

To get to the trail on foot from the park visitor center, follow the well-marked bike path across Yosemite Village.
#Yosemite waterfall hikes free#
Take the free park shuttle to stop number 6, which is the trailhead for Lower Yosemite Fall Trail. To get to the trailhead: Drive into Yosemite Valley and park at either Curry Village or the park visitor center.
#Yosemite waterfall hikes full#
Yosemite Falls puts the full power of nature on display. Water bursts into vapor, smacking visitors with gusts of invigorating droplets. The fluid white pillar courses down the grey granite gallery, delivering water from mountain ceiling to valley floor at a reckless speed. In the month of May, Yosemite Falls is typically mesmerizing. Lower Yosemite FallĪfter wet winters, Yosemite Fall thunders down the mountain, hurling as much water into the valley as possible. By autumn, Yosemite Falls can be trimmed to ribbon that is elegant, but lacks the command the waterfall carries at full strength. Like all waterfalls is Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Falls is most impressive in the spring and early summer as it diligently melts away the snowpack above. Just to the west, Yosemite Falls Trail ascends toward Upper Yosemite Fall from Camp 4, offering exceptional views of Yosemite Falls and Yosemite Valley. The paved trail is a short distance from the park visitor center, making it a perfect place for your first Yosemite memory. If you travel to Yosemite National Park, Lower Yosemite Fall Trail must be on your itinerary. This wheelchair-friendly trail has just a hundred feet of elevation change, so everyone is capable of seeing Lower Yosemite Fall. On the other hand, the forest along the east side of Yosemite Creek is pleasant to walk through, so doing the loop makes sense too. The views on the east half of Lower Yosemite Fall Trail are not as impressive, so feel free to turn around at the bridge return the way you came. A short distance from the falls on the east side of the loop is a junction with Valley Loop Trail, which passes behind Yosemite Village and Ahwahnee Hotel toward Mirror Lake, a charming seasonal pool a few miles away. In winter months, a cone of frasil ice can form at the bottom of the falls as water cools into ice crystals on the journey down the mountain.Īlongside the observation area, a bridge crosses Yosemite Creek, allowing the trail to loop back to the shuttle stop. During the spring, a mist sprays out from the bottom of the falls that provides visitors with the shower of a lifetime.

Just over half a mile from the shuttle stop, you will arrive at the viewing deck for Lower Yosemite Fall. Yosemite Falls above Lower Yosemite Fall Trail The Upper Fall, Middle Cascades, and Lower Fall of Yosemite Fall The final section is Lower Yosemite Fall, a 320-foot plunge.

Next comes the Middle Cascades, a frothy stretch that drops another 675 feet. The tallest is on top, the spectacular 1,430-foot Upper Fall.

Yosemite Falls is split into three sections. This is one of the most impressive views to be found in a park that is packed full of impressive views. The trail exhibits Lower and Upper Yosemite Fall in perfect alignment, causing you to look up in amazement as you hike. From the Yosemite Falls Shuttle Stop (#6) in Yosemite Valley, head to the left past the bathrooms to the wide paved trail heading straight toward the falls.
