California · National Park trail

Big Trees Loop - Restore and Protect

in California · centroid 54 mi from Fresno

Restore and Protect In 1864 Abraham Lincoln paused during the Civil War to set aside the Mariposa Grove and Yosemite Valley as a protected state reserve "for public use, resort, and recreation." Yosemite National Park was then established in 1890 and this grove incorporated into the park in 1906. Today, we value the quiet majesty of these giant sequoias and share a responsibility as park stewards to limit our impact on them. A few ways you can help preserve this magnificent forest is by leaving all cones where you find them and by staying on official trails.

Learn more on this wayside exhibit.

States: California
Trail type: National Park trail
Centroid nearest city: Fresno, CA · 54 mi · ~1.6 hr drive
Centroid coords: 37.5020°, -119.6104°

About Yosemite National Park

National Park

This trail is inside Yosemite National Park, a national park managed by the U.S. National Park Service. Conditions, road status, trail closures, and reservation requirements are published on the park's NPS page — check it before driving in, especially in winter or during major weather events.

Entrance fee: $35 per vehicle (verify current rate on the park page). An America the Beautiful annual pass ($80) covers entrance to all NPS units.

Official NPS trail page: https://www.nps.gov/places/000/big-trees-loop-restore-and-protect-stop-12.htm

Park homepage: https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Plan your hike

Practical notes

Maps + permits: long-distance trails like this often require permits for through-hiking, backcountry camping, or specific sections (especially in National Parks). Check with the maintaining organisation listed above and the relevant land manager before booking travel.

Water + supplies: water sources vary seasonally on most U.S. trails. Carry a filter and consult current trail-condition reports — through-hiker journals (PCT-L, AT Reddit, etc.) and the maintaining organisation publish regular updates.

When to go: hiking seasons vary widely with elevation, latitude, and snowpack. Through-hikers traditionally start the AT in March-April (Springer northbound) and the PCT in late April (Campo northbound). High-elevation western trails (CDT, JMT, Wonderland) generally aren't passable until July.

If you've hiked Big Trees Loop - Restore and Protect and have current notes (water sources, trail closures, permit changes), tell us at /contact — we update pages as we learn.

Stay nearby

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Driving in? The nearest documented metro is Fresno, CA — 54 miles away (~1.6 hr drive). See accommodation in Fresno on Booking.com → RoamFound earns a small commission if you book through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we handle affiliate links.