No, it's absolutely safe! I've walked it in the late morning and late afternoons, never saw any wild animals.... Probably too populated by hikers...
What Margarete said, perfectly safe.
I do it alone. You can park as early as 0500 (but the rangers don't open the pkg area bathrooms til after 0800). I have seen rattlers and garter snakes, rabbits, deer and coyote. All the creatures are more elusive than aggressive. Just remember, you're in their house. All in all, I'm more concerned about poison oak, or ticks (but Lyme disease isn't well known in the area) than anything else.
Completly safe i walk there alone everytime.
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