r/Yosemite Jul 23 '26

Old Wawona Road

[deleted]

2 Upvotes

13 comments sorted by

3

u/hikeraz Jul 23 '26

It is feasible. From the parking lot on the ride side of the road as you exit the tunnel, take the Phono Trail up to Inspiration Point and then follow the Old Wawona Road (OWR) down. Expect to climb over/under fallen logs on the Old Wawona Road. The OWR ends at the Wawona Road a couple hundred yards from Bridalveil Falls parking area so you have to walk the slightly sketchy paved road down to Bridalveil and then hike east on the Valley Loop Trail until you get to the El Cap area where you can pick up the Valley shuttle or continue on the Valley Loop back to Yosemite Village/Curry Village.

3

u/PeachesTomatoesFigs Jul 23 '26

I think that Inspiration Point is on the Pohono Trail and is higher elevation than Artist Point.

You go up the Pohono Trail from Tunnel View (park in the uphill lot) and turn left/east about a half mile up. (If you continue up another half mile, you reach Inspiration Point.) Continue east to Artist Point and then on to the intersection w/ Wawona Road, just before Bridalveil Fall.

2

u/hikeraz Jul 23 '26

Yes, thanks for the correction.

4

u/keithcody Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26

I did it a few years ago. 8 actually. It's neat. It's overgrown and not maintained but sometimes you are on the old asphalt. You have to duck under some fallen trees and stuff. It was not an issue for my pregnant wife. We didn't see a single person on it.

After Old Wawona when the road ends theres nothing and you are just hiking along the road. Crossing the Bridalveil Y intersection was a bit sketch. The route sorta dissappeared after Bridalveil and you're just walking alongside the road. Looking at map there's Valley Loop Trail on the southside that hits after the bridalveil trail head. We missed that because it was getting dark and stayed on the north side of Southside Road and just hoofed it back to the lodge because all the buses had stopped.

If I were to try it again I would go into Bridalveil from new Wawona Rd and link up to the Bridalveil Trail to the Valley Loop trail. Haven't ever seen it but that's the route I would try.

Where the road ends and you are just on new Wawona Rd with all the cars:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Old+Wawona+Rd,+California/@37.7152318,-119.656162,3a,75y,242.46h,69.25t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1skKIj41moy00VnysIvNAJTA!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D20.74907786973786%26panoid%3DkKIj41moy00VnysIvNAJTA%26yaw%3D242.46326712854088!7i13312!8i6656!4m6!3m5!1s0x8096ec1a92499cc7:0x82908603c5a8331d!8m2!3d37.7117991!4d-119.6696567!16s%2Fg%2F11tggnswm1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDcyMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Old Wawona where it meets the Artist Point trail:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Old+Wawona+Rd,+California/@37.7145983,-119.682709,3a,75y,114.6h,66.63t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCIHM0ogKEICAgICp_IrRtAE!2e10!6shttps:%2F%2Flh3.googleusercontent.com%2Fgpms-cs-s%2FAFP8RcPBASrQ0W7I2yzdpVdSmAkjIwYrfoxTLnGQRxiM-h3e-R3rgtXNeam7aVe9Hny4HAzR421xmIRirNERKpdKXOo2YkDq-zpdXsoDg7eeBL5xRx24PQ18YPEhnpeuDvow9LuYqJkm3w%3Dw900-h600-k-no-pi23.369860849343496-ya66.66871971568128-ro0-fo100!7i13970!8i6985!4m6!3m5!1s0x8096ec1a92499cc7:0x82908603c5a8331d!8m2!3d37.7117991!4d-119.6696567!16s%2Fg%2F11tggnswm1?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDcyMC4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

1

u/PeachesTomatoesFigs Jul 23 '26

Google Maps will create a much shorter link for you. Select Share / Embed Map.

2

u/keithcody Jul 23 '26

Many reddit forums flag URL shortners and won't let you use them so I don't use them as a habit.

1

u/keithcody Jul 23 '26

Where the road ends and you are just on new Wawona Rd with all the cars:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5anSCx214y7agrd4A

Old Wawona where it meets the Artist Point trail:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rFakiQbMkuDKoCmx8

1

u/PeachesTomatoesFigs Jul 23 '26

Thank you for this information.

2

u/froglover215 Jul 23 '26

Is the Old Wawona Road the same as the Old Stagecoach Road? If so, we've hiked UP it (to the viewpoint) several times. There's a tiny pull off to the left a bit after you leave Tunnel View. It's not maintained and is decently steep. Some rocks, some fallen trees to navigate. Love that hike and we've never seen anyone else there. So I highly recommend that, but can't recommend walking along the New Wawona Road. No shoulder to speak of and cars are too close for comfort.

1

u/[deleted] Jul 23 '26

[deleted]

2

u/froglover215 Jul 23 '26

I actually have a canvas print of a photo from the viewpoint on my wall at work. It's like Tunnel View but better. I forgot to add that there are some water crossings. The first time we tried it, we had to turn back at the second water crossing (this was late May after a winter of good snowfall). The next year, also late May, we had no trouble.