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WATCH WATERFALLS IN YOSEMITE VALLEY
If you want to be really wowed by the Yosemite Valley's grandeur, time your visit for late spring. May is usually the month when Yosemite's waterfalls flow most dramatically, thanks to rushing snow melt from high in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Dozens of waterfalls, both big and small, burst into life along the granite walls of the valley. You can hear them thundering everywhere you walk. Often a cloud of mist obscures the bottom of the fullest falls, meaning that if you walk right up to them, you won't see much. But if you know the right vantage points, you'll be able to capture some unforgettable photos.
Knowing where to get the best views of waterfalls is a key to getting the most out of your Yosemite National Park vacation. Check out our top recommendations:
Bridalveil Fall
As you drive into the Yosemite Valley, Bridalveil Fall (620 feet high) is an arrestingly beautiful year-round waterfall that usually peaks in May. You can follow an easy, paved half-mile trail right up to the base of the falls and back. Just watch out for slippery conditions in spring and slick ice in winter. Expect a heavy dose of spray from the waterfall during late spring and early summer, when you might want to bring along a waterproof jacket and pants.
Vernal & Nevada Falls
A double dose of beauty, these sister waterfalls are hidden at the east end of the Yosemite Valley. Although both falls flow year-round, they usually peak in May. By late summer as water levels drop, the lower cascade – Vernal Fall (317 feet high) – may split into two or three separate waterfalls. The best place to catch a glimpse of Vernal Fall is from the Happy Isles, a shuttle stop on the valley floor. The upper fall – Nevada Fall (594 feet high) – tumbles off the cliffs below Glacier Point, one of the best places from which to observe it. If you want to get up close and personal, hikers can tackle the Mist Trail, which ascends a steep granite staircase rising from the valley floor past Vernal Fall (a total of 3 miles round-trip) to the top of Nevada Fall (7 miles round-trip).
Yosemite Falls
The tallest waterfall in North America, Yosemite Falls (2425 feet high) is actually a trio of cascades that drop down the north wall of the Yosemite Valley. Usually flowing between November and July, the falls are at their most magnificent between April and June. You'll probably hear the falls before you see them then! A paved, one-mile trail leads from the shuttle stop to the base of the falls, or you can make a challenging 7.2-mile round trip hike to the top of the falls along a historic trail dating from the 19th century. Around sunset, one of the best views of the falls is from inside the Mountain Room restaurant at the park's Yosemite Lodge at the Falls.
Of course, there are dozens more waterfalls waiting for you to discover them in the park, including the valley's Horsetail Fall (1000 feet high), which appears to be on fire as it reflects the sunset glow during late February. At Hetch Hetchy reservoir, you can hike along a little-used trail to footbridges that cross beneath mighty, triple-tiered Wapama Falls (1400 feet high).
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