McGurk Meadow - Easy Hike, Big Payoff

Spring and summer are big deals in my hiking life. I watch anxiously for the opening of Yosemite's seasonal Glacier Point Road so that we have access to all the great trails that take off from there.

Because I'm a flower nut (never met one--cultivated or wild--that I didn't love), one of my very favorite treks wanders through McGurk Meadow. A hike of four miles out-and-back yields an extravaganza of beautiful blossoms. The photos displayed here are a small sample of the blooms we encountered. (For those who can tolerate a raft of flower pictures, check out my Flickr photos (I'm hawkshearth) and look for my McGurk Meadow 7-30-09 set. It'll turn up 130+ photos taken on July 30. I tried to paste a link to the set, but couldn't get it to work right.)

If you want even more of a workout and have the time, continue on another two miles or so, following the trail signs at each junction, until you come to the southern rim of Yosemite Valley at a place called Dewey Point. The several times I've been there, it's been relatively peaceful; only once have we found more than one or two people occupying our favorite lunch spot. A nosh of crackers, cheese and one of those individual bottles of Merlot or Chardonnay and you'll think you've died and gone to heaven. Take a little nap before heading back to Glacier Point Road and soak up the tranquility that seems so rare in most of Yosemite National Park.

But back to McGurk Meadow. That's another slice of heaven just waiting for the flower enthusiast. The hike I'm describing here can be done by anyone in reasonable shape. Don't forget, though, that you'll be hiking at an altitude of approximately 6,000 feet, which can prove to be a challenge for those used to walking at lower elevations.

The amount of time it'll take you depends on whether you plan to take lots of photos. If you're not recording the trail for posterity, you can reasonably make the round trip in a couple of hours.

The first mile is downhill through a lodgepole pine forest dotted with Yarrow, Lupine, Pennyroyal and more. Right before the trail opens up to the meadow, a log cabin appears to the left of the trail. A metal sign marks the distance to Glacier & Dewey Points.

The expansive meadow stretches for a mile or more and displays its white carpet of blossoms. In just a few more feet you come to a bridge across a small stream .

Timing the hike can be a bit tricky. Go too early, and the flowers haven't bloomed yet. Go too late and they've already wilted. The window of opportunity amounts to roughly a two-month period from the end of June to mid-to-end August. Because my friend Dana served as group leader for our Elderhostel hiking group from July 5-9 and McGurk was one of the hikes on their schedule, I knew that I needed to get my rear in gear. The available date was July 30, and I was worried I might already be too late. Although some of the species (especially the Corn Lilies) were bloomed out, the rest of the display was spectacular. Masses of Indian Paintbrushes turned parts of the meadow into a crimson carpet. Lupine and Penstemon and Cone Flowers added their splashes of purple and yellow.

One of the interesting facts about this trail is that its terrain, along with its flora, changes constantly. In the meadowlands, bathed in sunlight, Indian Paintbrush abound. In the dryer, open areas ground-hugging plants like Pussy Paws show off their finery.

As you approach the two-mile marker, where the trail approaches a crossing of Bridalveil Creek, the flora changes again. Now you find waist-and shoulder-high displays of Fireweed, Larkspur, Arrowleaf Groundsel, Blue Monkshood interspersed with specimens of Crimson Columbine. (The Columbine were mostly done for the season by July 30, so the photos I took don't represent the best of the species, unfortunately.) Here and there a Sierra Lily could be seen. In all the times I've walked this route, I've never seen the number of Blue Monkshood in bloom this year. That's the beauty of this trail--it's never the same twice.

Remember that I told you the trail was downhill in the beginning? Guess what? That means the trail is UPHILL on the way back. That's really the only part of this trek that proves to be any sort of challenge. Although it's a mile from the meadow back to the trailhead at Glacier Point Road, really only half of that is a bit of a slog.

Take plenty of water, snacks, a hat and sunscreen. Parts of the trail are in open sun and even the shady parts will be hot in mid-summer. You may also want insect repellant, and hiking poles make the walk out a bit more bearable. Those who are not packing around a few extra pounds and who hike with some regularity will not find this difficult at all.

After you're done, the drive to Glacier Point only takes 15 to 20 minutes and gives you yet another perspective on the expansive vistas that comprise Yosemite National Park.

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul.  ~The Qur'an