Yosemite Wildflowers and Hite Cove Trail

Updated: Dec 26, 2024

I’m forever looking for weekend getaways which combine my favorites: beautiful images to photograph, outdoor exercise and of course, food. Along came an article about local spots where you can view the Spring blooms and voila! We were on our way to El Portal to hike the Hite Cove Trail near Yosemite.

Turns out the timing was perfect as the crowds were minimal, hotel rates reasonable and the hills truly were alive with a painter’s palette of color. There’s still time to plan a trip as the flowers will continue to spring alive until sometime in May. Here are a few notes from our trip:

The highlight

Hiking the Hite Cove Trail! It's about 4 miles one-way so take plenty of water and wear comfortable shoes (that seems obvious but figured I’d say it anyway). The trail winds alongside the river for views of blooms and the pleasant sound of water in the background.

Orange poppies — Poppies covered the hills and trail to create a fiery orange spectacle.

Where we stayed

Yosemite View Lodge. Comfortable and reasonably priced. The best part? The back door opened to a view of the Merced River creating the perfect ambiance for our evening wine/cheese festival.

Rushing river — The view from our room (doesn't get much better than this)

Places we dined

Savoury’s in Mariposa. About 45 minutes from the hotel and worth the drive. I ordered off the menu and a) they were not annoyed and b) it was delicious (a shrimp linguine – perfectly cooked.)

Ahwahnee Hotel for brunch. A little pricier than your standard buffet ($45) but this isn’t really your standard buffet. What you get is an amazing array of delectable items served up in a grand setting creating an experience well-worth the price of entry.