Driving Directions to
Yosemite Valley
Curry Village Area Trailheads

Steve Eckert - updated Aug 2001
north Hwy 120 through Yosemite and over Tioga Pass
  east Hwy 395 Waypoints - Eastern Sierra Trailheads and Junctions
 west Western Sierra Trailheads
south Southern Sierra (Walker and Sherman Pass area) Trailheads

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You can reach Yosemite Valley from many directions: Hwy 41 goes only a little ways into Yosemite Valley, looping from the north side to the south side and crossing the Merced River near Bridalveil Falls. From there, Hwy 140 continues to Curry Village, which is as far as you can now drive up the valley (the loop to Happy Isles is now closed to private vehicles). Legal overnight parking and backpacker food storage boxes are described below.

This file describes trailheads near Curry Village. Be aware that you are NOT supposed to park overnight in the large part-dirt lot near this developed area (where you can rent videos, order beer and pizza, grab a reasonable buffet dinner, or take a shower). It's not a wilderness experience, but it's not luxury like the Ahwahnee Hotel which is just a bit down the canyon on the north side. Waypoints and a topo map with plotted waypoints is below.

Overnight Parking

From Curry Village (waypoint CURRYV), go east and then south past the tent cabins (NOT back out to Hwy 140). This small road dead ends at the backpacker parking lot (waypoint BACKPP), where you will find over 20 food storage lockers. I have slept beside the car in or near this lot, but it's not clear whether that is legal and I'm never there in the height of the summer season. This is the ONLY place where you can legally leave a car overnight, as far as I know.

Snow Creek / Tenaya Creek / Mirror Lake

From Curry Village (waypoint CURRYV), go back out to the turnoff from Hwy 140 (waypoint CURRYT) and continue east on 140. Turn left at the sign for Upper and Lower Pines Campgrounds (waypoint PINEST) and park at the horse corrals (waypoint CORRAL) if you are day hiking. On foot, you can simply walk cross-country straight from CURRYV to PINEST. The lot at CORRAL does not allow overnight parking. Walk east on the road, and turn north (left) at the next intersection (waypoint TENAYT) which is another road that takes you over the Tenaya River on an auto bridge. Continue north on pavement to Mirror Lake (waypoint MIRROR) and follow signs to the Snow Creek trail along the west side of the river.

Happy Isles / Merced River / Mist Trail

From Curry Village (waypoint CURRYV), go east and then south past the tent cabins to the backpacker parking lot (waypoint BACKPP) as described in more detail above. Instead of turning right into the parking area, keep walking southeast on the road until you get to the Merced River bridge near the Happy Isles Nature Center (waypoint HAPPYB). There are several trails branching out from here, so look carefully for signs on both sides of the bridge.

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