Ghost Forest to Deer Camp Bypass

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers

This trail leads from Bridalveil Creek at the Lost Bear Meadow to the junction to Deer Camp. The first mile of the hike alternates between wildflower meadows and sparser forest of lodgepole pines. After half a mile, you cross a tributary to Bridalveil Creek by hopping over a few boulders. The cutoff trail to Ostrander Lake is to the left soon thereafter. Continue right.

At about 1 mile, the scenery changes dramatically as you enter a section of the trail that was burnt very recently. The black leafless trunks are still standing as if it was yesterday. But this area is far from dead. Larger patches of spectacular wildflower meadows are slowly reclaiming this section of the forest.

As you make your way through this surreal landscape, the trail starts to ascend moderately up the slope until it reaches a sunny ridgetop clearing at 2.5 miles that was not affected by the fire. Even though you are at about 7,650 feet, you only get a few views west over the forested Yosemite Wilderness. The trail drops slightly after that and leads through a few more meadows until it reaches the Deer Camp junction at 3.3 miles.