’ll reconnect with the trail.

The highlight of this hike was jumping across Bridalveil Creek; we didn’t have to wade through, but we weren’t able to avoid getting our feet wet, either.

Once you hit the back end of the campground, it’s an uninspiring walk back to Glacier Point Road (except for the several deer we encountered) – especially when the campground (and bathrooms) are closed. Walking along the roadside back to the car had seemed like a good strategy on paper, but that mile and a half turned out to be a lot longer than it had seemed when we were planning this hike.

Wish I could say turning around at the campground and backtracking to the starting point would be a better choice, but I’m not sure I can honestly say it would be. The thought of hiking back through all those bleached-out trees just doesn’t sound appealing.

This is probably a hike to put on your “if we have the time” list.