Yosemite Falls drops 2,425 feet down the north wall of Yosemite Valley in California’s Sierra Nevada, making it one of the tallest waterfalls in North America. It runs in three linked sections: the 1,430-foot Upper Fall, roughly 675 feet of middle cascades, and the 320-foot Lower Fall. Visitors come for the sheer scale and the roar of snowmelt crashing against granite.
The paved, roughly one-mile Lower Yosemite Fall loop is largely wheelchair accessible and brings you close enough in late spring to feel the spray drifting across the bridge. Hikers seeking more effort take the strenuous Upper Yosemite Fall Trail from near Camp 4. It runs about 7.2 miles round trip with around 2,700 feet of elevation gain. Columbia Rock, about a mile up, offers sweeping valley views. In winter, a cone of ice and frozen spray builds at the Upper Fall’s base. On clear spring nights near a full moon, photographers wait for lunar rainbows, known as moonbows, in the mist.
Visitor Highlights & Practical Info
Flow peaks in May and June and often slows to a trickle or stops entirely by August. Arrive before 9 a.m. to beat crowds and find parking, or ride the free Yosemite Valley shuttle to the Lower Yosemite Fall stop. Yosemite charges an entrance fee and has used seasonal peak-hour reservation systems in recent years, so check nps.gov/yose before your trip. On the Upper Fall trail, carry plenty of water and start early to avoid the afternoon heat on its exposed switchbacks.
