Wawona Stables
Wawona
WELCOME TO YOSEMITEME!
WHAT TO DO
HORSEBACK RIDING
NOTE: There are two options for horseback riding in Yosemite. The first and most popular includes renting mules or horses at the Wawona Stable. The second option includes utilizing your own stock to enjoy Yosemite’s back country. Both options are described below.
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HORSEBACK RIDING - WAWONA
Accessibility
WHAT: The most accessible form of a mule-ride or horseback riding can be found at the Wawona Stables in the southern section of the Park near the Wawona Hotel and the Pioneer History Center.
Riders must be at least 7-years-old (and 12-years-old for the all-day ride), 52 inches tall, and weigh at least 53 pounds. Anyone exceeding 225 pounds in weight will not be allowed to ride. Families with children are required to book the 8:30 a.m. or the 12:00 p.m. rides due to the potential for heat exposure in the afternoon. As long as these conditions are followed, riders need not have extensive horseback riding experience. A review of managing horse behavior is provided to each rider before the trip starts. Helmets are provided along with a saddle bag for water or snacks/lunch. Long pants are recommended and closed-toe shoes are required.
A two-hour, guided ride starts at the stable and crosses over the Merced River on a historic covered bridge. The trail, which is relatively flat with gentle elevation change, then winds around back of the Wawona Hotel where it ultimately crosses the Wawona Road and circles around the Wawona Meadow and Golf Course. Riders pass through thick forests, oak woodland along the fringe of the Meadow, and through open areas with substantial undergrowth. The Meadow Loop Trail widens in spots making for a relaxing ride for rider and horse.
An all-day ride also starts at the stable but veers off toward the Mariposa Grove of Sequoias with an elevation gain of about 1,700 to 2,700 feet (530 to 732 m). The concessionaire states that this is a “challenging ride for riders in good physical condition only.” Once at the Grove, riders rest and eat lunch (lunch not included in price of trip). Riders will go through areas burned by the Washburn Fire in 2022 as they near the Grove. Horses are allowed only on the Perimeter Trail in the Grove as shown in blue on the map below.
WHEN: TWO-HOUR RIDES: The two-hour rides are available approximately May through September, 7-days a week, depending on weather conditions. Rides begin at three intervals: 8:30 a.m., 12:00 p.m., and 3:00 p.m. However, riders must arrive an hour before the start times noted above to complete paperwork and receive direction.
ALL-DAY RIDES: The all-day rides occur on Thursdays between Memorial Day and Labor Day only. This ride starts at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 3:00 p.m. Riders must arrive by 7:30 a.m. for the all-day ride in order to complete paperwork and receive direction.
WHERE: The Wawona Stable is located at 7815 Chilnualna
Falls Road in Wawona, which is about five miles inside the southern entrance to Yosemite National Park. If arriving from Yosemite’s Southern Entrance, pass the Wawona Hotel, cross over the bridge over the Merced River, and turn right on Chilnualna Road (you’ll see the Stable after a short distance on the right).
Wawona is about 30 miles from Yosemite Valley and it takes about 45 to 60 minutes of driving time. While traveling south on the Wawona Road (Highway 41), pass the Wawona Campground on your right and turn left on Chilnualna Road a short distance from the Campground. The entrance to the Stable will be on your right and is visible from the road after passing the Stable.
HOW & HOW MUCH: For 2023, the two-hour ride is $85.00 per person. The all-day ride is $150.00 per person. Reserve your trip in advance by going to the TravelYosemite.com website (click here). Click the “Plan Your Trip” button and select “All-Day” or “Stable Ride” under the “Wawona Stable” option. Select the date you plan on riding and follow the instructions for payment.
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SELF-GUIDED STOCK RIDING
Accessibility
WHAT: Yosemite National Park allows private owners of stock (i.e., horses and mules) to use their animals in the Park for their own recreation. Due to the impact that stock can have on Yosemite’s ecosystem, regulations exist to prevent over- and misuse of the Park’s resources. Those regulations are split between front and back country use.
Front country use includes stays at the three horse camps maintained by the Park: Wawona Campground (2 sites), Bridalveil Creek Campground (3 sites), and Tuolumne Meadows Campground (4 sites). There are no horse camps in Yosemite Valley. These equestrian-only sites include amenities akin to regular campsites in Yosemite including campfire rings/grill, picnic tables, food-storage lockers, and flush toilets. They are non-electric and allow six people and six horses max per site. Although they have river/creek access, the Park suggests the camper bring a 120-foot-long hose and bucket to provide water for stock.
Back country use includes all wilderness trails and “camps” designated for stock purposes (link to map in WHERE section). See sections below for more information.
Historically, transportation in and around Yosemite has been characterized by the use of horse and mule trains since Euro-Americans first arrived in the 1850s. In the 1890’s, the presence of the US Cavalry and “Buffalo Soldiers” served to monitor Park activity via horseback and to act as the first rangers (see photo below).
Even after the first automobile arrived in Yosemite in 1913, horses and mules remained a key means of transporting people and goods, especially in the back country (although the infrastructure needed to support automobiles developed quickly).
Today, stock use in Yosemite focuses on commercial, administrative, and private recreational activities. Commercially, Yosemite’s primary concessionaire, Yosemite Hospitality, operates fee-based horseback trips out of the Wawona Stable as noted above. Administratively, Yosemite maintains a Mounted Patrol
Program comprised of Rangers who serve many areas of the Park. Additionally, a “fleet” of mules assist in backcountry maintenance as well as in providing supplies to the Park’s huts and camps. Horses and mules continue to play a part in search and rescue operations and provide education to visitors.
So, the Park’s ongoing history of utilizing horses and mules allows private packers and horse riders to benefit from the resources in place when bringing their own animals into the front and back country of the Park.
WHEN: FRONT COUNTRY: Stock camps in Wawona, and at Bridalveil Creek and Tuolumne Meadows Campgrounds are available seasonally since access may be limited due to road closures related to accumulated snow (e.g., during the winter months). Generally speaking, the Wawona sites are available from May to October while the Bridalveil Creek and Tuolumne Meadows sites are available from July through September (the Tuolumne Meadows Campground will stay closed due to refurbishment until 2025.). Reservations are required and can be made five months ahead of a planned trip on the 15th of the month at recreation.gov (see HOW section below).
BACK COUNTRY: Wilderness permits, which are required for any overnight stay in the back country, are available throughout the year. However, many trails become inaccessible during the winter months and so caution should be used when planning for back country trips with stock during the winter months. Sixty percent of wilderness permits for May through mid-October are allocated via a lottery 24 weeks in advance at recreation.gov. The remaining 40% can be obtained one week prior to one’s visit also at recreation.gov or at most ranger stations or kiosks. Permits for the other months of the year can be obtained on a first-come, first-served basis at ranger stations, kiosks, or at recreation.gov.
WHERE: FRONT COUNTRY: Bridalveil Creek Campground is located about 26 miles from Yosemite Valley and 25 miles from Yosemite’s southern entrance via the Wawona Road (Hwy 41) and the Glacier Point Road. It will be on the right-hand side of the road about nine miles from the Glacier Point turnoff. The campground is at an elevation of 7,200 feet (2,200 m). See campground map below.
Tuolumne Meadows Campground is located about 55 miles from Yosemite Valley (about 1 hour and 30 minutes) and 47 miles from Yosemite’s Big Oak Flat entrance (about 1 hour and 9 minutes) via the Big Oak Flat and Tioga Roads. The campground entrance will be on the right-hand side of the road going eastward. Elevation is at the 8,000-foot marker (2,600 m). See campground map below.
Wawona Horse Campsites are located separately from the Wawona Campground about a mile east off Chilnualna Road on Wawona District Circle In North Wawona. Its distance from Yosemite’s southern entrance is about five-and-a-half miles using Wawona Road (Hwy 41). The elevation is about 4,000 feet (1,219 m). See map below.
BACK COUNTRY: Regarding trail use, the Yosemite National Park website states: “Except where otherwise posted or listed below, all designated trails in the park are open to stock use. Trails open to stock on the floor of Yosemite Valley are signed as bridle paths.” See the chart below for off-limit trails.
As noted, private stock users are required to possess a valid wilderness permit and can use camp sites within one quarter mile of National Park trails, including backpacker sites. A list of back country regulations, campsites, and a map can be found by clicking here.
HOW & HOW MUCH: FRONT COUNTRY: Reservations for the Horse camps are required and can be made at recreation.gov five months prior to the month of your planned trip starting on the 15th of the month at 7:00 am Pacific Standard Time (click here and scroll down to find your desired campsite). See the Yosemite National Park website for dates showing the camping booking window (click here). The Tuolumne Meadows, Bridalveil Creek, and Wawona Horse Camps cost $50 (USD) per night.
A list of FRONT COUNTRY regulations can be found by clicking here.
BACK COUNTRY: Wilderness permits are required and can be accessed 24 weeks in advanced via a lottery at recreation.gov (click here for lottery dates and click here for lottery application). Forty percent of the permits can be obtained a week in advance of travel on a first-come, first-served basis. A $10 (USD) application fee is assessed for each group desiring a wilderness permit. Once the permit is secured, each member of the group is charged $5 (USD). A “permit tutorial” can be found on our backpacking page (click here).
Additional information may be obtained by calling Yosemite Hospitality at (209) 372-4386.
