Distance: 3.5 mile (5.6 km) or 5 mile (8 km) loop
Elevation at trailhead: 4,000 feet (1,220 meters)
Elevation Gain: Practically none for the short loop; around 500 feet (150 meters) for the long loop
Map Notes: The red line marks the main loop, and the yellow line shows the detour that extends the hike from a 3.5-mile loop to a 5-mile one. Though the main loop is nearly flat, the detour climbs about 500 feet from the point where it departs the main loop's southeast end to where it crosses highway 41. From there, it's a smooth, gradual downhill path northwest to the Wawona Hotel.
You can pick from two different trailheads, depending on whether you want to hike clockwise or widdershins. They're both easy to find. The first is directly across the road from the Wawona Hotel - cross the road, cross the golf course, and turn left; there's a gate and the trail is virtually impossible to miss. The second is just south of the hotel, right where the golf course ends - you'll see a pullout with parking and, inside the pullout, signs indicating the trailhead.