Yosemite National Park is the ultimate outdoor playground. From hiking to climbing, camping, and chasing its roaring waterfalls, Yosemite pleases every adventure seeker.
Last updated: September 26, 2024
Looking for Waterfalls in Yosemite National Park
Finally crossing chasing waterfalls in Yosemite National Park off my travel bucket list! After years of dreaming of this place, we decided to explore the park over the weekend. No further arrangements – just a few days of road-tripping and hiking in Yosemite to see its imposing waterfalls. The rest was a journey in making.
On the day of our almost spontaneous adventure, we left Los Angeles before sunrise. It took us a little bit over five hours with just one quick stop to refill the tank before we spotted our first waterfall, plunging over a sheer cliff a short drive away from the entrance to Yosemite National Park.
Exploring Yosemite National Park
We reached the park late in the morning. As we drove down a winding, gradually ascending road, astounding landscapes came into view. On the right, guarding mountains, almost completely covered with trees, towered over the road. A bubbling river with the morning sun glitter reflected in its crystal-clear waters accompanied us on the left.
This was Yosemite, a place famous for its natural beauty, striking mountains, and remarkable waterfall hikes, both easy and strenuous.
Since we travel with two small kids, we opted for easy trails with some of Yosemite’s most recognizable waterfalls at the end of them.
THE BEST WATERFALLS IN YOSEMITE: HIKES FOR ALL FITNESS LEVELS
1. Bridalveil Fall
Sure enough, it didn’t take us ten minutes before my niece started screaming with wild exuberance, “Waterfall! Waterfall!” We looked to the right and saw Bridalveil Fall, hiding from the annoying glances of visitors behind a wall of trees. With loud sound its waters plunged from a height of 620 feet. Upon reaching the ground, the waterfall’s drops gathered in tiny streams.
We didn’t just observe the waterfall from a distance, but climbed a few rocks (they are slippery, so be extra careful) to get as close to the mighty Bridalveil Fall as it was safely possible.
Yet you don’t need to climb the rocks to admire one of the first waterfalls you discover upon entering Yosemite National Park. Bridalveil Fall is visible from many locations including the road.
The Best Time to See: Many of the waterfalls in Yosemite are seasonal. Bridalveil Fall is one of them. It thunders, creating a dense mist, in spring. The flow decreases significantly during the rest of the year. Yet, the waterfall never dries up, which makes it a perfect destination to stop at in Yosemite throughout the year.
Bridalveil Fall Trail
- Distance: 0.5-mile, round-trip trail
- Elevation gain: Roughly 80 feet
- Difficulty: One of the easiest waterfall hikes in Yosemite
- Trailhead: Bridalveil Fall parking area
- Time: 15-20 minutes
2. Yosemite Falls
With its waters dropping from the height of 2,425 feet from the top of the upper fall to the base of the lower fall, Yosemite Falls is the highest waterfall and one of the main attractions in Yosemite National Park.
The Best Time to See: Similar to Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Falls is a seasonal waterfall. Strong and powerful in the spring, it almost dries up by August.
In addition to spectacular views during the warmer seasons, spring daytime temperatures encourage longer hikes near the waterfall in the Yosemite Valley. The 2-mile Yosemite Falls Trail to Columbia Rock normally asks for two hours to take you to the base of the waterfall and bring you back to the trailhead.
Although we traveled to Yosemite in the summer – not the best time for chasing waterfalls or hiking – we were determined to see Yosemite Falls. With no Internet connection and no GPS service, we simply followed other cars. The majority of them had similar itineraries and stopped in different locations in the Yosemite Valley, within a short hiking distance of Yosemite Falls.
Lower Yosemite Fall Trail
- Distance: 1-mile loop trail
- Elevation gain: Approximately 55 feet
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time: 20-30 minutes
- Trailhead: Lower Yosemite Fall Trailhead
Columbia Rock Trail
- Distance: 2-mile, round-trip trail
- Elevation gain: 1,000 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time: 2-3 hours
- Trailhead: Camp 4 (near shuttle stop #7)
If you want to challenge yourself and reach the top of the iconic waterfall in Yosemite National Park, stick to the following trail.
Top of Yosemite Falls Trail
- Distance: 7.2-mile, round-trip trail
- Elevation gain: 2,700 feet
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Time: 6.5-8 hours
- Trailhead: Camp 4 area (near shuttle stop #7)
Parking in Yosemite in Summer
Finding parking near waterfall trails in the Yosemite Valley was next to impossible. One of the park employees even mentioned that our visit fell on the busiest day ever. During her extended career at the park, she couldn’t recollect such crowds. After many circles around the Yosemite Valley, we somehow managed to claim one spot and decided to leave the car there and use park shuttles for the rest of the day.
3. Vernal Fall
From the parking lot, we took a free shuttle and ventured to Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16) in the eastern Yosemite Valley. The area marked a starting point of the Vernal Fall hike (the Mist Trail).
The trail is approximately 0.8 mile long (one way). Relatively flat at the base, the paved pathway slightly winds around the mountain and quickly gains elevation. The majority of hikers follow the trail until a wooden footbridge where the views of Vernal Fall, one of the cascading waterfalls in Yosemite National Park, open up.
This 317-foot-high waterfall is indeed a sight to behold. Loud and powerful, it’s famous for rainbow mist, created as the water plunges down, and green foliage surrounding the waterfall.
The Best Time to See: Vernal Fall is especially gorgeous at its peak flow, which usually happens in late April and early May. The rest of the year, however, doesn’t present dramatic changes to the flow of the waterfall.
Once on the footbridge, you can hike back to the trailhead or walk about 0.5 mile farther up to the top of the waterfall. Here the most determined visitors get rewarded with epic, up-close views over Vernal Fall and spectacular vistas of the Yosemite Valley.
Vernal Fall Footbridge
- Distance: 1.6-mile, round-trip trail
- Elevation gain: Nearly 400 feet
- Difficulty: Moderate
- Time: 1-2 hours
- Trailhead: Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16)
Top of Vernal Fall
- Distance: 2.4-mile, round-trip trail
- Elevation gain: 1,000 feet
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Time: 3-3.5 hours
- Trailhead: Happy Isles (shuttle stop #16)
4. Nevada Fall
Your search for the best waterfalls in Yosemite doesn’t end here. From Vernal Fall, hike uphill for another 1.2 miles until you reach Nevada Fall. The 454-foot-high waterfall on the Merced River is nestled below a granite dome at the west end of the Little Yosemite Valley.
Together Vernal Fall and Nevada Fall create a unique system of the waterfalls that often seems like two parts – downstream and upstream – of one natural phenomenon in Yosemite.
The Best Time to See: Similar to its downstream sibling, Nevada Fall astounds almost the entire year with the exception of late August when the water flow doesn’t reach its maximum potential. Yet the access to this stunning Yosemite’s waterfall is closed in the winter due to icy conditions of the trail. So make sure to see it during the warmer seasons.
Top of Nevada Fall
- Distance: 5.4-mile, round-trip trail
- Elevation gain: 2,000 feet
- Difficulty: Strenuous
- Time: 5-6 hours
How Much Time Do You Need to Hike to Waterfalls in Yosemite?
Yosemite National Park is incredibly big and absolutely gorgeous. With one or two days on your hands, you can only scratch the surface of what the area has to offer. Nevertheless, it’s enough time to hike to some of the most remarkable waterfalls and the nearby landmarks of Yosemite. Be sure to bring your friends and family members along and share with them the stunning scenery and mesmerizing cascades of the park.
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