Carlon Falls (Yosemite National Park, California, USA)

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Carlon Falls

View of Carlon Falls from the end of the trail

Carlon Falls is a rare year-round waterfall on the South Fork Tuolumne River with somewhat of an unusual shape. Even though the falls lies within the boundaries of Yosemite National Park, the trail starts outside its boundaries in the Stanislaus National Forest.

This waterfall won't blow you away with its height (probably 15ft) or flow, but it is a pleasant diversion if you're camping at Hodgdon Meadow or you're driving between Hetch Hetchy and the Big Oak Flat Entrance of Yosemite.

I placed this waterfall in the Hetch Hetchy region since you're probably very likely to pass by its trailhead on the way to Hetch Hetchy.

The hike is about 4.5 miles round trip and it pretty consistently follows the South Fork Tuolumne River. There's one short but steep section that's notable, but it's really the only nontrivial part of the hike. The rest of it is pretty shady and the falls itself is a nice place to chill.

Directions: From the Big Oak Flat Entrance, drive a mile north on Hwy 120 to the signed turnoff to Mather and Hetchy Hetchy on Evergreen Road. About a mile along Evergreen Road, look for a pullout on the north side of the bridge near the Carlon Day Use Area sign. This pullout is where the Carlon Falls Trail begins.

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Looking down at the South Fork Tuolumne River

Looking up at Carlon Falls from further downstream

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Carlon Falls found!
Carlon Falls was a great find because it was a hot Saturday. We needed a place to swim near our camp (5 miles outside the west gate), but didn't want ...

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