Cascade Falls (The Cascades)

Some people think this is the Yosemite Falls, and I suppose it can be fairly easy to make that mistake as you're coming in from the Western Entrance or the Arch Rock Entrance on Road 140.

There is a variety of ways to see this waterfall despite its rather rugged location. So let's highlight some of the ways that Julie and I have been able to see this waterfall.

Turtleback Dome: Our favorite vantage point requires a little bit of a scramble (the hard part is finding a way to get onto the other side of the concrete wall besides Road 41 near the long pullouts by signpost W3.

But once you do get onto sure footing, you just continue descending on the granite slope towards where you can get satisfactory views of the Cascades.

And the reward for your troubles here?

You get an even more extensive look at the Cascade Falls (see photo above) than the official viewpoint (see description below) as well as bonus views of the upper tiers of Wildcat Falls. What's nice about the vantage point here is that you can see the Big Oak Flat Road cut across above the main drop of the waterfall for scale, and you can even see the creek below the falls rushing its way to join the Merced River.

The Official Viewpoint: There's a dedicated car park, signage, and lookout of most of the lowest tier of Cascade Falls from here. There's no official way to get closer to the base of the waterfall, but I'd imagine some intrepid scramblers may do it when the creek is at lower flow.

This vantage point can be reached on the Road 140 along the Merced Canyon at signpost M1 about 1.7 miles west of the Route 120/140 junction and about 3 miles east of the Arch Rock Entrance to the park.

Upper Cascades: As you drive up (or down) the Big Oak Flat Road (Route 120), there are a couple of pullouts you can stop for and get different looks at the falls. The first pullout is at signpost B2. Note that you can't stop at signpost B1 so look for a pullout right before the bridges over Cascade Creek and Tamarack Creek. Once you're out of the car, you can walk to the road bridges and look up closely at the upper tiers of the Cascades.

Further up the ascent on Big Oak Flat Road, you'll find signpost B3. It's here that you can see Bridalveil Fall way down the Merced Canyon, but you can also stop the car here and look back towards Tamarack Creek and Cascade Creek tumbling together. This pullout is minutes before the first of three tunnels as you ascend Big Oak Flat Road (or soon after you leave the last tunnel as you descend this road).

See the photographs below for more of the various way you can experience this waterfall.

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Looking up at the Cascades from a bridge on the Big Oak Flat Road

Looking way downstream towards Bridalveil Fall from signpost B3

Rocks on the other side of the concrete barricade; this is where the scramble from signpost W3 begins

Bonus look at Wildcat Falls from Turtleback Dome

More recent look at Cascade Falls

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Comprehensive sweep starting with Half Dome, then focusing in on the cascades on Tamarack Creek before ending with Cascade Falls and its context

View World of Waterfalls in a larger map

TRIP REPORTS

• March 20, 2004
• June 3, 2011

GUIDEBOOKS / OTHER RESOURCES

NEARBY WATERFALLS

• Wildcat Falls
• Bridalveil Fall
• Ribbon Falls
• Silver Strand Falls
• Widow's Tears

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