GoExploreNature's Passport
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Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
I’m a Los Angeles-based wife, mom & adventure guide to two young boys. I seek sanity from nature and am always trying to get the boys out in it, too. We love baseball games, road trips, animal encounters and family vacations to anywhere the mood takes us.
Our Family's Travel Personality
relaxed, independent
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Yosemite National Park
Websites I Like:
Where to Go in Wawona, Yosemite With Kids
I’ve been coming to Yosemite National Park every summer since I was a kid thanks to a family cabin in a little town called Wawona.
If you’re wondering where the heck Wawona is, you’re not alone. If you enter Yosemite through the south entrance, you drive right on past it (and its iconic Wawona Hotel) on your way to the Valley floor. Too bad, because this place is full of surprises – most of which come crowd-free.
Lucky for you, you’ve got me to share some of my favorite places to explore with you!
8308 Wawona Road
Yosemite National Park, California
reviewed on: September 27 2011
"The Lawn is a Great Place for Outdoor Play"
Even though I’ve never actually stayed at the Wawona Hotel, I visit the grounds when we go to our family cabin in Yosemite each summer. Why? The expansive, wide-open grassy area in front of the hotel is perfect for kids of all ages – and available free of charge to anyone. (There’s also a pool here, though that’s reserved for hotel guests only.)My kids love to play hide-and-seek amongst the trees, run through the sprinklers, have a picnic (or an ice cream treat from the golf snack shop), throw a Frisbee or read books on a blanket. It makes for a great place to get the wiggles out or just spend some quiet time outside enjoying nature.
We also make sure to come to the Summer Saturday Night BBQ at least once during our time in Yosemite. Eating yummy food under the towering trees is an experience not to be missed.
Near the Wawona Hotel
Yosemite National Park, California
reviewed on: June 22 2011
"Take a Step Back in Time"
We visit Yosemite every summer and every summer we stop in at the Pioneer Yosemite History Center. We always start our tour at the blacksmith’s workshop, where we watch and listen as the volunteer blacksmith explains his craft and then shows us how it works. The only way we can lure the kids away from the show at the blacksmith’s shop is with mention of the stagecoach ride. This 15-minute ride is well worth the nominal fee, I promise ($4 for adults, $3 for kids 3 through 12, kids 2 and under are free).
Where else can you ride on a horse-drawn stagecoach driven by a guy who’s been doing this for 30 years? You get more than a bouncy, dusty ride back in time; you learn a ton about Yosemite’s Pioneer life in the process.
The kids love roaming through all the period buildings and walking across the covered bridge, first built in 1857. There’s a wood beam that runs the length of the bridge separating foot traffic from pedestrians. The kids love trying to balance on it.
On the other side of the river are several stagecoaches and wagons representing early travel to the area. If you’ve got a car or truck lover in the group, this is a must-see.
We often head down to the river at this point in our tour and practice our rock skipping skills and have a snack. It’s easy to lose track of time here. And that’s the point.
Even if it’s just to wander through the buildings and cross the covered bridge, make a stop here and take a step back in time. You won’t regret it.
A few notes:
• The History Center is always open with brochures and interpretive signs available for self-guided tours
• Ample free parking is available on Chilnualna Falls Road next to the stables or on Forest Drive behind the Wawona Store
• During the summer, blacksmith demonstrations take place Wednesday through Sunday; check your Yosemite Guide for times
• No flush toilets or food concessions are available; closest facilities can be found at the nearby Wawona Store
• The Pioneer History Center surface is flat but unpaved and extremely dusty; strollers should be avoided if possible
8308 Wawona Road
Yosemite National Park, California
reviewed on: September 27 2011
"Nature Walk Through the Big Trees"
Unlike some of the more popular hikes in Yosemite, there’s no waterfall or iconic glacier or mountain to see as your final destination while hiking the Wawona Meadow Loop. Instead, you’ll venture around one of Yosemite’s largest meadows – with wildflowers galore to see in spring and early summer, and changing leaves in the fall. The trail loops around the meadow via a relatively flat, tree-lined path. What makes it ideal for kids is that you don’t necessarily have to hike the entire 3.5 miles to take in tons of wildflowers this time of year. Since the trail is a loop, you’ll catch great views from just about anywhere.
I love that the trail is wide, flat and relatively risk-free. Which is why in my book, this spot gets bonus points for being great for new walkers, toddlers and preschool-age kids.
Oh, and don’t let all the gorgeous flowers distract you from my favorite part of this walk: the trees. Take a look up every now and again to remind you just how amazing these giant beauties are.
A few planning essentials:
• The trail head is directly across the road from the Wawona Hotel parking lot. Walk past the golf course until you reach the fire road on your left and look for the Meadow Loop Trail sign.
• Trail terrain is an unpaved fire road that is not stroller friendly
• Crowds on this trail are virtually non-existent; the path is shared with horses, though
• Loop can be completed in a couple of hours at a brisk pace or a portion of it can serve as a spot for a snails’ paced nature walk
• The best times to take this trail are spring/early summer (when the wildflowers are in full bloom) & fall (when the trees are turning gorgeous colors); summer can get warm & buggy
• There are no bathrooms or portable toilets at or along the trail; the closest are across the street at the Wawona Hotel
• Pets & bikes are permitted
• Closest food is a snack shop at the Wawona Hotel
Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park, California
reviewed on: September 15 2011
"Big Fun for Little Hikers"
Our family visits Yosemite every year and this hike remains one of our favorites. It offers few (if any) fellow hikers, stunning views and your choice of picturesque lunch spots year in and year out. Chilnualna Falls is a series of waterfalls located on the Chilnualna Creek in Wawona (about 45 minutes from Yosemite Valley). The complete hike is a strenuous, 8.2 miles roundtrip; the kid-friendly version we take is less than a mile and features two cascades along the way. (To duplicate it, simply turn back once you’ve reached the second cascade.)
Don’t be scared off by the trail when it starts to narrow and get steep quick with a rather severe drop off on one side. Keep kids to the inside of the trail and take it slow.
If you visit during the summer, start early to beat the heat and crowds. Or time your hike to get you waterside for a picnic. When water levels aren’t too high, this is a great spot to stop and dip your feet in the water, chase butterflies and skip rocks.
Some good-to-know info:
• Free dirt parking area right near the trail head
• No flush toilets available, but there are outhouses in the parking lot near the trail head
• Trail is a dirt path that is not stroller friendly; if you plan to hike with toddlers, bring a backpack carrier
Mariposa Grove Road
Yosemite National Park, California
reviewed on: May 18 2010
"Explore the "big trees""
The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias, located just two miles from the South Entrance to Yosemite National Park, is home to some 500 of the largest living things on the planet. We first took my oldest son to the “big trees” when he was two and he was completely awe-struck. Skip the pricey tram ride and scout out the surroundings on foot. The 1.6-mile roundtrip hike to the Grizzly Giant is a good option for kids and will take you right past the California Tunnel Tree, so named because visitors used to be able to drive their cars right through it! Not only did my then 2 year old love all the trees, but he found plenty of bugs to check out on the ground, too!
This place gets toasty during the summer, so be sure to pack your sunscreen and plenty of water.
1 Forest Drive
Yosemite National Park, California
reviewed on: September 27 2011
"A Favorite With Locals"
This hike is a favorite with locals but it remains relatively crowd-free by Yosemite standards – even during the summer. It’s great for kids because the trail is relatively flat and you can reach the payoff (a swinging bridge high up over the river) about a mile from the trail’s dirt parking lot.During our visit in July, we counted wildflowers as we hiked. But the big excitement came when we reached the river and dipped our feet in for a while. (Take extra caution when the water is extremely high.)
If you bring a lunch and time your visit for a sunny day, you can easily spend several hours here.
Note: The complete Swinging Bridge Loop trail is 4.8 miles roundtrip (which starts & ends at the Wawona Store); the kid-friendly version we enjoyed is about 1.5 miles. To duplicate our version, start from the unpaved parking lot and head back to the trailhead when you reach the bridge
Finding the Swinging Bridge Trail
From the south entrance to Yosemite National Park, head left toward Wawona. You’ll pass the Wawona Hotel about 5 miles from the entrance. Continue over the bridge and turn right on Chilnualna Falls Road.
Continue about 2 miles on Chilnualna Falls Road until you reach a bridge. Cross it and head up the road to your left. Continue until the road ends at a small dirt parking lot. Trail is not marked, but can be found at the top edge of the parking lot.
A few planning essentials:
• Trail is a mostly wide, flat, unpaved path
• Several idyllic swimming holes can be found across & above the bridge (when water levels are at normal levels, that is); take extreme caution in & around the water’s edge when levels are high
• There are no bathrooms or portable toilets at or along the trail
• No picnic tables or other facilities are available
• A small, dirt parking lot is available
