A sun-dappled 1.8 mile stroll through the woods leading you to a meadow filled with wildflowers and a babbling brook.

Statistics

0 - 1

hrs

41

m

126

m

4

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Easy

Description

A sun-dappled 1.8 mile stroll through the woods leading you to a meadow filled with wildflowers and a babbling brook.

As one of the lesser known walking routes in Yosemite, McGurk’s Meadow remains unspoilt by crowds, its peaceful and picturesque.

To start the route you’ll need to drive to Glacier Point Road, travelling east for 7.5 miles to the trailhead.

About a mile past Summit Meadow you’ll spot a sign for McGurk Meadow on the north (left) side of the road.

There is no carpark so you’ll need to find a spot to pull up on the side of the road.

The hard shoulder widens about 100 metres downhill (east) so there’s space for about 10 cars to park.

If you get to the Bridalveil Creek Campground you’ve just gone passed the McGurk’s Meadow sign.

The trail begins by taking you through a shady patch of lodgepole pines.

It passes by Peregoy Meadow and then gently meanders up to a low divide.

The trail eventually drops down to the south edge of McGurk Meadow, leading you across a babbling creek.

In the meadow you’ll spot a charming old log cabin, built by Mr McGurk in the 1800s, which is great fun for kids to explore.

Following the path across the meadow, you’ll be taken back into the forest in a northward direction, eventually meeting a trail junction where you have the opportunity to jump onto the Pohono Trail.

Either turn back along the way you came, or extend the walk along the Pohono Trail, turning left and going along to Dewey Point.

Here you’ll be greeted with wonderful views of Yosemite Valley, El Capitan and the High Sierras.

If you visit the meadow between June and July, the wild flowers will be in full bloom.

You may also be lucky enough to spot deer along the trail.

Something to keep in mind: like any lush meadow, in damp conditions there will most likely be mosquitos lurking, so have some insect repellent at the ready.